Why do some people have difficulty having a conversation
in a busy restaurant?

Have you ever had trouble following a conversation in a loud and crowded place such as a busy restaurant or cafeteria? And you were not sure why because you can hear just fine in less noisy environments?

Unfortunately, many listeners have that problem, especially as they age. In many cases the inability to follow a conversation in background noise has nothing to do with the ability to perceive the sound (which is done by the ears) but rather the ability to isolate the sound from background noise (which is done by the brain). 

Our research lab at the University of Colorado School of Medicine has studied this problem for many years both in human subjects and animal models (jump to discussion of lab research projects). We discuss this question and related topics in a series of blog posts on this site. Check back regularly for new articles or follow us social media to get notifications when something new is posted.

List of Blog Posts: