Smart Hearing Aids Help the Brain Relax in Noisy Rooms

Listening is not merely a function of the ears; it is a rigorous cognitive workout, particularly when background noise interferes. A recent study involving 26 experienced hearing aid users has revealed that artificial intelligence can significantly lighten this mental load. Researchers investigated a specific feature: deep learning-based noise management (DNN), utilising functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)—a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures brain oxygenation—to track neural activity.

The participants performed a speech recognition task, repeating words from sentences played amidst background noise. They tested two specific settings: a standard omnidirectional microphone programme and a more advanced DNN-listening programme. The latter combines directional microphones with a sophisticated algorithm designed to filter noise more intelligently.

The results were compelling. When using the DNN-enabled setting, participants not only achieved higher accuracy in identifying words but also reported feeling that the task required less effort. Crucially, the fNIRS data corroborated their subjective feelings. The scans showed lower blood oxygenation levels in the left prefrontal cortex—the area of the brain associated with executive processing and effort. This reduction indicates that the deep learning algorithm effectively processes the auditory scene before it reaches the conscious mind, sparing the brain from working overtime to decode speech from noise.