We strive to study and understand how speech and non-speech sounds are processed in neonates and adults. Our research utilizes auditory evoked potentials, together with the participant’s behavioral responses, as ways to better understand how sppech and non-speech sounds are processed in the human brain. Our research is focused on the major theme:

1. Human Frequency-Following Responses in Neonates, Infants and Adults

The primary goal of my research is to help individuals with hearing, speech, and language impairments to adapt to their environments at the earliest possible time. Naturally, the earliest assessment and therapeutic protocols that can be applied is during immediate postnatal days. As such, the research projects related to neonatal speech processing and its development are particularly compelling to me, as it is the first and most important step in developing a normative database for neonates and adults. Completion and establishment of such a database will allow the development of appropriate therapeutic and rehabilitative protocols down the line for infants and children who are at risk of a specific disorder.

Time is of the essence when testing neonates, infants and adults. Importantly, neurocircuitry in neonates are different from those in infants and adults. People who are born and raised in different linguistic environments may have different speech perception and signal-processing mechanisms, even when they are responding to the same speech sounds. One way to better understand the differences is to employ various machine-learning algorithms and computational models on the frequency-following responses with an attempt to make the entire process automatic.

Our lab is housed in the Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the School of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences at Ohio University. Through productive research collaborations with prestigious institutions in the United States and abroad, we are equipped to conduct basic and applied research projects and to help us better understand how the human brain processes acoustic and electric sounds.

