Auditory Training for Spatial Hearing Loss: Two Case Reports of the Older Adults Who Wear Hearing Aids

Abstract

The elderly with hearing loss have often experienced spatial hearing deficits when only wearing hearing aids. This case study aimed to investigate whether auditory training for spatial hearing loss could improve the spatial hearing ability of the elderly who wear hearing aids. Two older adults (males, aged 75 years and 78 years) who were wearing bilateral hearing aids participated. They had symmetric sensorineural hearing loss. A total of 16 auditory-training sessions (40 minutes, twice per week) for auditory training for spatial hearing ability provided. For outcome measurements, we assessed speech reception thresholds (SRTs) and spatial release from masking (SRM), using two types of noise, steady-state noise and speech-like noise at pre- and post-auditory training. Both subjects increased SRTs after the auditory training, but the SRM of only one participant improved. Also, there were no masking effects for SRM in terms of noise types. Both subjects reported that their trained hearing skills helped in communication with their families and friends. These results suggested that audiologists can consider auditory training for focusing on the spatial hearing loss for the elderly hearing aids users.

Spatial hearing in middle-aged and older adults with a hearing aid: Does noise type matter?

“…In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in including remediation training for spatial hearing loss in the rehabilitation plans for geriatric hearing-impaired listeners. This latest study suggests that remediation training directed explicitly at improving spatial hearing skills could indeed improve the spatial hearing abilities of the geriatric hearing-impaired participants [20]. In the future, research should be made on effective rehabilitation methods to improve the spatial hearing ability in the older population with hearing impairment.…”