Hearing aid fitting: analysis of the impact on the auditory system during the first year of use in moderate and severe hearing loss

Purpose  To investigate the behavior of the auditory system in people’s first year of hearing aid use.

Methods  The study included 24 individuals of both sexes with moderate and severe sensorineural hearing loss. The first data collection stage occurred before fitting the hearing aids, through the P300 electrophysiological examination and the Portuguese Sentence List test. The second and third stages occurred 6 and 12 months after starting rehabilitation, applying these two tests and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults or Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly.

Results  The P300 latency and amplitude did not differ between the stages with either tone-burst or speech stimulus. The post-fitting hearing thresholds allowed accessibility to speech sounds, therefore differing between stage 1 and stages 2 and 3, with no difference between the last two. There was evidence of improved speech perception throughout the three phases, particularly in individuals with moderate hearing loss. The self-assessment questionnaire showed that the use of hearing aids reduced perceived participation restrictions in emotional and social contexts.

Conclusion  Despite the lack of changes in electrophysiological measurements during the first year of use, speech perception (recognition) improved. Users also reported an improvement in quality of life, highlighting the benefits of using hearing aids.

Keywords:
Hearing Loss; Hearing Aids; Event-Related Potentials, P300; Speech Perception; Surveys and Questionnaires