London: Noise is not the same as noise - and even a quiet environment does not have the same effect as white noise. With a background of continuous white noise, hearing pure sounds becomes even more precise, says a new study. White noise is a combination of different sound frequencies, which makes a seemingly random soothing sound that can help cover up other noises.
For the study, published in the journal Cell Reports, researchers investigated the neuronal foundation of sound perception and sound discrimination in a challenging sound environment. “We found that less overlap occurred between populations of neurons during two separate tone representations, as a result, the overall reduction in neuronal activity produced a more distinct tone representation,” said study researcher Tania Rinaldi Barkat from the University of Basel in Switzerland.
—IANS
