Discerning Sounds — Dr. Elyse Sussman has received a renewal grant for $1.7 million over five years from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, in support of her study of the neural mechanisms that contribute to the perception of sound and the ability to distinguish between various auditory sources. The inability to select a single sound when there are multiple sources competing with one another is a common complaint among elderly individuals and others with hearing loss, which also hinders communication ability. By studying the sound organization of adults with normal hearing, Dr. Sussman and colleagues aim to gain understanding of how the auditory system adapts and responds to environments in which various sound sources compete for attention. Their findings could help advance our understanding of auditory perception, as well as offer insights that contribute to the development of medical technologies such as hearing aids and other prosthetic devices. Dr. Sussman is a professor of neuroscience and of otorhinolaryngology.
Posted on: Thursday, November 15, 2012