Tinnitus is a phantom sensation (ringing of the ears) that impairs quality of life for millions around the world and for soldiers returning from Afghanistan.  Most cases are associated with hearing impairment caused by noise exposure or the aging process.  Incidence may be increasing among young individuals as a consequence of mild hearing losses induced by recreational sound.  Neuroscience research is revealing how tinnitus is generated by the brain when hearing loss occurs.  The results have implications for public policy and for mechanisms of normal auditory perception.

Larry Roberts obtained his PhD from the University of Minnesota and is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour at McMaster.  He and his colleagues study how acoustic experience modifies neural representations for sound in the human brain over the lifespan. The knowledge gained helps us to understand how neural plasticity sculpts foundations for auditory skill and how it generates phantom sensations in deafferentation syndromes of which tinnitus is a prime example.

Register for this event