Efficacy of Auditory Training Using Video Clips for Older Adults Who Wear Hearing Aids

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of training using the developed videos in terms of speech perception in noise and cognitive ability.Methods: For the training materials, we had 16 video clips edited from new, TV shows, and movies. To evaluate the auditory training effect when using the video clips, a total of 17 subjects participated in this study; all of the subjects had worn hearing aids for 1 to 3 months. Among the 17 subjects, ten of them completed eight sessions, 40 minutes per session, of the auditory training, while the other seven subjects did not have any training chance. Sentence recognition in noise tests, cognition tests such as digit span (auditory-only and auditory-visual conditions) attention tests, and subjective satisfaction of hearing aids were evaluated at both pre- and post-auditory training.Results: There were significantly improved sentence recognition in noise, attention, and subjective hearing aid satisfaction in the auditory training group. However, there was no significant improvement in the digit span after the auditory training. In the non-training group, none of the tests’ scores were significantly changed, other than subjective hearing aid satisfaction.Conclusion: These results suggested that auditory training with video clip is an effective method to improve speech understanding in noise and subjective satisfaction as well as cognitive ability, attention. However, we did not observe working memory improvement after the training. For future study, we need to examine an effective method for improving cognitive ability, especially working memory.