1. Jeng, F.-C., Matzdorf, K., Hickman, K. L., Bauer, S. W., Carriero, A. E., McDonald, K., Lin, T.-H. & Wang, C.-Y. (2024) Advancing Auditory Processing by Detecting Frequency-Following Responses Through a Specialized Machine Learning Model. Percept Mot Skills, 131(2) 417–431. http://www.doi.org/10.1177/00315125231225767
2. Giordano, A. T., Jeng, F.-C., Black, T. R., Bauer, S. W., McDonald, K., Lin, T.-H., & Wang, C.-Y. (2023) Auditory processing: effects of silent intervals on the extraction of human frequency-following responses using non-negative matrix factorization. Percept Mot Skills, 130(5), 1834-1851. http://www.doi.org/10.1177/00315125231191303
3. Jeng, F.-C., Lin, T.-H., Hart, B., N., Montgomery-Regan, K., & McDonald, K. (2023) Non-negative matrix factorization improves the efficiency of recording frequency-following responses in normal-hearing adults and neonates. Int J Audiol, 62(7), 688-698. http://www.doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2022.2071345 (open access)
4. Jeng, F.-C. & Jeng, Y.-S. (2022) Implementation of machine learning on human frequency-following responses: a tutorial. Semin Hear, 43(3), 251-274. http://www.doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1756219
5. Jeng, F.-C., Stehura, K. A., Hart, B. N., & Giordano, A. T. (2021) Contralateral noise degrades frequency-coding accuracy in normal-hearing adults - preliminary results. Proc Mtgs Acoust - Acoust Soc Am, 45, e050001 (pages 1-6). http://www.doi.org/10.1121/2.0001516
6. Jeng, F.-C., Hart, B. N., Chen, C.-H., Lin, C.-D., & Tien, H.-C. (2021) Separating the novel speech sound perception of lexical tone chimeras from their auditory signal manipulations: behavioral and EEG evidence. Percept Mot Skills, 128(6), 2527-2543. http://www.doi.org/10.1177/00315125211049723
7. Hart, B. N. & Jeng, F.-C. (2021). A demonstration of machine learning in detecting frequency following responses in American neonates. Percept Mot Skills, 128(1) 48–58. http://www.doi.org/10.1177/0031512520960390
8. He, S., Xu, L., Skidmore, J., Chao, X., Jeng, F.-C., Wang, R., Luo, J., & Wang, H. (2019). The effect of interphase gap on neural response of the electrically-stimulated cochlear nerve in children with cochlear nerve deficiency and children with normal-sized cochlear nerves. Ear Hear, 41(4), 918-934. (http://www.doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000815)
9. Hart, B. & Jeng, F.-C. (2018). Machine-learning in detecting frequency-following responses. Proc Mtgs Acoust – Acoust Soc Am, 35, e050002 (pages 1-7). (https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/2.0000931)
10. Stump, K. & Jeng, F.-C. (2018). Frequency-following responses elicited by a consonant-vowel with an intonation. Proc Mtgs Acoust – Acoust Soc Am, 35, e050001 (pages 1-7). (https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/2.0000930)
11. Jeng, F.-C., Nance, B., Montgomery-Reagan, K., & Lin, C.-D. (2018). Exponential modeling of frequency-following responses in American neonates and adults. J Am Acad Audiol, 29(2), 125-134. (www.doi.org/10.3766/jaaa.16135)
12. Jeng, F.-C., Lee, C.-Y., McDonald, T. N., Ganch, H. M., Teets, E. A., & Hart B. N. (2017) Subcortical frequency-coding errors are linked to speaker-variability intolerance in normal-hearing adults. Acoust Soc Am – Express Letters, 142, EL270-275. (www.doi.org/10.1121/1.5002150)
13. Jeng, F.-C., Lin, C.-D., Chou, M.-S., Hollister, G. R., Sabol, J. T., Mayhugh, G. N., Wang, T.-C., & Wang, C.-Y. (2016a). Development of subcortical pitch representation in three-month-old Chinese infants. Perceptual Mot Skills, 122, 123-135. (www.doi.org/10.1177/0031512516631054).
14. Jeng, F.-C., Lin, C.-D., Hollister, G. R., Sabol, J. T., Mitchell, K. A., Chou, M.-S., Wang, T.-C. & Wang, C.-Y. (2016b). Subcortical neural representation to Mandarin pitch contours in American and Chinese newborns. J Acoust Soc Am - Express Letters, 139(6), EL190-195. (www.doi.org/10.1121/1.4953998).
15. Jeng, F.-C., Lin, C.-D., Sabol, J. T., Hollister, G. R. , Chou, M.-S., Chen, C.-H., Kenny, J. E., & Tsou, Y.-A. (2016c). Pitch perception and frequency-following responses elicited by lexical-tone chimeras. Int J Audiol, 55, 53-63. (www.doi.org/10.3109/14992027.2015.1072774).
16. Chou, M.-S., Lin, C.-D., & Wang, T.-C., & Jeng, F.-C. (2014). Recording frequency-following responses to voice pitch in guinea pigs – preliminary results. Percept Mot Skills 118(3), 681-690. (www.doi.org/10.2466/22.24.PMS.118k28w1)
17. Jeng, F.-C., Peris, K. S., Hu, J., & Lin, C.-D. (2013). Evaluation of an automated procedure for detecting frequency-following responses in American and Chinese neonates. Percept Mot Skills 116(2), 456-465. (www.doi.org/10.2466/24.10.PMS.116.2.456-465).
18. Jeng, F.-C. & Hu, J. (2013). An automated procedure for detecting human frequency following responses to voice pitch. Proc Mtgs Acoust – Acoust Soc Am, 19, e050033 (pages 1-7). www.doi.org/10.1121/1.4799320).
19. Chung, H.-K., Tsai, C.-H., Lin, Y.-C., Chen, J.-M., Tsou, Y.-A., Wang, C.-Y., Lin, C.-D., Jeng, F.-C., Chung, J.-G., & Tsai, M.-H. (2012). Effectiveness of theta-burst repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treating chronic tinnitus. Audiol Neurootol, 17, 112-120. (www.doi.org/10.1159/000330882).
20. Jeng, F.-C., Chung, H.-K., Lin, C.-D., Dickman, B. M., & Hu, J. (2011a). Exponential modeling of human frequency-following responses to voice pitch. Int J Audiol, 50, 582-893. (www.doi.org/10.3109/14992027.2011.582164).
21. Jeng, F.-C., Costilow, C. E., Stangherlin, D. P., & Lin, C.-D. (2011b). Relative power of harmonics in human frequency-following responses associated with voice pitch in American and Chinese adults. Percept Mot Skills, 113(1), 67-86. (www.doi.org/10.2466/10.24.PMS.113.4.67-86).
