Eye-Movement Deficits in Seniors with Hearing Aids: Cognitive and Multisensory Implications

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Audiology
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) is increasingly linked to cognitive and multisensory deficits beyond hearing.
• Hearing aids are a common treatment for presbycusis, but their effects on cognitive and multisensory functions require further investigation.
• Previous research indicates presbycusis may increase saccade latencies and alter audiovisual integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of hearing aids on the cognitive and multisensory consequences of presbycusis.
• To explore how hearing aids affect eye movement characteristics, specifically saccades and vergences, in response to visual and audiovisual stimuli.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving individuals with presbycusis who have worn hearing aids for approximately two years.
• Measurement of saccade and vergence eye movements towards visual and audiovisual targets, with and without hearing aids.
• Utilized REMOBI and AIDEAL technologies to analyze eye movement characteristics, focusing on latencies.

Main Results:

• Wearing hearing aids significantly shortened right saccade latencies to visual targets, suggesting improved attention or engagement.
• No significant improvement in saccade latencies for audiovisual versus visual targets was observed, with or without hearing aids.
• Convergence eye movements remained notably slow for all target types, regardless of hearing aid use.

Conclusions:

• Hearing aids may enhance attentional responses to visual stimuli in individuals with presbycusis.
• Deficits in audiovisual interaction and convergence initiation persist in this population, even with hearing aid use.
• These oculomotor deficits may contribute to the need for hearing aids and warrant further research.