Cochlear Implantation and Social Outcomes

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if hearing devices, like cochlear implants, affect social and cognitive function of older adults. The main questions the researchers want to answer are:

• How social are older adults with hearing loss before and after using hearing devices?
• How well do older adults with hearing loss think before and after using hearing devices?
• For older adults who have hearing loss and use hearing devices, do changes in social interaction explain changes in how well they think (cognitive function)?
• Do brainwaves (EEGs) in older adults with hearing loss change after using hearing devices?
• Are there differences in how social older adults with hearing loss are compared to older adults without hearing loss?

What Participants Will Do:

• Participants will take questionnaires for around 60 minutes. Questionnaires will ask participants about their background, health, hearing, and how social they are. Another set of questionnaires will check their thinking ability or cognition.
• Participants will wear an audio sensor (TILES Audio Recorder on Jelly Mobile phone) for 2 weeks. The sensor will collect and store information about a participant's voice during conversations. Once the device has information about a participant's voice such as pitch and tone it will store this information and delete the audio recording. Words spoken during conversations will be deleted.
• (Optional) Participants can choose to participate in a 45-60-minute EEG (electroencephalogram) recording session. Participants will have sensors placed on top of their heads. Sensors will record the participants' brainwaves. Sounds will be played to see how participants' brainwaves change when they hear sounds. Eligible participants will be invited to participate in 4-month follow-up study.