22. Jeng, F.-C., Hu, J., Dickman, B. M., Lin, C.-Y., Lin, C.-D. & Wang, C.-Y. (2011c). Evaluation of two algorithms for detecting human frequency-following responses to voice pitch. Int J Audiol, 50(1), 14-26. (www.doi.org/10.3109/14992027.2010.515620).
23. Jeng, F.-C., Hu, J., Dickman, M. B., Montgomery-Reagan, K., Tong, M., Wu, G., & Lin, C.-D. (2011d). Cross-linguistic comparison of frequency-following responses to voice pitch in American and Chinese neonates and adults. Ear Hear, 32(6), 699-707. (www.doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0b013e31821cc0df).
24. Jeng, F.-C. & Warrington, R. P. (2011). Effects of silent interval on human frequency-following responses to voice pitch. Proc Mtgs Acoust – Acoust Soc Am, 14, e050002 (pages 1-8). www.doi.org/10.1121/1.3666047).
25. Li, X. & Jeng, F.-C. (2011). Noise tolerance in human frequency-following responses to voice pitch. J Acoust Soc Am, 129(1), EL21-26. (www.doi.org/10.1121/1.3528775).
26. Jeng, F.-C., Schnabel, E. A., Dickman, B. M., Hu, J., Li, X., Lin, C.-D., & Chung, H.-K. (2010). Early maturation of frequency-following responses to voice pitch in infants with normal hearing. Percept Mot Skills, 111(3), 765-784. (www.doi.org/10.2466/10.22.24.PMS.111.6.765-784).
27. Miller, C. A., Abbas, P. J., Robinson, B. K., Nourski, K. V., Zhang, F. & Jeng, F.-C. (2009). Auditory nerve fiber responses to combined acoustic and electric stimulation. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol, 10, 425-445. (www.doi.org/10.1007/s10162-008-0154-7).
28. Jeng, F.-C., Abbas, P. J., Hu, N., Miller, C. A., Nourski, K. V. & Robinson, B. K. (2009). Effects of temporal properties on compound action potentials in response to amplitude-modulated electric pulse trains in guinea pigs. Hear Res, 247(1), 47-59. (www.doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2008.10.007).
29. Jeng, F.-C., Abbas, P. J., Brown, C. J., Miller, C. A., Nourski, K. V. & Robinson, B. K. (2008). Electrically evoked auditory steady-state responses in a guinea pig animal model: Latency estimates and effects of stimulus parameters. Audiol Neurotol, 13, 161-171. (www.doi.org/10.1159/000112424).
30. Nourski, K. V., Abbas, P. J., Miller, C. A., Robinson, B. K. & Jeng, F.-C. (2007) . Acoustic-electric interactions in the guinea pig auditory nerve: Simultaneous and forward masking of the electrically evoked compound action potential. Hear Res, 232(1-2), 87-103. (www.doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2007.07.001).
31. Jeng, F.-C., Abbas, P. J., Brown, C. J., Miller, C. A., Nourski, K. V. & Robinson, B. K. (2007). Electrically evoked auditory steady-state responses in guinea pigs. Audiol Neurotol, 12, 101-112. (www.doi.org/10.1159/000097796).
32. Noh, H., Abbas, P. J., Miller, C. A., Nourski, K. V., Robinson, B. K. & Jeng, F.-C. (2007). Binaural interactions of electrically and acoustically evoked responses recorded from the inferior colliculus of guinea pigs. Int J Audiol, 46(6), 309-320. (www.doi.org/10.1080/14992020701212622).
33. Miller, C. A., Abbas, P. J., Robinson, B. K., Nourski, K. V., Zhang, F. & Jeng, F.-C. (2006). Electrical excitation of the acoustically sensitive auditory nerve: Single-fiber responses to electric pulse trains. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol, 7(3), 195-210. (www.doi.org/10.1007/s10162-006-0036-9).
34. Nourski, K. V., Abbas, P. J., Miller, C. A., Robinson, B. K. & Jeng, F.-C. (2005). Effects of acoustic noise on the auditory nerve evoked compound action potentials in response to electric pulse trains. Hear Res, 202(1-2), 141-153. (www.doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2004.10.001).
35. Lin, C.-D., Jeng, F.-C., Lin, T.-Y., Chow, K.-C. & Tsai, M.-H. (2004). Morphological changes in the temporal bone and the expression of Fas ligand in patients with cholesteatoma. Mid Taiwan J Med, 9(4), 197-202. [pdf]
36. Miller, C., Abbas, P. A., Hay-McCutcheon, M. J., Robinson, B. K., Nourski, K. V. & Jeng, F.-C. (2004). Intracochlear and extracochlear ECAPs suggest antidromic action potentials. Hear Res, 198(1-2), 75-86. (www.doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2004.07.005).
37. Jeng, F.-C., Brown, C. J., Johnson, T. A. & vander Werff, K. R. (2004). Estimating air-bone gaps using auditory steady-state responses. J Am Acad Audiol, 15(1), 67-78. [Awarded “Best of 2004” in “Diagnostic Audiology” category, The Hearing Journal, 2005, 58 (6), 40-46]. (www.doi.org/10.3766/jaaa.15.1.7).
38. Hu, N., Abbas, P. J., Miller, C. A., Robinson, B. K., Nourski, K. V., Jeng, F.-C., Abkes, B. A. & Nichol, J. M. (2003). Auditory response to intracochlear electric stimuli following furosemide treatment. Hear Res, 185(1-2), 77-89. (www.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-5955(03)00261-2).
39. Jeng, F.-C., Tsai, M.-H. & Brown, C. J. (2003). Relationship of preoperative findings and ossicular discontinuity in chronic otitis media. Otol Neurotol, 24(1), 29-32. (www.doi.org/10.1097/00129492-200301000-00007).
40. Jeng, F.-C., Huang, W.-S. & Tsai, M.-H. (2002). Carotid dopscan findings in vertiginous patients with hypercholesterolemia. J Taiwan Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 37(4), 260-266. (Chinese with English abstract) [pdf]
41. Jeng, F.-C., Yao, C.-F. & Tsai, M.-H. (2001). Isolated congenital incus anomaly: report of a case. Mid Taiwan J Med, 6, 244-247. [pdf]
42. Chang, Y.-C., Jeng, F.-C., Lin, C.-D., & Tsai, M.-H. (2001). Acute mastoiditis complicated with subperiosteal abscess in children: report of two cases. Mid Taiwan J Med, 6, 179-184. [pdf]
43. Jeng, F.-C. & Tsai, M.-H. (2000). Recurrence of preauricular fistulae after excision. J Taiwan Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 35(4), 225-229. (Chinese with English abstract) [pdf]
44. Jeng, F.-C. & Hung, C.-M. (1997). Acute mastoiditis complicated with subperiosteal abscess - case report. J Taiwan Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 32(3), 328-332. (Chinese with English abstract) [pdf]

