BHSL Current Studies and Participation
Our Studies
The Binaural Hearing and Speech Lab researches how binaural hearing develops from childhood into adulthood. Furthermore, we seek to measure how auditory development and processing differ for individuals using hearing devices, like hearing aids and cochlear implants, from typical hearing individuals.
Lastly, we are also looking at how hearing deficits may affect cognitive function in individuals with Down syndrome. It is known that individuals who have Down syndrome have higher incidences of hearing loss compared to individuals who are typically developing. This is due to individuals with Down syndrome having narrower and shorter ear canals, where fluid and earwax can build up, which can affect one’s hearing. We are looking at hearing loss status and its relationships with cognition and language skills. Additionally, we want to see and compare auditory development in individuals with Down syndrome with their typically developing peers.
Ready to participate?
Click a study to learn more about eligibility and study details.
Adults Studies (18+)
- Eligibility
- Adults who use bilateral cochlear implants (ages 18+)
- Typically hearing adults (ages 18-35)
- Activities: Listening tasks
- Time Commitment: Varies by session
- Compensation: $15/hour
- Eligibility
- Adults (ages 18+) who use bilateral cochlear implants
- Typically hearing adults (ages 18-35)
- Activities:
- Listening tasks
- EEG
- MRI
- Time Commitment: ~2–4 sessions, ~3.5 hours each
- Compensation: See flyer
CHildren and adolecent Studies (5-17)
- Eligibility
- Children with cochlear implants (5-17)
- Typically hearing children (ages 9-17)
- Activities: Listening tasks
- Time Commitment: Varies by session
- Compensation: $15/hour
- Eligibility
- Children with Down syndrome (ages 10-17)
- Typically developing children (ages 10-17)
- Activities:
- Listening tasks
- EEG
- MRI
- Time Commitment: ~10 hours total (3–4 sessions, ~3.5 hours each)
- Compensation: 15$
Explanation of Study Activities
The listening tasks we use focus on measuring how people localize sounds. The listening tasks we use study our ‘what’ and ‘where’ hearing pathways. One test looks at a person’s ability to attend to speech in noise, while another looks at how well a person is able to localize or find sounds. Our thinking games assess abilities like memory, attention, and language. We compare these findings to results from the listening games.
EEG stands for electroencephalography, which means reading what is happening in the brain using electrodes or sensors! An EEG is recorded using a cap, like a swim cap, covered in little sensors. Using gel or water as a conductor, these sensors can record the tiny electrical signals of the neural pathways that tell us important information like the speed of brain processing and when we make decisions. EEGs are used in all different kinds of brain research, but at BHSL, we use them to measure how auditory system maturation (Individuals with Down syndrome) and hearing modalities (Cochlear implants) impact our ability to localize sound.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a tool that uses powerful magnets to take detailed images of the brain. We use it to compare the brains of typical hearing and developing individuals with those of individuals with Down syndrome. Unlike X-Rays or PET scans, an MRI does not use radiation or injectable tracers. Instead, the participant will lie in a narrow tube with earplugs for around 1 hr. During the scan, the MRI technician and the participant are able to communicate through an intercom.
BHSL uses eye-tracking software, which uses a monitor to track pupil motion and dilation. It requires pupil calibration, but is a non-invasive measure that we use to determine cognitive effort. It examines pupil dilation, determines eye-gaze location, and infers certainty behind decision-making processes.