Past Projects
Real-life Impact of Hearing Disorders
Problem: Although audiometric tests provide an index of hearing impairment in elderly adults, it is unclear how impairment impacts on communication ability in real-world listening situations or how such communication is affected by cognitive abilities.
Solution: In a large group of elderly listeners we will assess hearing ability and model how working memory, comprehension skills and attention affects speech perception in difficult listening conditions.Prof. Christopher Davis
ARC Extension to the HEARing CRC 2014 – 2019
Mood Regulation Using Music: A Community Health Strategy for Improving Quality of Life in People with Mild Dementia
Problem: People with depression are more likely to develop dementia in later life and the presence of depression in people with dementia can tends to accelerate cognitive decline. Music can be an effective way to regulate moods in people with dementia. However, there is little understanding of how music should be used in order to target specific symptoms while still taking into account individual tastes and preferences, particularly in people with a history of mood disorders.
Solution: We have conducted experiments to determine how particular features of the music such as mode, tempo and lyrics interact with psychological symptoms of the individual listener. Based on these results we are developing a written protocol for the use of music with people with dementia which will be trialed in residential aged care facilities.
Dr Sandra Garrido
NHMRC: Dementia Research Development Fellowship 2016 – 2019
Fingers TAP to the music
Problem: Adults often experience a decline in fine motor skills with age and this impairs their performance in a number of daily tasks, such as cutting and preparing food, washing and dressing, writing or using computer keyboards, smartphones or tablets. These tasks are important features of maintaining an independent lifestyle.
Solution: A solution may be found in musical instrument playing, which involves training fine motor skills within a structured and enjoyable framework. This has been shown to be an optimal program for improving hand function of stroke patients.
This project will develop and assess sensori‐motor skills through a short-term piano training program for healthy older adults. In order to establish transfer effects that will aid daily life, the performance of participants in piano tasks will be correlated to participants' performance in generalised fine motor tasks and sensory discrimination tasks as assessed through standardised tests. If musical training produces generalised benefits for hand function in a healthy ageing population, there may be the potential for further development as a preventative as well as a rehabilitation technique for people with reduced hand function due to musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis, carpal tunnel or other joint pain.
Dr Jennifer MacRitchie
Australian Association of Gerontology 2016 – 2017
Elderly speech perception in noise
Problem: Elderly listeners have great difficulties in understanding speech in a noisy environment. Difficulties in speech perception can be due to problems at the level of sensation, perception or cognition (or a mix of these).
Solution: This project provides a principled way to distinguish the source of these problems; this is an essential foundation for proper diagnosis and treatment.Prof. Chris Davis, Prof. Jeesun Kim
ARC Discovery Project 2015 – 2017
Speech communication in older adults: an acoustic and perceptual investigation
Problem: The impact of aging on speech communication is poorly understood.
Solution: This project will measure in young and older adults the speech adaptations made to counter adverse listening conditions; how cognitive load impacts these; the role of face-to-face communication and the perceptual benefits of 'clear speech' in order to better understand the impact of ageing on speech communication.Prof. Valerie Hazan, Prof. Jeesun Kim, Prof. Chris Davis
ESRC-2014 – 2017
Understanding speech in noise: Linking perception and computation
Problem: Recognizing speech degraded by noise is a problem faced by humans and by computational algorithms (although humans do much better).
Solution: Using Professor Cooke’s missing data speech recognition model and comparing it with human performance will feedback to influence model development and allow for a better understanding of processes in normal hearers that can then help pinpoint the underlying source of certain hearing impairments.Prof. Jeesun Kim, Prof. Chris Davis, Prof. Martin Cooke
ARC Discovery Project 2013 – 2015
