Clinical Trial: Cognition Effects of Hearing Aids and Auditory Training in Older Age

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Investigating the Impact of Hearing Aid Use and Auditory Training on Cognition, Mood and Social Interaction in Older Adults With Hearing Loss

Brief Summary:

Sensorineural type of hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit among older adults. Some of the psychosocial consequences of this condition include difficulty in understanding speech, depression and social isolation. Studies have shown that older adults with hearing loss show some age-related cognitive decline. There is no clinically proven method to predict the onset of this condition, as its occurrence is slow and progressive, affecting both ears equally. Although hearing aid use and auditory training have been proven as successful interventions to alleviate sensorineural hearing loss, no research has been designed to look at the effect of both hearing aid use coupled with auditory training on cognitive performance in older adults. This study will investigate whether wearing hearing aids will improve the impact of auditory training on cognition, mood and social interaction for older adults with sensorineural hearing loss.

This is a crossover trial targeting older adults between 50 and 90 years with either mild or moderate symmetric sensorineural hearing loss. Consented, willing participants will undergo a six month intensive auditory training program (active control), as a rigorous means of examining the impact hearing aid use has on a person's cognition, mood and social interaction. Participants will be assigned in random order to receive hearing aid (intervention) for either the first three or last three months of the six month auditory training program. Each participant will be tested at baseline, three and six months on a battery of computer based cognitive assessments, together with mood, and social engagement measures. Effectiveness of hearing aids and auditory training will be evaluated using an online speech perception test (SPT) and the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) Inventory.

This stu

Detailed Summary:

Background:

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit among older adults. There is no clinically proven method to predict the onset of this condition, as its occurrence is generally slow and progressive, affecting both ears equally. Recent studies have documented that hearing loss in older adults is independently associated with reduced cognitive functioning, mood and social interaction, and that hearing aid use and auditory training could improve cognitive abilities, social, emotional, psychological, and physical well-being of people. Despite the high prevalence of hearing loss in older adults, and the consequences for health outcomes, people are generally slow to acquire hearing aids, and almost two-thirds of older adults with hearing impairment do not use hearing aids. The popularity of auditory training has also declined in recent years and the focus of research has been shifted to only improving wearable amplification such as hearing aids. No research has been designed to specifically look at the effect of both hearing aid use coupled with auditory training on cognitive performance in older adults.

Study aim:

The aim of the current study is to investigate the impact of hearing aid use coupled with auditory training on mood, social relationships and cognitive functioning in a crossover intervention trial.

Study hypothesis:

The rationale for this study objective is based on the following hypotheses:

H1: In older adults with sensorineural hearing loss, hearing aids in combination with auditory training will be more effective for improving cognition than auditory training on its own.

The SUCCAB contains a battery of eight cognitive domains namely Simple and Choice Reaction Times, Immediate and Delayed Recognition, Congruent and Incongruent Stroop colour-words, Spatial Working Memory and Contextual Memory.