Articles tagged with Auditory Perception
Researchers discovered two major types of cortical neurons providing separate mechanisms for stimulus-specific adaptation in the brain. This phenomenon helps the brain distinguish between expected and unexpected sounds, enhancing sensitivity to rare sounds. The findings provide new insights into the neural basis of key hearing phenomena.
Researchers at the University of Montreal found that humans can recognize familiar voices with nearly 100% accuracy, even in noisy environments. This surpasses current automatic speech recognition systems, which struggle to reach 99.9% accuracy.
Roy D. Patterson, a renowned auditory neuroscientist, has been awarded the Acoustical Society of America's Silver Medal in Psychological and Physiological Acoustics. He made significant contributions to understanding pitch and timbre perception, as well as computational modeling of auditory representations.
A UK-based study has found that babies born underweight or overweight are more likely to experience hearing and vision problems in adulthood. Better childhood growth, as measured by adult height, is associated with improved sensory function, highlighting the importance of prenatal care.
A new study examines the effects of hearing loss on infant development, while another investigation looks at how older adults are impacted when their hearing begins to fade. The research aims to provide insights into various age groups' experiences with hearing loss and its treatment.
Researchers studying 2-million-year-old human fossils from South Africa found that early hominins had hearing patterns resembling those of chimpanzees, but with slight variations. The discovery suggests that early humans may have had better hearing in certain frequency ranges than other primates.
Researchers at NYU Langone Health found that even brief exposure to sudden sounds or mild trauma can form permanent brain connections, leading to improved hearing in rats. The study may lead to better understanding of how to treat hearing loss, Alzheimer's disease, and PTSD.
The Keystone XL Pipeline debate in Nebraska pitted economic benefits against environmental concerns, with supporters framing job creation as a key selling point. Rural landowners and farmers opposed the project due to fears of aquifer contamination, while proponents stressed national security and energy independence.
Studies show that hearing aid technology significantly lessens depression and anxiety, improving cognitive functioning. Hard of hearing people often struggle with invisible hearing difficulties, resisting treatment for years.
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University found that aminoglycoside antibiotics increase susceptibility to hearing impairment due to inflammation from bacterial infections. The study suggests that targeted alternatives are needed to treat life-threatening infections without sacrificing patients' ability to hear.
A multicenter study found that hybrid cochlear implant devices led to significant improvements in hearing and speech recognition among individuals with severely damaged high-frequency hearing. The study showed that 45 participants experienced overall improvement in their hearing and speech recognition, with some achieving profound gains.
Researchers have identified two signaling molecules required for proper cochlea development. The study contributes to understanding of inner ear development and its potential goal of regenerating sensory hair cells, a key step toward reversing hearing loss in mammals.
Research suggests that increased connections between sensory cells and nerve cells in the inner ear of aging mice may be contributing to age-related hearing loss. This finding could lead to new ideas for treating or preventing this condition in humans.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School used gene therapy to restore hearing in mice with genetic deafness. The treatment successfully restored the ability of sensory hair cells to respond to sound and partially restored actual hearing in deaf mice.
A graphic novel is being tested to educate Spanish-speaking agricultural workers about noise-induced hearing loss. The digital novella aims to improve knowledge and attitudes towards wearing hearing protection devices. The pilot study plans to assess the impact on 30-40 ag workers in Wyoming and Colorado.
Dr. Laurel H. Carney has been awarded the William and Christine Hartmann Prize in Auditory Neuroscience for her research on auditory physiology and perception. Her work aims to understand how the brain hears and develop strategies to aid listeners with hearing loss.
A comprehensive international study found that approximately five percent of the general population experiences hallucinations and delusions at some point in their lives. The study, involving over 31,000 participants from 19 countries, revealed that these experiences can be temporary and not always linked to serious mental illness.
Grand Challenges Canada and Google.org fund two Canadian organizations to develop diagnostic kits and screen people in need of high-quality hearing aids. The initiatives aim to improve the lives of over 360 million people with hearing loss worldwide.
Noise levels during pile driving could damage harbour seals' hearing, with half of tagged seals exposed to damaging levels. The study used GPS data loggers and models revealed the impact on the UK's marine life.
Researchers found that brain areas normally dedicated to hearing can adapt to early-stage hearing loss, affecting cognitive decline and speech perception. The study suggests that this compensatory adaptation may lead to decreased brain resources for processing sound.
