Hearing aids today are much better than they used to be, but one thing that can still be challenging for many users is picking out a single voice in a room full of others that are just as loud. Scientists refer to this as the “cocktail party problem.” Now researchers at Columbia University are trying to help fix that problem by means of a brain-controlled hearing aid that analyzes brain waves to select which voice the hearing system should amplify, rather than amplifying all of them. Research has shown that individuals’ brain waves show a “signature” that indicates who they want to be listening to in a crowd. The new approach could lead to better hearing technology, including hearing aids, assistive listening devices and cochlear implants. So far, the approach has only been tested on four people and will require further testing before the hearing aid can released for use. With more than half of people 75 and older living with disabling hearing loss, it’s an important problem to be doing basic scientific research on.
