An early sign of hearing loss is experiencing difficulties hearing speech in environments with background noise. This makes it tough to follow conversations and engage with others in restaurants, work environments, parties and other settings that tend to be noisier. Hearing aids which are the most common treatment for hearing loss, provide significant support with absorbing and processing sound. But even with hearing aids, noisy settings can still be tough to navigate. Recent research shows that brain exercises can actually improve the ability to hear speech in noise.
Hearing Loss & the Brain
Hearing is a process that occurs in the ears and the brain which make up the auditory system – the sensory system for hearing. This includes the outer, middle, and inner ear which absorb sound and help propel that sound to the inner ear. The hair cells in the inner ear then convert incoming soundwaves into electrical signals which get sent to the brain. Specific areas of the brain including the temporal lobe, wernicke’s area, and broca’s area further process the auditory information received from the inner ear. This involves assigning meaning to incoming signals which is what allows us to understand the sound we hear.
Hearing loss disrupts this process which impacts the brain in a few ways. Hearing loss most commonly occurs when hair cells in the inner ear are damaged. This prevents them from converting soundwaves for the brian which reduces the auditory information the brain receives. So not only are the ears impacted but so is the brain, producing various symptoms that make it challenging to hear.
Link Between Brain Exercises and Hearing
Research shows that practicing brain exercises can improve speech-in-noise intelligibility. This includes a study conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. The study included 24 participants (average age of 70) with mild to severe hearing loss. Participants wore hearing aids for an average of 7 years and were assigned to two training groups that spent 3.5 hours a week, for 8 weeks, playing a game.
- Group 1: played a game designed to improve ability to hear and follow conversations with background noise.
- Group 2: the placebo control group played a game that involved auditory memory but the game was not designed to improve speech intelligibility.
Researchers and participants did not know who was part of each group. After 8 weeks of people engaging in games with therapeutic benefits (group 1), researchers found that they correctly identified 25% more words in spoken sentences that were presented in increased levels of background noise. This shows a vast improvement over an 8-week period in the capacity to identify, process, and understand speech with background noise present.
How Brain Exercises Benefit Hearing
The brain is impacted by hearing loss in a variety of ways. Experts suggest that the brain can experience cognitive overload, brain atrophy, and overall less stimulation which contributes to cognitive decline. The areas of the brain that are responsible for speech and language comprehension receive less auditory information from the ears. This causes the brain to have to work harder in trying to hear and process sound which can cause fatigue and overload. Additionally, because these areas of the brain receive less auditory input, they can shrink which results in a loss of neurons and neural networks, also contributing to reduced cognitive functioning.
Brain exercises can strengthen cognitive functions and improve brain health in a few ways. Researchers suggest that brain exercises boost the brain’s capacity to reorganize which helps cognitive capacities. The computer based games that participants in the previous study engaged in involved paying attention to subtle changes in order to proceed in the. According to experts, consistent engagement in these exercises strengthens what is known as neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain developing new neural connections and establishing neural networks which strengthens capacity to perform cognitive functions.
Brain Exercises that Improve Hearing
There are several brain exercises you can engage in to help keep your brain healthy and active. These exercises strengthen brain health and ability to hear speech in background noise. This includes:
- Computer based programs: there are several types of auditory training programs for the brain. These games are designed to improve speech intelligibility in environments with background noise. This includes: LACE, Angel Sound, and clEARworks Ears.
- Audiobooks: listening to audiobooks is another simple way to exercise cognitive functions and speech processing with background noise present.
- Hearing aids: be sure to treat hearing loss and wear hearing aids. Also talk to your hearing healthcare provider about the range of features and technologies that can help support your hearing needs specifically in noisy environments.