Ear Muscles Activate When You Listen—Here's Why!
A recent study has revealed that the human ear muscles, remnants of an ancient ear-moving system, still show activity when people concentrate on listening. Researchers from Saarland University in Germany have found that while humans lost the ability to move their ears around 25 million years ago, the neural circuits for this movement still exist in a reduced form.
Key Findings
- When listening conditions became more difficult, participants reported having to exert more effort to focus on the audiobook.
- The ear muscles responsible for movement showed increased activity in harder listening conditions.
- These muscles were more active when the sound source was behind the participant rather than in front.
- Although most participants couldn’t voluntarily move their ears, some individuals can learn to do so with practice.
The Role of Ear Muscles in Listening
The research suggests that certain ear muscles become active when individuals try to focus on a particular sound. These muscles, which are no longer used for directing the ears, still exhibit slight movement in response to listening effort. This discovery indicates that our brain retains some ability to control ear muscles, even though they no longer serve a significant function in modern humans.
How the Study Was Conducted
The study, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, involved 20 adult participants who listened to an audiobook while a podcast played simultaneously. The researchers created two different listening conditions: one where the audiobook and podcast had clear differences in sound, making it easier to distinguish them, and another where both sounds were loud and similar, making listening more challenging.
Participants were exposed to these scenarios twice, with sound sources positioned differently. Electrodes were placed on their ears to measure muscle activity, and after each session, they were asked to rate how much effort was needed to concentrate on the audiobook.
Implications and Limitations
The study suggests that, despite being largely inactive, the neural pathways for ear movement still exist in humans. However, the observed ear muscle movements were minimal and unlikely to significantly enhance hearing. The research team believes these muscles attempt to aid listening but do not provide noticeable benefits.
Since the study involved a small group of participants, further research with a larger sample size is needed to confirm these findings. Future studies could explore whether training these muscles could improve hearing ability in noisy environments.
Source: Inputs from various media Sources
Priya Bairagi
Reviewed by Dr Aarti Nehra (MBBS, MMST)
I’m a pharmacist with a strong background in health sciences. I hold a BSc from Delhi University and a pharmacy degree from PDM University. I write articles and daily health news while interviewing doctors to bring you the latest insights. In my free time, you’ll find me at the gym or lost in a sci-fi novel.
