Auditory Processing Disorder

Bob Bean, Executive Director
Royal Arch Research Assistance

Here is an article that may help you understand the important work and impact of your contributions.

Royal Arch Research Assistance - Providing real results for our future generations!

 

Cincinnati Children's Hospital

Helping Us Understand 

Bob Bean, Executive Director
Royal Arch Research Assistance

The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is conducting research sponsored by Royal Arch Research Assistance and Autism Speaks.

The Audiology Department at Cincinnati Children's Hospital focuses on Auditory Processing Disorders. In this video for parents of children with hearing impairment, Ms. Hilbert provides a brief description of how testing is done to diagnose Auditory Perception Disorder.

Royal Arch Research Assistance - Providing real results for our future generations!

 

Hearing Health Update - October 2019

AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Thanks to the generosity of General Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons International, Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) funds groundbreaking research to advance our scientific understanding of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD).

Grants focused on APD are awarded annually to promising scientific investigators through the Emerging Research Grants (ERG) program.

AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER RESEARCH

ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY HHF- FUNDED SCIENTISTS

Samira Anderson, Au.D., Ph.D., and her colleagues’ research found that amplification may improve neural representation of the speech signal in new hearing aid users. The improvement with amplification was also found in cortex, and, in particular, decreased P1 latencies and lower N1 amplitudes may indicate greater neural efficiency. Learn more.

Inyong Choi, Ph.D., and team found that how well you combine information across multiple frequencies is a critical factor for good speech-in-noise understanding. Dr. Choi and colleagues are now studying how to improve the sensitivity to this "naturalness" in listeners with hearing loss and is expecting to provide individualized therapeutic options to address the difficulties in speech-in- noise understanding. Learn more.

Beula Magimairaj, Ph.D., has presented a novel framework for conceptualizing auditory processing abilities in school-age children. According to her framework, cognitive and linguistic factors are included along with auditory factors as potential sources of deficits that may contribute individually or in combination to cause listening difficulties in children. Learn more.
Watch Dr. Magimairaj's recorded report to the South Central Conference. (Click Here)

Srikanta Mishra, Ph.D., and team successfully demonstrate the effectiveness of the automated noise rejection procedure of sweep-tone–evoked stimulus frequency otoacoustic emissions (SFOAEs )in adults. The results should be useful for developing tests for cochlear function that can be useful in the clinic and laboratory. Learn more.

Nirmal Kumar Srinivasan, Ph.D., and colleagues’ work suggests sharp binaural pitch fusion is necessary for maximal speech perception in noise when acoustic hearing is available to transmit voice pitch cues. Speech reception thresholds measured using male and female target talkers were compared with binaural pitch fusion results to complete the study. Learn more.

Richard A. Felix, II, Ph.D., produced evidence that lower-level subcortical areas may play a significant role in hearing disorders. Subcortical pathways represent early-stage processing on which sound perception is built; therefore problems with understanding complex sounds such as speech often have neural correlates of dysfunction in the auditory brainstem, midbrain, and thalamus. Learn more.

Yoojin Chung, Ph.D., looked at the neural mechanisms underlying the limitations of clinical bilateral CIs as they relate to understanding conversations in noise and suggested improvements, such as delivering ITD information in low- rate pulse trains. Learn more.

Elizabeth McCullagh, Ph.D., performed the first study that explored alterations in glycinergic inhibition in the auditory brainstem of FXS mice. Given the findings in this study, further knowledge of the alterations in the lower auditory areas, such as the tonotopic differences in inhibition to the MNTB, may be necessary to better understand the altered sound processing found in those with FXS. Learn more.

Andrew Dimitrijevic, Ph.D., was published for his study that measured alpha rhythms during attentive listening in a commonly used speech-in-noise task, known as digits-in-nose (DiN), to better understand the neural processes associated with speech hearing in noise. Dimitrijevic and his colleagues’ novel findings propel the field’s understanding of the neural activity related to speech-in-noise tasks. Learn more.

