Walking sharpens hearing by tuning the brain to sounds

Walking is more than just moving forward. It organizes thought, sparks creativity, and sharpens attention. Scientists have long studied how locomotion influences vision, but its effects on hearing have remained less clear.

Xinyu Chen and colleagues at the University of Würzburg set out to investigate this mystery. The study shows that walking actively tunes hearing to improve navigation.

The link between walking and hearing

The researchers used mobile electroencephalography (EEG), which records brain activity while people move naturally. Thirty-five participants walked along an eight-shaped path while listening to rhythmic tones.

These tones generated auditory steady-state responses, or ASSRs, which reflect how the brain synchronizes with ongoing sounds. By comparing standing, stepping, and walking, the team measured how movement alters auditory dynamics.

Two experiments were conducted. In the first, participants simply listened to continuous tones while standing still, stepping in place, or walking.

In the second, the tones were occasionally interrupted by sudden bursts of noise, mimicking unpredictable environmental sounds. This design allowed researchers to test both stable auditory patterns and reactions to unexpected changes.

Walking sharpens hearing

The first experiment revealed that walking amplified auditory responses. Participants showed stronger ASSRs during walking compared to standing or stepping.

This enhancement was tied to reduced alpha brainwaves in the visual cortex. Alpha activity often reflects inhibition, so its reduction likely freed resources for stronger auditory processing.

Stepping in place also boosted auditory activity, but not as much as actual walking. The finding highlights that purposeful movement through space is what drives the strongest brain changes. Walking with direction and goal appears to sharpen hearing more than static movement.

Direction shifts attention

The study uncovered a striking effect of walking direction. When participants turned left, their brains temporarily gave more weight to left-ear input.

After passing the turn’s midpoint, attention shifted toward the opposite ear. Right turns showed the mirror image pattern.

The paper illustrates this clearly. During a left turn, left-ear signals dominate before the midpoint. Afterward, right-ear signals take priority. The brain dynamically adjusts auditory attention in line with body movement, almost like a built-in sonar.

Peripheral sounds gain priority

The second experiment tested how walking shapes responses to sudden sound bursts. When the bursts came from one ear, mimicking peripheral sounds, brain responses grew stronger during walking.

When bursts were presented to both ears simultaneously, mimicking central sounds, walking had little effect.

This result suggests that walking primes the brain to be especially sensitive to peripheral cues. In daily life, such cues warn us of approaching vehicles, shifting conversations, or unseen threats. Walking appears to heighten readiness to detect these signals.

The paper shows this effect: bursts presented to the left ear evoked stronger neural changes during walking, while central bursts showed no difference.

Quick bursts of brain activity

The researchers also studied event-related potentials, quick bursts of brain activity following sounds. They found that walking increased the P1 response, an early marker of auditory detection.

This enhancement correlated with reduced alpha rhythms, linking movement, decreased inhibition, and heightened sensory readiness.

Later brain responses, such as the P2 wave, showed a different pattern. For peripheral sounds, P2 responses were weaker during walking compared to standing.

This reduction may reflect less inhibition of peripheral auditory input. The brain appears to lower its filters, letting more external cues through during movement.

Why walking enhances hearing

The findings fit within the idea of active sensing. In this framework, the brain does not wait passively for input but actively samples the environment.

Walking generates predictions about which sensory cues will be most useful. Turning left? Expect important sounds from the left. Finishing the turn? Shift focus to the opposite side.

This strategy aligns with predictive coding theories, which argue that the brain continually updates expectations based on context and past experiences.

By tuning hearing according to trajectory, the brain economizes attention and boosts efficiency.

Broader implications of the study

These results have potential applications beyond neuroscience. They could inform the design of navigational aids for people with vision impairments.

Devices might amplify or highlight auditory information from the side matching the user’s walking path. Rehabilitation strategies for mobility or balance disorders may also benefit by combining auditory training with walking exercises.

For everyday life, the study explains why walking often sharpens awareness. When strolling outdoors, footsteps, conversations, and traffic may feel clearer than when sitting still.

Walking meetings may stimulate creativity because the brain becomes more flexible and receptive to cues.

Connections to other research

Previous studies showed that walking enhances vision, particularly peripheral vision. Chen and colleagues extend this principle to hearing. Both sensory domains reveal that locomotion redistributes attention, reduces inhibitory alpha activity, and strengthens early responses.

Animal studies support this cross-modal effect. Mice show increased visual neuron activity during running, even in darkness. Humans display stronger visual responses while cycling.

Now, auditory evidence confirms the same mechanism. Together, the findings suggest a universal brain strategy: movement boosts sensory gain across multiple senses.

Walking and auditory processing

Perhaps the most significant contribution of this study is methodological. Traditional neuroscience often confines participants to stationary tasks in labs.

Mobile EEG allows research in natural settings, capturing cognition in motion. This shift opens a new frontier in understanding how the brain operates in everyday life.

By demonstrating how walking dynamically reshapes auditory processing, Chen and colleagues highlight the importance of studying the brain in real-world contexts. Our minds are not static – they evolve with every step.

Walking improves hearing

Walking enhances auditory processing in multiple ways. It strengthens brain responses to ongoing sounds, dynamically shifts auditory attention with direction, and increases sensitivity to peripheral cues.

Movement is linked to reduced inhibition, freeing resources for faster and more flexible sensory processing.

Walking is therefore not only a motor act but also a sensory strategy. Each step recalibrates the brain, preparing us to navigate and interact more effectively with our surroundings. Far from being passive walkers, we are active listeners with every stride.

The study is published in the journal JNeurosci.

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