{"id":729,"date":"2019-05-31T08:19:09","date_gmt":"2019-05-31T08:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/?p=729"},"modified":"2019-07-03T18:56:56","modified_gmt":"2019-07-03T18:56:56","slug":"is-auditory-attention-decoding-the-solution-to-an-age-old-hearing-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/is-auditory-attention-decoding-the-solution-to-an-age-old-hearing-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Auditory Attention Decoding the Solution to an Age-Old Hearing Problem?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span>\n{\n  \"@context\" : \"http:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\" : \"Article\",\n  \"@id\" : \"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/\",\n  \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n         \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n         \"@id\": \"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/\"\n},\n  \"isPartOf\": {\n         \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n         \"@id\": \"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/is-auditory-attention-decoding-the-solution-to-an-age-old-hearing-problem\/\"\n},\n  \"name\" : \" Is Auditory Attention Decoding the Solution to an Age-Old Hearing Problem?\",\n  \"author\" : {\n    \"@type\" : \"Organization\",\n    \"name\" : \"https:\/\/www.valleyaudiology.com\/#organization\"\n  },\n  \"datePublished\" : \"2019-05-31\",\/\/ Date format is yyyy-mm-dd\n  \"dateModified\" : \"2019-05-31\",\/\/ Date format is yyyy-mm-dd\n  \"keywords\" : \"hearing problems, hearing loss, audiologist, audiology walnut creek\",\n  \"image\": { \n\"@type\": \"ImageObject\", \n\"url\": \" https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/volume-nob.jpg\",\n\"description\": \"hearing loss walnut creek\"\/\/ Ex: Hearing Aids Tucson\n},\n  \"articleSection\" : \" Hearing aids run into limitations when it comes to distinguishing between different speakers. New technology can overcome this.\",\n  \"articleBody\" : \" Hearing aids run into limitations when it comes to distinguishing between different speakers. New technology can overcome this.\",\n  \"url\" : \"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/is-auditory-attention-decoding-the-solution-to-an-age-old-hearing-problem\/\",\n  \"headline\" : \" Is Auditory Attention Decoding the Solution to an Age-Old Hearing Problem?\",\n  \"publisher\" : {\n    \"@type\" : \"Organization\",\n    \"name\" : \" Valley Audiology\",\n    \"logo\": { \n\"@type\": \"ImageObject\", \n\"url\": \" https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/196020_10150106709371650_5226507_n.jpg\",\n        \"description\": \" Valley Audiology\"\n}\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p>For the majority of patients with <strong>hearing loss in Walnut Creek<\/strong>, hearing aids are an effective solution that help restore their ability to communicate and improve their overall quality of life.<\/p>\n<p>For all their benefits, these devices run into limitations when it comes to distinguishing between different speakers. But new technology might overcome this issue.<\/p>\n<h2>Overcoming Competing Sounds<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"hearing aids amplify volume\" src=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/volume-nob.jpg\" alt=\"volume nob on an old radio\" width=\"475\" height=\"316\" class=\"alignright wp-image-730\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Conventional <a href=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/hearing-aids\/hearing-aid-types\/\" title=\"hearing aids | Valley Audiology\">hearing aids<\/a> work by amplifying the volume of everyday sounds, enabling those with a hearing impairment to hear more easily.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, they have no way to target individual speakers, instead boosting the volume of everybody who is talking.<\/p>\n<p>This is known as the cocktail party effect, an inability of the brain to focus its auditory attention on one stimulus while filtering out competing noises.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve been to a cocktail party and tried to focus on a single conversation but found it impossible over the noisy background chatter, you\u2019ll understand where the phenomenon gets its name.<\/p>\n<p>Scientists may be getting close to developing a solution for this problem.<\/p>\n<h2>Auditory Attention Decoding<\/h2>\n<p>A new technology called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2017\/08\/170803204942.htm\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"auditory attention decoding | sciencedaily.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">auditory attention decoding<\/a> (AAD) could overcome the cocktail party effect and provide users with a better listening experience in noisy environments.<\/p>\n<p>Hearing aids utilizing AAD would be able to triangulate the voice or sound the user is focusing on, providing an extra boost to that particular audio source.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike conventional hearing aids, which amplify all sounds evenly, AAD devices automatically separate audio sources and compare them to the listener\u2019s brainwave activity. The source that is most similar is then amplified, making it easier \u2013 in theory \u2013 to focus on one individual in a crowded room.<\/p>\n<p>Research into AAD is still in its infancy and a widely-available technological solution is probably several years away still.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the technology isn\u2019t portable and requires invasive surgery.<\/p>\n<p>But researchers are optimistic over the practical benefits of this emerging technology and quick to point out that the brain is surprisingly adept at focusing on a single person\u2019s voice that it wants to pay attention to and filtering out competing sounds.<\/p>\n<p>Tricia Ashby-Scabis, director of audiology practices with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asha.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"American Speech-Language-Hearing Association | asha.org\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">American Speech-Language-Hearing Association<\/a> in Rockville, Maryland, says the study \u201csounds highly promising.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She notes, \u201cArtificial intelligence certainly sounds like a great option in terms of focused listening and setting precedence on which speaker the listener wants to hear.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The future may indeed be brighter for patients struggling to overcome the daily challenges of living with <a href=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/hearing-loss\/hearing-loss\/\" title=\"hearing loss | Valley Audiology\">hearing loss<\/a>. There are plenty of strategies available even today to help with quality of life issues; contact your <a href=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/location\/walnut-creek\/\" title=\"Walnut Creek\">Walnut Creek audiologist<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Related Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Posts:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/tinnitus-in-america\/\" title=\"Tinnitus in America\"><strong>Tinnitus in America<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/the-surprising-link-between-iron-deficiency-and-hearing-loss\/\" title=\"The Surprising Link Between Iron Deficiency and Hearing Loss\"><strong>The Surprising Link Between Iron Deficiency and Hearing Loss<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/otc-pain-relievers-and-hearing-loss\/\" title=\"OTC Pain Relievers and Hearing Loss\"><strong>OTC Pain Relievers and Hearing Loss<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Our Concord Audiologists Office Locations<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps?ll=37.985039,-122.034733&amp;z=15&amp;t=m&amp;hl=en-US&amp;gl=US&amp;mapclient=embed&amp;cid=5446177690686870968\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Audiologist on High School Ave map directions\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Concord<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n2415 High School Ave #300<br \/>\nConcord, CA 94520<br \/>\n(925) 676-8101<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Valley+Audiology\/@37.877692,-122.069649,15z\/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x15c3ac469a567cc6!8m2!3d37.877692!4d-122.069649?hl=en-US\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Audiologist on Rossmoor Pkwy map directions\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Walnut Creek<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n1220 Rossmoor Pkwy<br \/>\nWalnut Creek, CA 94595<br \/>\n(925) 676-8101<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the majority of patients with hearing loss in Walnut Creek, hearing aids are an effective solution that help restore their ability to communicate and improve their overall quality of life. For all their benefits, these devices run into limitations when it comes to distinguishing between different speakers. But new technology might overcome this issue&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":730,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"(925) 676-8101 | Walnut Creek | Hearing aids run into limitations when it comes to distinguishing between different speakers. 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