South Central Conference - Hearing Health Update

At the South Central York Rite Conference, Dr. Beula Magimairaj, from Utah State University at Ogden, gave an update on her work. Dr. Magimairaj's research in auditory processing disorder (APD) is partially funded by an Emerging Research grant from Royal Arch Research Assistance (RARA).

Gift for A Gift

A Gift for a Gift Program 2019BrochureFlyer 

Frequently we are overwhelmed with requests for contributions for one good cause or another. Many are worthwhile and important and most are worthy of our contribution; however, now we have the opportunity to receive something to benefit our Masonic bodies directly in return. No, not lapel pins, address labels, calendars, pens, or other unsolicited items that may or may not be needed, but something truly useful to your Lodge, Chapter, Council or Commandery!

The Board of Directors of ROYAL ARCH RESEARCH ASSISTANCE has introduced the Gift for a Gift program. Through the generous contribution of Companion Steven Monrotus, Past Grand High Priest of Missouri, a renowned organist in his own right, three excellent musical discs are now available for a special contribution of only $150. Each of these discs has been provided with, and includes, appropriate music for many Masonic ceremonial occasions. There are patriotic tunes as well as music for the opening, and closing of a Masonic body. There are incidental tunes and processionals to include hymns and other appropriate tunes.

The Masonic Fraternity has been blessed with many great composers and many great musical pieces which have added so much over the years to all of our ritualistic work. Few Lodges or other Masonic groups, however, retain individuals or working instruments able to reproduce these desired sounds to accompany our beloved degree work. Although there are numerous musical discs, or discs sets available with the appropriate music recorded on them, they are not arranged in a convenient manner nor are they timed to fit the lengths available to match our ritual. All recordings on these discs are of short duration (maximum 2:00 minutes) so as to be able to comfortably apply them to the ceremony being presented. An enclosed set of notes serves as a guide for use of these individual tracks.

We offer this to you and we ask you to consider making these CD's available as a gift to your Lodge, your Chapter, your Council or your Commandery or other Masonic group by a contribution to Royal Arch Research Assistance for this great Masonic working tool. We all know how much music adds to our ceremonies and this is your opportunity to step forward and make a difference in the ritualistic ceremony with one or more of these special Masonic music gifts. Here is a way you can leave your legacy to so many with your generosity by participating in the new Gift for a Gift program for Royal Arch Research Assistance. 

GIFT FOR GIFT send your check to:\

Royal Arch Research Assistance 
PO Box 128, 
Greenfield, IN 46140-0128

Thank you your tax deductible contribution to Royal Arch Research Assistance and for your continued support of research in Central Auditory Processing Disorders.

Update GGHP Early 2019

Companions,

A few things have been changed since our last update on Royal Arch Research Assistance. Dr. Frank Muziek is now heading our CAPD efforts at the University of Arizona. He completed his move in October 2014 and will now have more PhD researchers than at his previous location at the University of Connecticut. He has sponsored international symposiums on CAPD and has put increased emphasis on trying to determine its cause. We continue to assist the Hearing Health Foundation by sponsoring four researchers in CAPD. We have also committed to $1,000,000 with Autism Speaks in an effort to correlate signs of CAPD in Toddlers (ages 12 - 36 months) who have Autism.

Interest in CAPD has increased once again since our new emphasis in supporting these three organizations. So in our efforts to support these efforts we ask you to:

  1. Send all contributions to Royal Arch Research Assistance, C/O Bill Riggs. P.O. Box 1040 Bardstown, Kentucky 40004-1040
    1. (Or through this website!)
  2. To assist in Public Relations and fund raising we currently have one regional representative.

MEC Robert J. Bean, Sr., from South Carolina, will assist in the eastern region, both North and South. His telephone is: 843-407-7389 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

New handouts have been prepared and are available through the General Grand Secretary. Please assure that you have an ample supply on hand to be able to hand out on any and all occasions.
If you have any questions in the furtherance of this program please contact James H. Hodge.

Sincerely and fraternally,

James H. Hodge
General Grand High Priest
(H) 765 967 4390 
(C) 765 967 3400 
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


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