As a person with life-long hearing loss, I rely on hearing aids to help me navigate my muffled world. Because I have layers of hearing loss in one of my ears, I function as a “one-eared listener,” and sometimes, my hearing aids aren’t enough. The sounds I hear are often garbled due to my auditory processing disorder, which can make language hard to decipher.
Yet, I love music. This might seem counterintuitive — how can a person with hearing loss enjoy music?
With the help of brain imaging, scientists are increasingly learning the answer, as they probe the complex ways the brain processes music and how it allows people with different audio-processing abilities to enjoy their favorite songs.
What Causes Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss is the inability to hear and process sounds and speech. A person can be born with hearing loss, or it can degrade throughout their lifetime. As many as 28 million American adults have some form of hearing loss.