Researchers found that locating an object by listening to echoes requires good high-pitch hearing in both ears. The study's results suggest that individuals with high-frequency hearing loss or single-sided deafness would struggle to use this method, highlighting the need for bilateral hearing aids in some cases.
A recent study found that person-specific cues have a stronger effect on craving addictive substances than general substance-specific cues. This discovery has implications for the development of targeted treatment programs to prevent relapse.
A recent genome-wide association study has found evidence that some people may be more genetically susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss. The study identified the Nox3 gene as a key gene for susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, which is a common workplace hazard.
Researchers identified mission-critical auditory tasks, prioritizing sounds like 'Medic!', grid references and commands. A new hearing test will assess auditory fitness-for-duty in combat situations.
UT Arlington engineer Sungyong Jung is developing an efficient, low-power integrated circuit for directional hearing aids, mimicking the auditory system of a parasitic fly. The goal is to provide better, more defined hearing with improved sound quality and miniaturization.
A study by Ohio State University found that constituents who participated in online town halls with their representatives were more likely to agree with the legislator on important policy issues. These constituents also showed higher levels of trust and approval for their elected official, as well as increased voting intention.
Researchers reconstructed fetal ear bone development in whales using non-invasive imaging techniques, providing insight into how whales transitioned from land to sea and adapted to underwater hearing. The study's findings confirm changes in ear bone development parallelled changes throughout whale evolution.
Researchers analyzed ear bone development in womb and fossilized whales, revealing parallel changes that indicate whales shifted from land to sea. The study provides insight into the evolutionary process of whale hearing, essential for protecting populations from ocean noise.
A large study found that most voice-hearers experience multiple voices with distinct qualities, while some also report physical effects on their bodies. The findings question traditional views of hearing voices and suggest different types of therapies could be beneficial for voice-hearers.
The NIH has awarded a $2.4 million grant to investigate how synaptic vesicle activity modulates auditory information transfer and impacts sound perception. Dr. Samuel Young's lab aims to uncover new cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in early stages of hearing.
Researchers at Northwestern University have found a secret bodyguard for the ears - a newly discovered connection from the cochlea to the brain that warns of intense incoming noise. This novel pain system protects the ear from very loud or damaging noise, which may be why people jam their fingers in their ears when exposed to loud soun...
A clinical trial led by the University of Southern California has successfully implanted an ABI device in four children who were previously unable to hear. The device stimulates neurons directly at the human brainstem, bypassing the inner ear entirely and showing promising results in young children.
Studies on lungfish and salamander hearing shed light on the evolution of aerial hearing in early terrestrial vertebrates, suggesting they could have detected airborne sound without a tympanic middle ear. The research provides insight into the development of hearing 250-350 million years ago.
Researchers aim to enhance speech signals and classify background noise using powerful smartphone processors and machine learning algorithms. The project has the potential to create a wide collection of smartphone apps for use with hearing aid devices.
A recent survey of parents found that families with higher incomes are more likely to resort to litigation when disagreeing with school officials about their children's education. The study also found links between the strength of parent-school partnerships and greater use of mediation or due process.
Research from the University of Southampton shows that identifying deafness early can significantly improve teenagers' reading development. The study found that children who were screened for hearing impairment at birth had better language skills and reading abilities than those not screened.
A study found that Boston Marathon bombings resulted in over 100 cases of ear and hearing injuries, with 80% of patients experiencing reduced hearing and 68% new or worsened tinnitus one year later. Many had difficulty hearing in noisy situations and ongoing disability related to hearing loss, tinnitus, or dizziness.
A study by Mass Eye and Ear found that blast-related ear injuries caused significant morbidity in Boston Marathon bombing survivors. The researchers reported high rates of hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness-related quality of life impairment among the patients.
Scientists uncover that newborn mice's ear rapidly regenerates lost supporting cells, preserving hearing. This discovery reveals a previously unknown ability and opens doors for finding new approaches to regenerate auditory cells and restore hearing in humans.
The study identified a genotype that can predict survival in people who live longer, as well as risk factors for cognitive decline and frailty. Hearing impairment is also linked to increased risk of frailty, according to the findings.
Researchers found that receiving positive gossip increases self-improvement value, while negative gossip boosts self-promotion value and raises self-protection concerns. Gossip provides valuable indirect social comparison information, essential for self-evaluation.
