Cognition and hearing aids (Kestens et al., 2021)

Purpose: Hearing aids are the primary rehabilitation devices used to compensate for presbyacusis, though large intersubject variability in hearing aid benefit has been reported. This systematic review aimed to investigate how intersubject differences in cognition could influence the aided benefit for speech understanding and listening effort with bilateral digital hearing aids.Method: Articles were selected through systematic searches in MEDLINE, Embase, Central, and reference lists. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed.Results: The initial search resulted in 1,092 unique hits, of which 16 were included. The effect of cognition on the aided benefit in terms of speech understanding and listening effort was examined in 12 and four studies, respectively. The aided speech and listening effort benefit obtained from hearing aid use in general or from a specific digital feature (i.e., microphone directionality, noise reduction, amplitude compression, and frequency compression) was associated with four cognitive functions (i.e., working memory, processing speed, selective attention, and executive functions).Conclusions: Hearing aid users with poorer cognitive functioning derived more aided benefit in terms of speech understanding from hearing aid settings facilitating the matching process between the incoming auditory signal and representations stored in long-term memory. However, since the number of included studies was limited, this trend should be interpreted with caution. Supplemental Material S1. The inclusion and exclusion criteria based on the Population, Intervention, Control, Outcomes, and Study Design (PICOS) strategy. Supplemental Material S2. The translated English quality assessment. Supplemental Material S3. The results of the statistical analyses. Supplemental Material S4. The first investigator’s total score and overall methodological rating of all included studies. Kestens, K., Degeest, S., & Keppler, H. (2021). The effect of cognition on the aided benefit in terms of speech understanding and listening effort obtained with digital hearing aids: A systematic review. American Journal of Audiology. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJA-20-00019研究目的：助听器是用于补偿老年性聋（presbyacusis）的主要康复器械，尽管已有研究报道助听器获益存在显著的个体间差异（intersubject variability）。本系统综述旨在探究认知功能的个体差异，如何影响双侧数字助听器（bilateral digital hearing aids）佩戴者在言语理解与听觉努力度（listening effort）方面的辅助获益。 研究方法：通过在MEDLINE、Embase、考克兰对照试验中心注册库（Central）及参考文献列表中开展系统检索以筛选文献，并遵循系统综述与Meta分析优先报告条目（Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses，PRISMA）指南进行研究。 研究结果：初步检索共得到1092条独立检索结果，最终纳入16项研究。其中分别有12项、4项研究考察了认知功能对言语理解、听觉努力度相关辅助获益的影响。无论通用助听器，还是特定数字功能（即麦克风方向性、降噪、幅度压缩及频率压缩）所带来的助听器辅助言语获益与听觉努力度获益，均与四种认知功能相关：工作记忆（working memory）、加工速度（processing speed）、选择性注意（selective attention）与执行功能（executive functions）。 研究结论：认知功能较差的助听器佩戴者，在使用可促进传入听觉信号与长时记忆（long-term memory）存储表征匹配的助听器参数时，可获得更显著的言语理解相关辅助获益。但由于纳入研究数量有限，对该趋势的解读应持谨慎态度。 补充材料S1：基于研究对象、干预措施、对照、结局、研究设计（Population, Intervention, Control, Outcomes, and Study Design，PICOS）策略制定的纳入与排除标准。 补充材料S2：经翻译的英文文献质量评价内容。 补充材料S3：统计学分析结果。 补充材料S4：所有纳入研究的第一研究者总得分及整体方法学评级。 参考文献：Kestens, K.、Degeest, S.与Keppler, H.（2021）。《数字助听器佩戴者认知功能对言语理解与听觉努力度辅助获益的影响：一项系统综述》，《美国听力学杂志》（American Journal of Audiology）。https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJA-20-00019