Modern hearing aids boast amazing features such as rechargeability, Bluetooth connectivity, smartphone compatibility, telecoils, directional microphones, machine learning and automatic programming. However, they also have their limitations. One of which is their ability to address a phenomenon known as the cocktail party problem. Fortunately, one group of researchers is hopeful their findings on how the cochlea functions will eventually lead to hearing aid improvements.
The Cocktail Party Problem
The cocktail party problem occurs in settings like Common Block where there are multiple speakers at once. Hearing aids tend to evenly amplify all voices, making it hard to follow along with just one. Devices with directional microphones are a little better at dealing with the cocktail party problem, as they provide additional amplification to the speaker directly in front of the wearer; however, this isn’t always the voice you want to focus on.
Fortunately, the researchers working on the study covered below are hopeful their findings will help address the cocktail party problem.
What the Study Has Found
The study, led by Jong-Hoon Nam, aims to determine the precise moment when sounds are converted into electrical impulses by the stereocilia (tiny hair cells within the cochlea), which could provide the basic science needed for hearing devices to become capable of compensating for the unique ways hearing loss presents within an individual.
As Nam explains, “No two hearing aids should be the same.”
Some highlights of the study are summarized here:
- Outer hair cells in the cochlea both amplify and reduce vibrations to enhance cochlear tuning.
- A computer model has been created that can interpret and analyze how the response to one tone can be reduced by the presence of another tone in a healthy cochlea.
- Imbalances of Ca2+, a calcium ion that controls a variety of cellular processes, can contribute to the creation of outer hair cells, especially those responsible for high-frequency sounds, which tend to be the first to become damaged.
- Extended silence could harm rather than help hearing health.
For more information about today’s hearing aids or to schedule an appointment with an expert, call Oregon Ear, Nose & Throat Center today.