Deafness Research UK last week received a donation of over £16,000 from the Masonic Samaritan Fund for pioneering new research taking place at the University of York.
The research team, led by Professor Quentin Summerfield on their ‘Helping Elderly People with Spatial Hearing Difficulties’ project, are looking into the brain processes during what is known as ‘sound localisation’. This is the process by which we identify the location of movement and sounds, a process which may be linked to the difficulties faced by elderly people with handicapped hearing.
The research is expected to last around six months and should be instrumental in aiding the understanding of hearing loss in elderly people. To conduct the research, participants will sit in the centre of a circle of loudspeakers as the research team present sounds that change location every few seconds. The voltage on the the scalp surface will be measured as this happens, giving a measure of brain activity.
Professor Summerfield said “We are grateful to the Masonic Samaritan Fund and Deafness Research UK for their support. This grant will help us to develop a new brain-imaging technique for studying the difficulties which some older people experience in localising sounds and in orientating to their location by making head movements.”
Deafness Research UK is the only charity dedicated solely to finding cures and treatments for those suffering from hearing impairments.
The research project being conducted at the University is one of many projects around the UK into loss of hearing funded by Deafness Research UK through voluntarily contributions like that of the Masonic Samaritan Fund.
John McCrohan, Grants Director and Deputy Chief Executive of the Masonic Samaritan Fund who presented the cheque wholeheartedly supported the cause by commenting “Many of our beneficiaries struggle with hearing loss and we are pleased to be able to contribute vital funds to Professor Summerfield’s efforts.”