Swiss study demonstrates how white noise improves hearing
Hearing can be enhanced with the help of continuous background noise – researchers from the University of Basel, Switzerland, have shown, through research into the area of the brain that processes acoustic stimuli, that the brain better distinguishes subtle tone differences in sound patterns when white noise was added to an existing sound environment.
With hearing in human communication, the distinction between sound frequencies/patterns makes for easier, precise hearing. Researchers initially assumed that additional white noise would make the hearing task of their mouse subjects more difficult, but the noise facilitated auditory perception.
From their observations, including the use of a specific light-controlled technique, white noise appeared to significantly inhibit the activity of nerve cells in the auditory cortex, which led to a more precise perception of the pure tones. The overall reduction in neuronal activity, therefore, produced a more distinct tone representation.
The findings could be used to improve auditory perception in situations where sounds are difficult to distinguish. Cochlear implants could also be stimulated with an effect similar to white noise to improve the frequency resolution and thus the hearing result of their users, according to study lead Professor Dr. Tania Barkat, of Basel’s Biomedicine Department.
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