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People who are profoundly deaf and candidates for cochlear implant surgery often have musical hallucinations, hearing symphonies and concerts in their heads. These hallucinations disappear after the implant, which allows them to hear speech.

Phonophobia, a real fear of sound, is not common and is usually linked with underlying mental health conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder or certain personality traits.

Tinnitus, a phantom sound produced by the brain, is similar to phantom limb pain. While some people can ignore it, others find it debilitating, highlighting the variability in how our brain circuits handle emotional components.

Dr. Konstantina Stankovic explained that the auditory system can be more sensitive after being in a quiet environment, similar to how the visual system reacts to changes in light. This highlights the importance of gradual exposure to normal sound levels.

Hearing thresholds can predict the city someone lives in because different environments shape auditory experiences and sensitivities.

Hearing thresholds can be influenced by the sonic imprints of the environments we live in, such as cities with unique noise profiles.

Cities have unique sonic imprints that shape residents' hearing thresholds, affecting how they perceive sounds based on their environment.

Hearing thresholds can be influenced by the sonic environment of a city, affecting how people perceive sound based on where they live.

The relationship between sound and emotion is deeply rooted in our brain's pathways. Auditory signals travel from the ear to the brain, interacting with emotional pathways and the limbic system, which explains why music and speeches can be so emotionally moving.

Hidden hearing loss can occur even if standard audiometric tests show normal results. This happens when synapses connecting sensory cells to neurons are damaged by loud sounds, leading to issues like tinnitus.