New Discovery in Human Auditory System Holds Key in Better Diagnosis and Testing of Hearing Disorders

Unknown source from one part of the human brain have been the key to the recent discovery of frequency-following responses or FFR, the neural signals that are made in the brain whenever people hear sounds.

The unknown source was used by the Scientists at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University in the study of the human auditory system, wherein an important discovery was made that may lead towards a better diagnosis and testing of disorders related to hearing.   

With the unknown source, the scientists found frequency-following responses that are produced in one part of the brain which has not been known to emit them. In order to determine where the FFRs are coming from, the researchers used the manetoencephalography or MEG, a method that helped them determine the FFR source, since the brain and skull tissues interferences do not affect them.

A total of 20 people were chosen to participate in the study following a test that indicate that they had no hearing disorder and that they were neurologically fit. As reported by the Medical Xpress, the neural responses of the subjects to the sound were gauged through MEG that records the fluctuations in the magnetic fields due to neural activity.

Through the MEG signal, the researchers detected FFR signals from the auditory cortex, aside from the sub-cortical generators which has never been discovered before. The discovery about the origin of the FFR from the auditory cortex led to a better research on neuroplasticity and the likelihood of improving the auditory processing.

Meanwhile, Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to adjust to the external stimuli with training. Studies have indicated that children that are exposed to music possess better language ability, perhaps because of the subcortical sound processing. Their ability to understand speech in the middle of a noisy surrounding has also been proven to enhance their musical training.

Unknown source tool's development has led to a new research area that will help the researchers in creating new and helpful questions that concern how the auditory system is organized, according to Science Daily.