Listening to the Mind: Earable Acoustic Sensing of Cognitive Load
Xijia Wei, Ting Dang, Khaldoon Al-Naimi, Yang Liu, Fahim Kawsar, Alessandro Montanari

TL;DR
This paper demonstrates that earable acoustic sensors can non-invasively monitor cognitive load in real time by analyzing auditory sensitivity changes, enabling personalized and scalable mental effort assessment in daily life.
Contribution
It is the first study to infer cognitive load through earable acoustic signals, linking auditory sensitivity variations to mental effort using off-the-shelf in-ear devices.
Findings
Significant association between cognitive load and auditory sensitivity changes.
63.2% of participants showed peak sensitivity at 3 kHz under increased load.
Sensitivity patterns varied across demographic groups.
Abstract
Earable acoustic sensing offers a powerful and non-invasive modality for capturing fine-grained auditory and physiological signals directly from the ear canal, enabling continuous and context-aware monitoring of cognitive states. As earable devices become increasingly embedded in daily life, they provide a unique opportunity to sense mental effort and perceptual load in real time through auditory interactions. In this study, we present the first investigation of cognitive load inference through auditory perception using acoustic signals captured by off-the-shelf in-ear devices. We designed speech-based listening tasks to induce varying levels of cognitive load, while concurrently embedding acoustic stimuli to evoke Stimulus Frequency Otoacoustic Emission (SFOAEs) as a proxy for cochlear responsiveness. Statistical analysis revealed a significant association (p < 0.01) between increased…
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Taxonomy
TopicsTactile and Sensory Interactions · Multisensory perception and integration · Healthcare Technology and Patient Monitoring
