Assessment of listening effort experience in normal and hearing-impaired adult population
Abstract Background Pure-tone and speech audiometry have long served as the foundation of audiological assessments; however, they do not address the perceived listening effort (LE) that the patient faces. Listening effort assessment tools represent a relatively new dimension in evaluating the hearin...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SpringerOpen
2025-06-01
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| Series: | The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-025-00843-1 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Background Pure-tone and speech audiometry have long served as the foundation of audiological assessments; however, they do not address the perceived listening effort (LE) that the patient faces. Listening effort assessment tools represent a relatively new dimension in evaluating the hearing-impaired population. These tools include subjective self-report questionnaires, behavioral tools, and objective physiological tools. This study was designed to assess and quantify LE in adult hearing aid (HA) users and investigate whether they still suffer even after being fitted with hearing aids. Methods The study was conducted on 111 adult individuals divided into two groups: normal hearing group (60 normal subjects) and study group (51 HA users with bilateral symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss of variable degrees). LE was measured by a subjective tool (Arabic version of Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing scale) and an objective tool (pupillometry). Results The hearing aid users group revealed statistically significant increased LE for both subjective and objective methods referenced to the age-matched normal hearing group. Conclusion The LE test battery is clinically feasible in audiological practice and could help understand the challenges the hearing-impaired individuals face. Hearing aids algorithms have not resolved LE for the majority of HA users. It is important to collaborate with HA industry in order to advance in the development of solutions for the perceived LE and improve the quality of life for these patients. |
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| ISSN: | 2090-8539 |