Protect & Improve Your Hearing & Brain Health | Dr. Konstantina Stankovic
Huberman Lab
Oct 13
Protect & Improve Your Hearing & Brain Health | Dr. Konstantina Stankovic
Protect & Improve Your Hearing & Brain Health | Dr. Konstantina Stankovic
Huberman Lab
Oct 13
Hearing is far more than a passive sense—it's deeply intertwined with brain health, emotional processing, and cognitive function. In this conversation, Dr. Konstantina Stankovic sheds light on the intricate biology of the auditory system, from fetal development to aging, and reveals how modern lifestyles are placing unprecedented stress on our ability to hear.
The discussion explores the mechanics of hearing, emphasizing the cochlea’s extraordinary sensitivity and the distinction between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. High-frequency sounds, crucial for speech, are most vulnerable to damage, especially at the cochlear base. Noise exposure—such as at concerts—can cause hidden hearing loss through synaptic damage, even if standard tests appear normal. Protective strategies include using earplugs, limiting headphone volume, and avoiding repeated noise insults in quick succession. Tinnitus is framed as a brain-generated phantom perception, influenced by attention and neural plasticity, not an ear disorder. Hearing loss is linked to increased dementia risk due to cognitive load and social isolation, underscoring the importance of early intervention. Hormones like estrogen appear protective, while NSAIDs, environmental toxins, and plastics may accelerate hearing decline. Promising advances include AI-enhanced hearing aids, cochlear implants, and research into hair cell regeneration. Ultimately, preserving hearing involves lifestyle choices, awareness of sound environments, and recognizing hearing as a vital component of overall brain health.
06:45
06:45
The cochlea can detect displacements at the sub-angstrom level.
18:40
18:40
Cupping hands around the mouth can amplify sound for better signaling in the wild.
22:59
22:59
The brain's auditory pathways are directly linked to emotional centers like the limbic system
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30:10
People profoundly deaf for years can experience musical hallucinations that stop after cochlear implant surgery
38:47
38:47
Loud sounds can stimulate the vestibular system, affecting balance
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39:21
Magnesium threonate may protect against noise-induced hearing loss by crossing the blood-brain barrier
43:44
43:44
Magnesium supplementation may benefit migraine sufferers with tinnitus.
50:52
50:52
AI increases genetic diagnosis rate for hearing loss from 50% to 80%
1:01:39
1:01:39
Thinking about tinnitus reinforces the neural circuit producing it
1:04:37
1:04:37
If others can hear your headphone audio, it's too loud.
1:09:42
1:09:42
Two subthreshold cochlear insults close in time can cause permanent hearing damage.
1:13:00
1:13:00
The fetus can hear the mother's voice in the second trimester
1:19:24
1:19:24
Sensory-induced damage to the nervous system is as serious as chemical toxicity in water
1:23:30
1:23:30
Unaddressed hearing loss leads to social isolation and cognitive decline
1:27:40
1:27:40
AI-enhanced hearing aids perform real-time auditory scene analysis to separate signal from noise
1:30:13
1:30:13
Some people hear their own voice internally due to a missing bone in the inner ear.
1:36:54
1:36:54
Hair cells in the inner ear detect both sound and motion, revealing deep biological connections.
1:45:31
1:45:31
High-frequency sounds stimulate the basal portion of the cochlea, while low-frequency sounds stimulate the apex.
1:49:53
1:49:53
Many kids with social challenges are overwhelmed by auditory environments.
2:00:03
2:00:03
Regular ibuprofen use increases hearing loss risk, especially in younger people
2:05:08
2:05:08
Micro and nanoplastics are taken up by inner ear hair cells
2:09:50
2:09:50
The absence of primary inner ear cancer may enable safer regenerative treatments.
2:14:45
2:14:45
Musically-trained individuals show better outcomes in auditory processing after cochlear implantation due to enhanced neural plasticity.
2:20:14
2:20:14
AI may drive unprecedented economic growth as technology accelerates.
2:22:21
2:22:21
The auditory system begins developing in utero and profoundly shapes brain function.
