National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR)
NCRAR Monthly Seminar Series - CEU Details
The current month's seminar info and CEU documents are below (see highlighted section when you scroll to the bottom of the page).
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Time: 12-1pm (Pacific)
Location: VA Portland Health Care System, NCRAR (Virtual)
Presenter: Adam Svec, PhD, AuD, CCC-A, Assistant professor, Department of Audiology. University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA
Title: Assessing the role of envelope fluctuations for individuals with hearing loss
Abstract: Recent work has suggested that older listeners with minimal hearing loss exhibit more forward masking for a highly fluctuating Gaussian Noise (GN) masker relative to a low-fluctuation noise (LFN) masker. This threshold difference (GN–LFN) is referred to as GN disruption and was previously attributed to time-varying cochlear gain resulting from feedback control by the medial olivocochlear (MOC) system. However, thus far, masker conditions have been limited to 80 dB SPL at 4 kHz. The current study aims to challenge the hypothesis that the physiological basis of GN disruption is the MOC system using behavioral measures and computational models across multiple target and masker frequencies (.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz), masker levels (80-, 65-, 50-dB SPL), masker-signal delays (25-, 75-ms), participant age ranges (18-30, 60-75), and hearing statuses (normal hearing, sensorineural hearing loss). Additionally, speech recognition using IEEE sentences will be, and have been, measured with GN and LFN maskers. As a result of this presentation, participants will be better able to describe the impact of temporal envelope fluctuations in a forward masking paradigm, identify the markers of “Gaussian Noise Disruption”, and discuss the implications of these results in terms of cochlear gain and the impacts of sensorineural hearing loss.
As a result of this presentation, participants will be better able to describe the impact of temporal envelope fluctuations in a forward masking paradigm and identify what the presenter is describing as “Gaussian Noise Disruption” and describe the implications of these results in terms of cochlear gain and the impacts of sensorineural hearing loss.
Learner Outcomes: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the impact of temporal envelope fluctuations in a forward masking paradigm.
- Discuss the implications of these results in terms of cochlear gain and the impacts of sensorineural hearing loss.
- Identify what the presenter is describing as “Gaussian Noise Disruption”.
Disclosure statements: Adam Svec, PhD, AuD, CCC-A, has the following relevant financial relationships to disclose; he receives a salary from University of the Pacific as a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Audiology. The Hearing Industry Research Consortium has funded this project since January 2023 (3-year effort); and the National Institutes of Health (3R01DC001641-29S1) has awarded a subcontract to Dr. Svec on an R01 for which Dr. Laurel Carney is the PI (5-year effort). He has no non-financial relationships to disclose.
*IMPORTANT DETAILS: The seminar will be broadcast via Microsoft Teams.
To register and receive a Teams invitation, you must contact Marianne Pierson at Marianne.Pierson@va.gov before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12th, and she will send you an email invitation with a Microsoft Teams link.
Once you have a Microsoft Teams invitation, please see the instructions for joining below at the time of the call:
1. Click on the “Join Microsoft Teams Meeting” link in the Outlook invitation for the seminar (in the Outlook calendar)
2. Click on “Join now," and mute your microphone.
3. Alternately, you can simply call the telephone number listed below the "Join Microsoft Teams Meeting" link. Note: MUTE your phone; do not place your phone on hold.
CEUs: If you wish to receive ASHA CEUs for watching the seminar, please click on the link below to submit your evaluation:
| ASHA CEU Evaluation (link) |
You will need to submit your CEU evaluation within 5 business days (March 21st) in order to receive credit. Contact Marianne Pierson at Marianne.Pierson@va.gov with questions.
NCRAR is approved by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association to offer 0.1 CEU for this continuing education activity (Advanced level, Professional Area).
