Effects of Cognitive Load on Audiometric Thresholds in Younger Adults

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Effects of Cognitive Load on Pure-Tone Audiometry in Young Hearing Impaired Adults

• IRAS ID

  254267

• Contact name

  Christine Johnson

• Contact email

  cjohnson@qmu.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Queen Margaret University

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 6 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  The study aims to evaluate the ability of an individual to perform visual tasks whilst simultaneously listening to auditory stimuli. It is testing the cognitive load on an individual to determine whether 'hidden hearing loss' has effects on divided attention, such as listening in noise, is something that is age-related, or is something that is dependent more on memory and attention. A previous study by Palmer, Hutson and Mattys (2018) have used normal hearing young adults and older adults to study this association, but it was found that under the cognitive load test conditions there was insufficient evidence to prove cause and effect. This study would test a group of young adults with some degree of hearing impairment to establish whether there is any difference in the test conditions with the group of normally hearing younger adults tested in this study.
  There is need to establish these principles for hearing rehabilitation. Hearing aids amplify sounds to enable an individual to hear better, but this will only be effective if attention and memory are effective. Standard audiometry testing does not test hearing ability in competing sounds, and a person can present with normal hearing, but can struggle in day-to-day situations. Listening in noise remains a problem for a large proportion of both normally hearing and hearing impaired individuals, and being able to provide information to the patient on the type and nature of their hearing loss is advantageous to their own understanding and management of their condition.

• REC name

  North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  19/NE/0344

• Date of REC Opinion

  18 Nov 2019

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion