How the Shape of Our Ears and the Side of Our Head Affect Our Hearing
Our brain knows the shape of our ears very well. That’s because it influences how the brain perceives and interprets sounds. What happens when the shape of our ears changes—for example, due to hearing aids?
At a Glance
- Each pair of ears forms a unique team with “its” brain.
- A study shows: If the shape of our ears changes, the brain must first relearn how to process auditory signals correctly.
- When the shape of the ears changes—whether due to surgery, growth, or hearing aids—the auditory perception is realigned.
Together, our ears and our brain are like a successful sports team—a well-coordinated unit. Without our ears, our brain would be unable to process sounds. It’s well known that the eardrum and the ossicles play an important role in this process. But what role does the individual shape of our ears play?
It determines how our brain perceives and interprets sounds. Our brain knows the shape of our ears exactly and is perfectly attuned to it. Depending on how sound waves strike our ears and are transmitted, the brain translates them into different types of information for us. For example, when we hear a sound, we can accurately estimate the direction or distance of the sound source. The shape of the ears varies from person to person—so each pair of ears forms a unique team with “its” brain.
Sounds from Above or Below?
Canadian researchers investigated what happens when the brain suddenly has to adapt to a new ear shape (The Encoding of Sound Source Elevation in the Human Auditory Cortex, 2018). In an experiment, they attached small pieces of silicone to the outer ears of their test subjects, thereby altering the shape of their ears.
The study’s findings are astonishing: Because of the small silicone pieces and the resulting changes to the shape of their ears, the participants could no longer tell whether a sound was coming from above or below. “When we played a tone above their heads, for example, they believed it was coming from below,” explains Prof. Dr. Marc Schönwiesner, professor of neurobiology at the Universities of Montreal and Leipzig. However, the brain is extremely flexible: After just a few days, it adapted to the new shape of the ears and learned to interpret the auditory signals correctly again. The test subjects were once again able to easily determine the direction from which a sound was coming.
New Ear Shape, New Team
The shape of our ears changes not only as a result of cosmetic surgery, such as for protruding ears or ear injuries: even as we grow, this affects the shape of our ears. In all these cases, it’s like in sports: The “team” of ear and brain must train to be able to work together harmoniously and reliably again. We owe this to the brain’s ability to adapt: “The brain isn’t a machine that runs smoothly once it’s been set; rather, the brain is alive and can adapt to new situations,” says neuroscientist Henning Beck.
Hearing Aids Reshape the Ear
Did you know? The brain also has to relearn when someone gets hearing aids due to hearing loss. That’s because hearing aids change the shape of our ears, since they’re worn in or on the ear. The results of the Canadian study help us better understand the process of getting used to hearing aids. This is a process in which hearing aid users work closely with their hearing care professional. The professional makes new adjustments and fine-tunes the device—until the client is completely satisfied and, above all, can hear well again.
I’m all ears—especially on the right side
It’s not just the shape of our ears that determines how and what we hear. The side of the head on which they’re located also plays a role: Researchers in the U.S. have found that our right ear is often superior to our left ear. For example, test subjects were better able to recall sequences of numbers they had heard with their right ear. Their recall of numbers heard with the left ear was poorer. However, the reason for this has not yet been definitively determined.
But there are already some theories: The right ear has access to the left hemisphere of the brain. Language is primarily processed in the left hemisphere, because that’s where our language center is located. “What reaches the right ear can then be processed more effectively in terms of language. And that might be why we remember it better,” explains neuroscientist Henning Beck.
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Early hearing care is the best way to help you get used to hearing aids—and, in turn, help your brain adapt to the new shape of your ear—quickly and easily. You can receive a personalized consultation and fitting from a hearing care professional near you. There, you can try out different hearing aid models to find the ones that best fit the shape of your ears and your preferences. Hearing care professionals also play a key role in the fitting, adjustment, and maintenance of cochlear implants.