A study by Penn State researchers found that subjective screening questions used in adolescent hearing screenings are unreliable and miss high-frequency hearing loss. Objective hearing tests were more effective, but refining them is necessary to accurately identify teenagers at risk for hearing loss.
Researchers have restored hearing in mice with partial deafening caused by noise exposure using advanced tools to increase NT3 protein production. The study demonstrates the critical role of NT3 in maintaining communication between the ears and brain, offering a potential target for future treatments.
Researchers at LMU Munich discovered that low-frequency signals activate measurable responses in auditory circuits, contrary to the assumption that the ear is unresponsive to these frequencies. The study found that low-frequency hum stimulates the cochlea and induces slow oscillations in spontaneous otoacoustic emissions.
Researchers found that infants with profound hearing loss who received cochlear implants reached vocalization levels of their hearing peers. This suggests that hearing is a critical aspect of motivation for making early sounds, and that auditory feedback plays a dynamic role in infant behavior.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University discovered that a genetic form of deafness is caused by the absence of thyroid hormone during development. The study found structural and molecular defects consistent with hypothyroidism or disrupted thyroid hormone action in affected mice.
Research suggests that genetic factors, including those affecting hearing and cognitive function, contribute to individual differences in music perception. Moderate aptitude is the norm among the population, with extreme capacities being rare.
A meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials found that dexamethasone may impact preterm infant intelligence in early stages after birth, but lead to hearing impairment at later stages. The study provides evidence for clinical application of dexamethasone in treating respiratory distress syndrome and chronic lung diseases.
Research at Duke University found that the brain's motor cortex influences the auditory cortex, dampening responses to tones when a mouse moves. The study used optogenetics to activate specific neurons and showed that movement stimulates inhibitory neurons, suppressing the response in the auditory cortex.
Two studies found that older adults with poor hearing participate less in group activities and meet friends fewer often than those with good hearing. The researchers emphasize the importance of face-to-face conversation to facilitate lip-reading and suggest rehabilitation as a key strategy for supporting socially active lives.
Researchers found that prestin, a key hearing gene, has evolved independently to play a critical role in echolocation of bats and dolphins. The protein enables these animals to navigate through murky waters or find food in the dark using high-frequency sound waves.
People with tinnitus process emotions differently in the brain from those with normal hearing, according to a study led by University of Illinois professor Fatima Husain. The study found that patients with tinnitus showed more activity in two brain regions associated with emotion, while having lower activity in the amygdala.
A specific protein, protocadherin-15 CD2, is crucial for hearing by forming tip-links that convert sound into electrical signals. The absence of this protein leads to profound deafness in mice and humans, providing a major breakthrough in understanding the auditory mechanotransduction machinery.
Researchers at Northwestern University discovered that toddlers can successfully learn novel verbs after hearing them only twice, as long as the verb is 'packaged' in a complete sentence. The study showed that presenting verbs in sentences with familiar nouns supports toddlers' abilities to apply the new words in novel contexts.
Dr. Ingrid Johnsrude's research reveals that brain regions beyond primary auditory cortex play a crucial role in understanding speech, especially in noisy environments. The study also highlights the critical role of attention and prior knowledge in facilitating comprehension.
Indiana University researchers identified a pattern of cognitive risks in children with cochlear implants, particularly in working memory, controlled attention, and planning. About 30-45% of children with cochlear implants showed delays in these areas, compared to 15% or less in normally hearing children.
A new study reveals that the brain learns to hear by decoding rhythmic bursts of electrical activity from cells in the inner ear. The research suggests that abnormal rhythms may contribute to Central Auditory-Processing Disorders, which affect speech and language development in children.
A large study found that sleep apnea is independently associated with high and low frequency hearing impairment. The study analyzed data from nearly 14,000 individuals and found that sleep apnea was linked to a 31% increase in high frequency hearing impairment and a 90% increase in low frequency hearing impairment.
Researchers tested the hearing of seven Bristol Bay beluga whales, finding surprisingly little variation in their abilities. The study provides a baseline for the population's health and may inform conservation efforts and validate studies of hearing in captivity.
Research published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine found professional musicians are almost four times as likely to develop noise-induced hearing loss and 57% more likely to experience tinnitus. Repeated exposure to loud music can lead to permanent damage, emphasizing the need for protective measures.