People who hear voices can detect hidden speech in unusual sounds

People who hear voices that other people can't hear may use unusual skills when their brains process new sounds, according to new research. The study, published in the academic journal Brain , found that voice-hearers could detect disguised speech-like sounds more quickly and easily than people who had never had a voice-hearing experience. The research was led by Durham University and University College London (UCL). Insight into the brain The findings suggest that voice-hearers have an enhanced tendency to detect meaningful speech patterns in ambiguous sounds. The researchers say this insight into the brain mechanisms of voice-hearers tells us more about how these experiences occur in voice-hearers without a mental health problem, and could ultimately help scientists and clinicians find more effective ways to help people who find their voices disturbing. Alien-like noises The study involved people who regularly hear voices, also known as auditory verbal hallucinations, but do not have a mental health problem. Participants listened to a set of disguised speech sounds known as sine-wave speech while they were having an MRI brain scan.