Hearing handicap as a function of central auditory abilities in the elderly

The relationship between central auditory nervous system dysfunction and hearing handicap was investigated in 30 older adults with mild losses of hearing sensitivity. Self-perceived hearing handicap was assessed with the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly. The degree of central auditory nervous system involvement was determined based on the magnitude of the discrepancy between the maximum scores obtained for PB-50 word lists and the Synthetic Sentence Identification test. Significant correlations were observed between self-perceived hearing handicap and central auditory nervous system status. These relationships were significant even while controlling for auditory sensitivity and age.