Researchers for the Wellcome Trust have discovered that the brain can locate where sound is coming from even when hearing is lost in one ear and that could lead to new designs for hearing aids.
It has long been reckoned that identifying location of sound is possible only when the brain is able to compare minute differences in volume and the time when a sound arrives at each ear. Now, the researchers discover, it seems that the brain can locate sound using only one ear. This is due to the design of the outer ear and special filtering of sound for so-called ‘spectral cues’.
Researchers mimicked a condition called glue ear in ferrets by plugging one of the animals ears. They discovered that ferrets with limited hearing in one ear switched to using ‘spectral cues’ in the good ear and lost none of their ability to locate sound. Once the ferrets ear was unplugged, the researchers discovered that the ferrets returned to the normal way of locating sound by using both ears.
It is hoped that the research could lead to new treatments for glue ear or change the design of hearing aids to enable better sound location.
Read the full report from the Wellcome Trust here.
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Andy not Mr Palmer but another one
July 2, 2013
Note carefully, people… we are not ferrets! The danger of this type of research is that it can be misinterpreted. It sounds as if they are saying that people can still locate sounds OK with only one ear.
This is not the case in reality. You only have to ask any SSD person and they will tell you how hard it is to locate sound with only one working ear. It is one of their principal moans. It is necessary to see these research findings in the correct light.
What they have established is that it is possible for sounds to be located with only one ear. By ferrets.
Squeeek!
Tim
July 2, 2013
First gerbils and now ferrets. And on the Limping Chicken blog. Leave the poor creatures alone.
bobs
July 2, 2013
I think you’d have to have absolutely 100% perfect hearing in the ‘good’ ear, AND 100% perfect sensory-neural PROCESSING for this to be the case! … … Perhaps more research is required?!?!