Tapping fingers allows you to hear better in a noisy environment

What if our fingers helped us better understand ourselves? Tapping them in rhythm would improve our comprehension capacities in noisy environments. Researchers from the University of Aix-Marseille have discovered it in recent work, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The team relied on a hypothesis: the engine system does not only control the movement, it also allows us to integrate the information.

What is the role of movement in our understanding of speech?

To verify it, they recruited participants to carry out different behavioral experiences. During the first, the participants hit fingers at different frequencies before listening to sentences masked by a background noise. “”A tapping at around 1.8 Hz – the frequency generally associated with spoken words – has led to an understanding of speech significantly better than tapping at slower (phrastical) or faster (syllabic) “rhythms”noted the authors.

During the second experience, scientists wanted to understand the differences between a self-generated rhythm and a rhythm dictated by external stimulation, such as music. Thus, the participants were patted either on an external rhythm or at their own pace. “”The two groups have had similar improvements in understanding speech, which suggests that the benefit comes from the rhythmic engine commitment itself, and not from synchronization with an external stimulus “estimate the authors.

In the last experience, the researchers changed their approach: they asked participants to vocalize a word aloud before listening to the same sentences, in the same noisy environment. “”It is interesting to note that the simple fact of speaking, whatever the meaning of the word, also improved the subsequent understanding of speech, thus emphasizing the role of engagement of the engine system in the preparation of the brain with hearing tasks “concludes the team.

Noise and understanding of speech: Tap your fingers in rhythm to help the brain follow

According to them, these results reinforce the idea that the engine system plays a functional role in anticipation and alignment with the dynamics of speech. “”By rhythmically activating the motor routes, individuals could improve the ability of their brain to follow speech patterns, especially in competing sound environments “they believe. These conclusions may have important implications to help hearing impaired people, but also to help professionals working in noisy environments.