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Listening-Related Fatigue in New and Experienced Adult Cochlear Implant Users
Benjamin W Y Hornsby1, Erin M Picou, Todd A Ricketts
1Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville Tennessee, USA.
Ear and Hearing
|February 21, 2024
Summary
Cochlear implants (CIs) significantly reduce listening fatigue and effort in adults within weeks of activation. While initial fatigue is high, new CI users show improvements comparable to experienced users by three months, with perceived hearing handicap being a key factor.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation
Background:
- Active listening demands significant mental effort, especially in noisy environments, leading to listening-related fatigue.
- Hearing aids and cochlear implants (CIs) may alleviate this by improving speech understanding, but research in CI users is limited.
- Understanding factors influencing listening fatigue is crucial for improving quality of life for individuals with hearing loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine longitudinal changes in listening-related fatigue in new and experienced cochlear implant (CI) users.
- To investigate the relationship between demographic/audiologic factors and pre- and post-implantation listening fatigue.
- To assess the impact of CI use on listening effort, hearing handicap, and social isolation.
Main Methods:
- 48 adult CI candidates and 96 experienced CI users completed the Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale for Adults.
- New CI users were assessed pre-implantation and at multiple time points up to 12 months post-activation.
- Additional questionnaires measured social isolation, hearing handicap, and listening effort; demographic and audiologic data were collected.
Main Results:
- CI candidates reported higher fatigue, handicap, effort, and isolation than experienced users.
- Significant reductions in fatigue and effort were observed within 2 weeks post-CI activation.
- By 3 months, new CI users showed no significant differences in fatigue, effort, handicap, or isolation compared to experienced users. Age at hearing loss onset predicted pre-implantation fatigue, while gender and subjective ratings predicted post-implantation fatigue.
Conclusions:
- Cochlear implantation significantly reduces listening-related fatigue, effort, hearing handicap, and social isolation soon after activation.
- Individual differences in fatigue exist, but audiologic factors like hearing loss severity were not predictive.
- Perceived hearing handicap strongly correlates with listening-related fatigue, suggesting it's a key component.
