Abstract
Untreated hearing loss can interfere with an individual’s cognitive abilities and intellectual function. Specifically, hearing loss has been shown to negatively impact working memory function, which is important for speech understanding, especially in difficult or noisy listening conditions. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of hearing aid use on auditory working memory function in middle-aged and young-older adults with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Participants completed two objective measures of auditory working memory in aided and unaided listening conditions. An aged matched control group followed the same experimental protocol except they were not fit with hearing aids. All participants’ aided scores on the auditory working memory tests were significantly improved while wearing hearing aids. Thus, hearing aids worn during the early stages of an age-related hearing loss can improve a person’s performance on auditory working memory tests.
Highlights
Age-related hearing loss in middle-aged (MA) and young-older (YO) adults is a public health problem in the U.S affecting 20% of people between 45–59 years of age and 33% of people in their sixties (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2012; Cruickshanks et al, 2003; Nash et al, 2011)
The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of hearing aids on auditory working memory function in MA and YO hearing impaired adults
The main finding of the current study was that MA and YO participants’ auditory working memory performance was significantly improved with hearing aid use
Summary
Age-related hearing loss in middle-aged (MA) and young-older (YO) adults is a public health problem in the U.S affecting 20% of people between 45–59 years of age and 33% of people in their sixties (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2012; Cruickshanks et al, 2003; Nash et al, 2011). Due to its gradual onset, mild age-related hearing loss often goes unnoticed. Signs for early hearing loss exist, many people are unaware of them or choose not to acknowledge them. Instead, they will place the onus of their communication problems on others. Individuals with hearing impairment will often suggest people mumble, do not speak clearly, or speak too softly
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