Does Wearing Hearing Aids Impact the Affective State of Older Adults With Hearing Loss in Their Daily Lives?
Overview
- Phase
- N/A
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Hearing Loss
- Sponsor
- University of Memphis
- Enrollment
- 35
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Self-reported valence
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 2 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The proposed field trial will clarify the real-world effectiveness of HAs in remediating deficits in emotion processing for older adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. This study will employ a repeated reversal design to establish baseline affective state without HAs, when wearing amplification, and after HAs are removed. This study will triangulate self-report, behavioral, and physiological measures to capture nuances of emotional processing in the laboratory and in daily listening. Naturalistic stimuli will be used as it occurs in daily life to elicit emotional experiences, and ecological momentary assessment and commercially-available wearable sensors will be used to track changes in emotional state in daily listening. Anchoring real-world emotional experiences with controlled laboratory experiences will validate wearable sensors. Additionally, laboratory emotional stimuli will be related to real-world emotional experiences to establish the utility of laboratory stimuli in future studies. It is likely that benefits in emotional processing will have differential effects based on individual characteristics (such as degree of hearing loss, age, gender, cognitive ability, and personality), so participants will be analyzed according to larger groupings based on individual differences.
Detailed Description
Thirty-five participants will complete preliminary measures, including assessments of routine audiometrics, demographics, personality, and working memory. For each arm of the trial (baseline-unaided; aided; follow-up unaided) participants will be issued sensors to use while pursuing normal daily life activities. These sensors can provide information such as heart rate (HR) and respiration activity, which have been associated with the arousal dimension of emotion. Participants also will download a mobile app that will automatically prompt them throughout their day to indicate their perceived arousal and valence and listening-related workload. For each arm of the trial interindividual and intraindividual emotion perception, speech understanding, and perceived workload will be also be assessed using laboratory-based self-report, behavioral, and physiological measures. Subjective measures of hearing aid benefit, emotional consequences of hearing loss, and the effect of hearing loss on emotional communication will be assessed through validated questionnaires at the conclusion of each arm of the trial.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Bilateral, uncomplicated, adult-onset mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
- •No previous experience with hearing aids
- •Fluent English speakers
- •Have adequate literacy and cognitive competence to complete informed consent and required questionnaires with minimal assistance.
- •Able to transport themselves to the data collection site and participate in the study without assistance from researchers.
Exclusion Criteria
- •History of otologic surgery or chronic middle or outer ear pathology
- •Evidence of retrocochlear involvement
- •Known psychiatric or neurologic disorder.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Self-reported valence
Time Frame: Measured several times per day for 6 days in each arm of the study (ecological momentary assessment) and at a lab appointment on day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.
Valence rating measured with the Self-assessment manikin (SAM)
Self-reported arousal
Time Frame: Measured several times per day for 6 days in each arm of the study (ecological momentary assessment); and at a lab appointment on day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.
Arousal rating measured with the Self-assessment manikin (SAM)
Secondary Outcomes
- Emotion identification - Toronto Emotional Speech Set(Day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.)
- Physiological arousal - respiration activity(easured several times per day for 6 days in each arm of the study (ecological momentary assessment) and at a lab appointment on day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.)
- Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB)(Day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.)
- Physiological arousal - heart rate(easured several times per day for 6 days in each arm of the study (ecological momentary assessment) and at a lab appointment on day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.)
- Physiological arousal - electrodermal responses(Day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.)
- Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly-Screening version (HHIE-S)(Day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.)
- Self-reported task-load(Measured several times per day for 6 days in each arm of the study (ecological momentary assessment) and at a lab appointment on day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.)
- Physiological valence - electromyography(Day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.)
- Word recognition - Toronto Emotional Speech Set(Day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.)
- Emotional Communication in Hearing Questionnaire (EMO-CHeQ)(Day 7; day 28; and day 35 of the trial.)