Effects of simulated hearing loss on cognitive task performance: A scoping review

Hearing loss (HL) and cognitive decline often co-occur in older adults. Many cognitive tests are administered using spoken instructions or stimuli, potentially biasing test results. The current scoping review aimed to provide an overview of studies using simulated HL in cognitively healthy participants to investigate its isolated impact on cognitive test performance, uncover gaps in current research, and provide directions for future research.

A literature search (in OVID/Medline, Embase.com, Clarivate Analytics/Web of Science Core Collection, and EBSCO/APA PsycINFO) was performed for publications prior to February 19, 2026. All studies examining the effects of simulated HL on cognitive tests in cognitively healthy, normal hearing participants were included.

In total, 1,322 studies were identified, and 10 studies were eligible for inclusion. The studies included the Mini-Mental State Examination; the Forward, Backward, and Sequencing Digit Span; and the Arithmetic Task of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV, the Listening Span, the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised, and the Wide-Range Assessment of Memory and Learning-II. The studies comprised different HL simulation approaches, mimicking loss of audibility and/or distortion or cochlear implant processing.

Simulated HL is associated with decreased cognitive test performance. Further research is needed because knowledge about quantifying the effect of HL on specific cognitive tasks is lacking. Awareness of the effect of HL on test scores may facilitate more reliable interpretation of cognitive test results. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).