Brainstem plasticity and modified loudness following short-term use of hearing aids

Previous research has shown that the threshold of the middle ear acoustic reflex is modified in adult listeners following 1 week of continuous monaural sensory deprivation [Munro and Blount, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 126, 568-571 (2009)]. The results of the present study provide evidence of plasticity in the brainstem of adult listeners following monaural auditory stimulation. Acoustic reflexes were obtained at a higher sound pressure level in the ear that had been fitted with a low-gain hearing aid for 5 days. These changes are in the opposite direction to those reported after sensory deprivation and are consistent with a gain control mechanism mediated by a process within the brainstem. Stimuli were reported as less loud after hearing aid use but the relationship with changes to the acoustic reflex threshold was not statistically significant.