Vestibular Function Modulates the Benefit of Hearing Aids in People With Hearing Loss During Static Postural Control

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of auditory cues on postural sway in normal-hearing (NH) individuals, hearing-impaired individuals with vestibular impairment (HIVL), or hearing-impaired (HI) individuals without vestibular impairment. Design: Thirty-two participants received a hearing and a vestibular evaluation (vHIT, oVEMP, cVEMP) and then were separated in to three groups (NH, HI, HIVL). All participants had to stand on a force platform in four postural conditions (A: EO/firm, B: EC/firm, C: EO/Foam, D: EC/Foam) under two auditory conditions, with or without auditory cues. Results: Results revealed that first, there was a significant difference between HIVL and both HI and NH groups in conditions C and D without auditory cues. Second, greater improvement for HIVL compared to NH and HI groups in condition C and D was observed with auditory cues. Finally, somatosensory reliance significantly decreased for the HIVL participants using hearing aids compared to NH and HI. Conclusions: Our results suggest that hearing aids benefit for postural control may be modulated by vestibular function.

The Influence of Hearing Aids on Balance Control: A Systematic Review

“…The 8 studies included 4 cross-sectional studies [Lacerda et al, 2012;Rumalla et al, 2015;Shayman et al, 2017;McDaniel et al, 2018], 3 cross-sectional controlled studies [Vitkovic et al, 2016;Negahban et al, 2017;Maheu et al, 2019], and 1 prospective nonrandomized study [Weaver et al, 2017]. The characteristics of included studies are demonstrated in Table 1.…”

“…A total of 138 patients were HAs users. Ten out of 138 patients from one study were diagnosed with both SNHL and balance problems, documented by vestibular objective measurements (such as video head impulse test, caloric examination, cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials) [Maheu et al, 2019]. Twenty-five patients with hearing loss but non-HAs users were considered as a part of a control cohort only in one study [Negahban et al, 2017].…”

“…Computerized posturography was used as objective measurement of static balance in 4 studies [Vitkovic et al, 2016;Negahban et al, 2017;McDaniel et al, 2018;Maheu et al, 2019], but the results are inconsistent. Out of a total of 41 patients with moderate hearing loss, McDaniel et al [2018] and Vitkovic et al [2016] did not find any significant difference on static balance between the aided and unaided performances (p = 0.124 and p > 0.05, respectively).…”

“…Furthermore, Negahban et al [2017] found a statistically significant improvement of the static balance during the aided condition in the group of 22 patients with moderate hearing loss compared to a control cohort of 25 non-HAs users with moderate hearing loss (p < 0.0001). Maheu et al [2019] enrolled a total of 10 patients affected by severe hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction documented by peripheral vestibular objective measurements, and he found that somatosensory reliance significantly decreased for these 10 participants using HAs compared to 14 participants with normal hearing (p = 0.009) and 8 participants with severe hearing loss but no vestibular impairment (p = 0.008). They also documented a statistically significant improvement of the static balance in these 10 patients while using HAs, compared to an improvement that HAs have on the cohort of 8 patients with hearing loss, both in the condition of eyes open and on foam (p = 0.013) and of eyes closed and on foam (p = 0.004).…”

Sound Effects on Standing Postural Strategies in the Elderly via Frequency Analysis Approach

“…The intensity and frequency of sounds influencing postural regulation of stability is associated with the relationship between the vestibular system and organs of Corti in the inner ear [8]. Vestibular modulation by hearing aids has been documented to improve postural control in individuals with hearing loss [9]. However, changes in postural regulations by vestibular interference induced by sound effects are not evident in the elderly.…”