The auditory acclimatization effect in sensorineural hearing-impaired listeners: evidence for functional plasticity

The present study provides new data on perceptual and physiological modifications associated with hearing aid (HA) fitting. Eight sensorineural hearing-impaired (SNHI) listeners participated. They had symmetrical hearing loss and were being fitted with binaural HAs for the first time. Perceptual performances were measured four times during auditory rehabilitation, using an intensity discrimination task and a loudness-scaling task. Pure tones of two different frequencies were used, one well amplified by HAs and the other weakly amplified. Two intensity levels were also tested, one rated 'soft' by SNHI listeners and the other 'loud'. Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to click stimulation were recorded. All measures were performed without HA. Results were consistent with the auditory acclimatization effect: most modifications induced by HA fitting were found at loud intensity levels and at high frequency, i.e., for acoustic information that was newly available to the listener. While both ears had similar hearing loss and aided gains, some differences between ears appeared in both perceptual tasks and in ABRs. In the right ear, a shortening of wave V latency paralleled perceptual modifications. The present results suggest that HA-fitting induces functional plasticity at the peripheral level of the auditory system.