The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

White noise makes hearing more precise, study finds

doctor office
Over 5% of the world's population has disabling hearing loss according to the World Health Organisation. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Researchers from the University of Basel have found that the brain’s ability to distinguish subtle noises improves when there is background white noise. This could pave the way for advances in the development of hearing aids, particularly cochlear implants.

It is widely believed that people hear better in a quiet environment rather than surrounded by noise. However, in a study published in Cell journalExternal link, researchers in Switzerland have discovered that background white noise increases the ability to discriminate between subtle tone differences or sounds patterns – an indication of better hearing.

Using awake mice, the researchers found continuous white noise suppresses activity of the nerve cells in the auditory cortex, which is the area of the brain that processes acoustic stimuli.

“We found that less overlap occurred between populations of neurons during two separate tone representations,” explains Professor Tania Barkat who led the research team. “As a result, the overall reduction in neuronal activity produced a more distinct tone representation.”

To confirm that the auditory cortex was responsible for the sound perception, the researchers used the light-controlled technique of optogenetics.

The study findings have the potential to help people suffering severe hearing loss. According to Barkat, it is conceivable that cochlear implants could be equipped with an effect similar to white noise in order to improve frequency resolution and thus users’ hearing.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

30-year-old charged with drone flight at Women's European Championships

More

Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025

This content was published on A man flew a drone around the venue on Wednesday evening during the first match of the Women's EURO 2025 in St. Gallen. The 30-year-old violated the absolute ban on flying during match days. He was reported to the police.

Read more: Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025
257 Swiss companies are members of the SBTi

More

More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative

This content was published on A total of 257 companies from Switzerland have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In doing so, they are committing to CO2 reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement.

Read more: More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative
Chaka Khan 'and friends': an evening that would have pleased Quincy Jones

More

Montreux Jazz Festival honours Quincy Jones

This content was published on American artist Chaka Khan ‘and friends’ opened the 59th Montreux Jazz Festival on Friday. For over three hours, their show, dedicated to their friend and mentor Quincy Jones, thrilled the audience,

Read more: Montreux Jazz Festival honours Quincy Jones

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR