Wat bepaalt de meerwaarde van een hoortoestel bij ouderen? De interacties tussen hoortoestellen, auditief-cognitieve training, cognitie en luisterinspanning: een review

Abstract

The main complaints of hearing-impaired elderly are related to difficulties with speech understanding and increased listening effort, especially in complex listening conditions. Hearing aids are the primary rehabilitation devices to compensate for age-related hearing loss (i.e. presbyacusis), though different results regarding aided performances are documented. Recently, more attention is directed to the contribution of cognition during speech understanding. Hence, the differences regarding hearing aid benefit may be due to intersubject variability in cognition. Therefore, this review article aims to investigate the relationship between hearing aids, cognition, auditory-cognitive training, and listening effort in adult binaural hearing aid users.

More specifically, four interactions between binaural hearing aid use, digital signal processing features, cognition, and listening effort were investigated: (1) How does binaural hearing aid use influence the hearing aid user's cognitive performance?, (2) How does the hearing aid user's cognitive performance influence the aided speech outcome?, (3) How does binaural hearing aid use influence listening effort, and (4) How does the hearing aid user's cognitive performance influence the aided listening effort benefit?

Besides, the effect of auditory-cognitive training on the aided benefit was examined.

The existing literature regarding these interactions is limited and showed variable results. Hence, it is not possible to define general statements about any of these interactions. Further research regarding aided speech understanding from an auditory-cognitive perspective is essential for optimizing the hearing aid benefit.