Altogether, the findings of the HEART project are compatible with the idea that the early auditory system represents modulation information (i.e., AM and FM patterns) crucial for accurate reception of communication sounds such as animal vocalizations or speech using two neural codes: i.e., a purely temporal and a rate/place code. These findings are also consistent with the notion that both ageing and cochlear damage alter differentially the sensory encoding of this modulation information.

The COCOHA project revolves around a need, an opportunity, and a challenge. Millions of people struggle to communicate in noisy environments particularly the elderly: 7% of the European population are classified as hearing impaired. Hearing aids can effectively deal with a simple loss in sensitivity, but they do not restore the ability of a healthy pair of young ears to pick out a weak voice among many, that is needed for effective social communication.