Muscle’s activity may provide objective measure of listening effort, scientists say
The main idea of the article is that long-thought-to-be-vestigial muscles in the human ear, responsible for ear wiggling, actually serve a purpose. Researchers found that these muscles, particularly the superior auricular muscle, become more active when individuals engage in effortful listening tasks, such as concentrating on a sound despite distractions. This suggests that these muscles could potentially be used as an objective measure of listening effort.
Essentially, the article challenges the previous understanding that these muscles had no function and highlights their potential role in auditory processing.
The main idea of the article is that long-thought-to-be-vestigial muscles in the human ear, responsible for ear wiggling, actually serve a purpose. Researchers found that these muscles, particularly the superior auricular muscle, become more active when individuals engage in effortful listening tasks, such as concentrating on a sound despite distractions. This suggests that these muscles could potentially be used as an objective measure of listening effort. Essentially, the article challenges the previous understanding that these muscles had no function and highlights their potential role in auditory processing.