1. Jeng, F.-C. (2017). Infant and Childhood Development: Intersections between Development and Language Experience. In N. Kraus, S. Anderson, T. White-Schwoch, R. R. Fay, and A. N. Popper (2017). The Frequency-following Response: A window into Human Communication. Springer Nature, New York. (ISBN:978-3-319-47944-6)

1. Bauer W. S. & Jeng, F.-C. Auditory Electrophysiology: A Student Handbook.[pdf]
2. Porter, M. R., Jeng, F.-C., Taylor, M. G., Lee, C.-Y., Bauer, S. W., Carriero, A. E., McDonald, K., & Wang, C.-Y. Assessing voice familiarity in normal-hearing adults: behavioral and electrophysiological approaches. [pdf]
3. Jeng, F.-C., Giordano1, A. T., Black, T. R., Bauer, S. W., Carriero, A. E., McDonald, K., Lin, T.-H., & Wang, C.-Y. Effects of silent intervals on the extraction of human frequency-following responses using non-negative matrix factorization. In: Abstracts of the 47th Annual Midwinter Meeting, Association for Research in Otolaryngology, Anaheim, California, February 3-7, 2024.[pdf]
4. Jeng, F.-C., Lin, T.-H., Hart, B. N., Montgomery-Reagan, K., & McDonald, K. Non-negative matrix factorization improves the efficiency of recording frequency-following responses in normal-hearing adults and neonates. In: Abstracts of the 46th Annual Midwinter Meeting, Association for Research in Otolaryngology, Orlando, Florida, February 11-15, 2023.[pdf]
5. Giordano, A. T., Black, T. R., Titus, T. J., & Jeng, F.-C. Silent interval degrades machine learning in extracting human frequency-following responses. [pdf]
6. Jeng, F.-C., Stehura K. A., Hart, B. N., & Giordano, A. T. Contralateral noise degrades frequency-coding accuracy in normal-hearing adults. In: Abstracts of the 181st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Seattle, Washington, November 29 – December 3, 2021. [pdf]
7. Jeng, F.-C., Hart, B. N., Chen, C.-H., Lin, C.-D., & Tien, H.-C. Separating effects of chimeric novelty from signal manipulation in lexical-tone chimeras: behavioral and electrophysiological approaches. In: Abstracts of the 44th Annual Midwinter Meeting, Association for Research in Otolaryngology, virtual conference via Zoom, February 20-24, 2021.[pdf]
8. Hart, B. N. & Jeng, F.-C. Machine learning in detecting frequency-following responses in American neonates. In: Abstracts of the 32nd Annual Conference of the American Academy of Audiology, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 1-4, 2020. [pdf]
9. Hart, B. N. & Jeng, F.-C. Machine learning in detecting frequency-following responses. In: Abstracts of the 176th Meeting of Acoustical Society of America, Victoria, Canada, November 5-9, 2018. [pdf]
10. Hart, B. N., Jeng, F.-C., & Lee, C.-Y. Subcortical frequency-coding errors are linked to speaker-variability intolerance in normal-hearing adults. In: Abstracts of American Auditory Society Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, Arizona, March 1-3, 2018. [pdf]
11. Stump, K. M. & Jeng, F.-C. Frequency-following responses elicited by Chinese consonant-vowel combination. In: Abstracts of American Auditory Society Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, Arizona, March 1-3, 2018. [pdf]
12. Oakes, B., N., Jeng, F.-C., Washnik, N., Meier, R., & Russell, J. A. A comprehensive hearing profile of college marching band and orchestral students – preliminary results. In: Abstracts of American Auditory Society Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, Arizona, March 1-3, 2018. [pdf]