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Virtual reality games helping UK's deaf children to understand speech
Scientists have found that immersing kids in computer games can train their brains to localise sounds better
Robin McKie Science Editor
Sat 25 May 2024 13.00 BST
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Scientists have recruited an unusual ally in their efforts to help children overcome profound deafness. They are using computer games to boost the children's ability to localise sounds and understand speech.
The project is known as Bears - for Both Ears - and it is aimed at youngsters who have been given twin cochlea implants because they were born with little or no hearing.
"These are children who are profoundly deaf," said audio engineer Lorenzo Picinali, a scientist on the project from Imperial College London. "They require major interventions to restore their hearing and we have found that computer games can make these much more effective.""
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