Temporary blindness can help restore hearing

Scientists from the United States in a recent experiment found that in mice that had spent a week in total darkness, significant changes in brain function occurred and their hearing improved significantly, with this effect observed a few weeks after the mice were returned to their usual surroundings i.e. To daylight.

Also, scientists note that the time spent in the dark, did not affect the quality of sight of rodents. Researchers believe that this discovery can help patients who have certain hearing problems. The impetus for such a fairly interesting experiment was the famous blind musicians who possessed perfect hearing. In addition, it's no secret that in total darkness, a person's hearing becomes aggravated, but this effect is lost after a person becomes "sighted" again. As can be seen from the experiment with rodents, weekly "blindness" led to an improvement in hearing quality for several weeks, and then the hearing of mice became the same. Now scientists are looking for ways that would help preserve changes in the brain that activate auditory receptors for a longer time.

In a new research project, scientists divided the mice into two groups. The first group of scientists placed the box where the light did not penetrate and left in such conditions for a week, the second group of mice continue to live in normal conditions. After that, experts compared the hearing of rodents from both groups and, as it turned out, the mice from the first group became much better able to hear quiet sounds, while the rodents from the second group did not react to such sounds. At the same time, scientists noted the changes in the structure of the cerebral cortex of mice begun - neuronal connections improved significantly, new neurons were formed. At this stage, the authors of the research project can not say for sure whether such a result is possible in humans. However, it is impossible to put a person in an absolutely dark room for a week, but scientists believe that using changes in the auditory cortex in the brain can help people who need auditory implants or those who start age-related hearing loss. Scientists believe that blindness caused by artificial means for a certain period of time will help restore hearing.

The scientists noted that in order for neural connections, which are responsible for sound processing, to improve, it is necessary to provoke a "temporary artificial blindness". According to the researchers, this discovery is quite important for medicine. This research project indicates the interaction of the sensory systems of the body, in this case, how "blindness" can improve the quality of hearing. This experiment will allow us to better understand the mechanisms involved in the perception of the world around us, and the discovery can be useful in pharmacology in the manufacture of drugs that activate the necessary processes in the brain to help patients with hearing loss caused by age changes or professional activity.

Now scientists are establishing whether such a result is possible in humans and whether artificial blindness can be helped if necessary to restore hearing.

The study group published the results of research in one of the scientific journals of the United States, Neuron.