Linnaeus Centre HEAD

Illustration of hearing. — Cognitive hearing science

Our hearing plays an important role when communicating with others.
But how important is cognitive abilities when it comes to our hearing?
This question is the focus at Linnaeus Centre HEAD. Together we develop new knowledge that helps people with hearing loss in their everyday life.

Since it was founded in 2008, the Linnaeus Centre HEAD has built up a world-leading research environment in the new field of cognitive hearing science. The aim is to produce new knowledge that can make life easier for people with hearing impairment. The current challenge is to reveal the mechanisms behind age-related hearing loss and its link to dementia.

Communication is important for everyone. But as we get older, our hearing deteriorates making it hard to maintain speech communication. This may effect quality of life and increases the risk of social isolation, depression and dementia.

However, new knowledge of the mechanisms behind age-related hearing loss and its link to dementia can help improve diagnostic methods, as well as allow development of more efficient hearing aids and new methods of drug treatment.

We hear with our ears, but listen and understand with our brains

The brain´s roll

This video is about our research on hearing loss and deafness and the brain´s role in our hearing and how everyday life can be made easier for people with hearing loss. In sign language, ASL.

Research

Cognitive hearing science

Linnaeus centre HEAD has established cognitive hearing science as a distinct field of research. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers in cognitive neuroscience, psychoacoustics, engineering, clinical audiology and linguistics.

Elderly couple looking at each other, outdoors — Mechanisms and treatment of age-related hearing loss Pixabay

Risk of developing dementia

The research project, "Mechanisms and treatment of age-related hearing loss", aims to see whether we can find new treatments for age-related hearing impairment, and obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms that lead to the condition.

> To the project page

We are studying the relationship between hearing, cognition and communication

Ear, memory and dementia

Hearing loss may cause reduced speech comprehension, memory problems and possibly contribute to dementia. We study the relationship between hearing, cognition and communication over time and thus any connections to the development of dementia.

Good Auditory Ecology for Active and Healthy Aging

The purpose of this project is to investigate the kind of noisy environments encountered by older people and which particular real-life situations they find most challenging.

Working memory in visual noise

We are investigating how the brain copes with indistinct signs at different levels of memory load and how memory processing changes over time.

Articles about our hearing research

New research throws doubt on old ideas of how hearing works

The way in which we experience music and speech differs from what has until now been believed. The new findings have been published in Science Advances, and may make it possible to design better cochlear implants.

Research results challenge a decades-old mechanism of how we hear sounds

Researchers have made several discoveries on the functioning mechanisms of the inner hair cells of the ear, which convert sounds into nerve signals. The results challenge the current picture of the hearing organ, which has prevailed for decades.

Hearing loss increases the risk of dementia

Research has established a link between the condition and problems with hearing. What can be done to prevent or slow the progress of dementia? This was one of the topics discussed at an international research conference in Linköping.

Selection of publications in Cognitive hearing science

Josefine Andin, Emil Holmer, Schönström Krister, Mary Rudner (2021)

Working Memory for Signs with Poor Visual Resolution: fMRI Evidence of Reorganizationof Auditory Cortex in Deaf Signers

Cerebral Cortex , Vol.31 , s.3165-3176 Continue to DOI

Andreea Micula, Hoi Ning. Elaine Ng, Fares El-Azm, Jerker Rönnberg (2020)

The effects of task difficulty, background noise and noise reduction on recall

International Journal of Audiology , Vol.59 , s.792-800 Continue to DOI

Michaela Socher, Rachel J. Ellis, Malin Wass, Björn Lyxell (2020)

Comparison of Expressive Spoken Language Skills in Children With Cochlear Implants and Children With Typical Hearing

Frontiers in Psychology , Vol.11 Continue to DOI

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Seminars about hearing research

Online video conference — Open seminar series

Open seminar

Seminar series arranged by the Disability research division at Linköping University.

Speaker and title to be announced in advance at the seminar series page (link below).

> To the seminar series page

CHSCOM2024

Conference CHSCOM — CHSCOM, Cognitive Hearing Science for Communication

Worldwide hearing research

Scientists from all over the world meet every two years in Linköping to discuss the latest research in the field of Cognitive hearing science.

CHSCOM stands for Cognitive Hearing Science for Communication. The next conference will be arranged in June 2024.

Contact: Maria Hugo-Lindén

Doctoral theses

Books. — Doctoral theses in Cognitive hearing science Mercedes Rancaño Otero

From hearing aids to tinnitus and deafblindness

Theses within Cognitive Hearing Science are about everything from hearing aids and hearing tests to tinnitus and deafblindness.

> To the list of doctoral theses

Contact

Director and research leader

Coordinator

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