Effects of Auditory Training on Cognition in Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta-analyses

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of auditory training to improve cognitive function in patients with age-related hearing loss (ARHL). Research Design: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis. Study Sample: Seven studies involving 443 participants met the inclusion criteria. Participants were typically older adults (mean age = 67.23 years, standard deviation = 7.14) with mild to severe hearing loss. Intervention: Auditory training includes speech perception training, phoneme discrimination training, and so on. Data Collection and Analysis: A literature search of academic databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Wanfang, Weipu, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) identified relevant articles published up to December 2023. This review includes only randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome is cognition function, measured by Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Mini-Mental State Examination, and other cognition-related subtest indicators. Results: The overall effect of auditory training on overall cognition and executive function in ARHL is statistically significant (overall cognition: g = 0.79, 95 percent confidence interval [CI]: 0.57, 1.01; executive function: g = 3.84, 95 percent CI: 1.49, 6.19), but executive function domain has high heterogeneity (I² = 100 percent). The effect of auditory training on attention/processing speed and working memory is small and not significant (attention/processing speed: g = 1.47, 95 percent CI: -0.48, 3.42; working memory: g = 0.68, 95 percent CI: -2.22, 3.58), but both attention/processing speed (I² = 96 percent) and working memory domain (I² = 98 percent) have high heterogeneity. Conclusions: The overall impact of auditory training on overall cognition and executive function seems to be significant, but because of the low quality of the literature and certain biases, it is impossible to conclude that auditory training can improve the cognitive function of ARHL; therefore, more high-quality evidence is needed.