Have you ever heard the phrase “I know you heard me, but did you listen to me?” Many people think yearning and longing are the same. However, it is not. Hearing is a passive process, meaning you don’t have to actively concentrate on the sound to understand it. Listening is an active action. It requires attention and focus to understand. For example, hearing background music while shopping and listening to the song to decipher its name and band.
When people have hearing problems, their brains may struggle to distinguish between hearing and listening. This is where Accessible Hearing Aids’ new LACE auditory training steps in. The best way to think about LACE is that while hearing aids help your ears to hear, LACE teaches your brain to listen. Yes, your ears are collecting the sound, but your brain is interpreting and processing it. Therefore, LACE is an essential part of maximizing the benefits of your hearing aids and simplifying the entire process for you. Auditory training helps us reduce the risks of isolation and cognitive decline, which enables us to help patients not just “hear” but also “listen”.
What is LACE?
LACE stands for Listening and Communication Enhancement. It is an AI-driven, state-of-the-art program that challenges your brain to improve hearing-related cognitive skills. Think of this program as a form of physical therapy, but for your brain’s auditory processing systems.
How does the brain play a role in hearing?
When you hear sounds, your brain must filter, organize, and interpret them, such as background noise, filling in missing words, using context clues, and associating sounds with objects. However, as hearing loss progresses, the neural pathways that process sound weaken due to disuse. Even with the help of a hearing aid, there is still a need for more support.
How is the procedure done?
At our clinic, the LACE program will be completed over 30 days, with each session lasting 10-15 minutes. The program can be accessed through a computer, laptop, or smartphone app.
Throughout the program, participants will complete interactive exercises that mock real-life situations they encounter every day! Some examples of these encounters include differentiating between background noise and speech, keeping up with conversations, understanding the context, and improving memory for conversations.
Effects are shown to last up to 6 months! In other words, hearing aids address the physical aspects of hearing and listening, while LACE AI Pro focuses on the cognitive elements. Studies show that using the LACE program:
- Link to healthy aging and preventative cognitive decline
- 16-20% increase in speech understanding
- A faster adoption by patients of their hearing aids
- Enhanced speech understanding
- Better device satisfaction
- Improved confidence in social situations
