Cognitive and Electrophysiologic Correlates of Listening in Noise

Abstract

People with hearing loss experience many challenges when adjusting to using amplification (hearing aids). An almost universal complaint is difficulty hearing in the presence of noise. The Acceptable Noise Level (ANL) test is used to estimate a person’s tolerance for listening with noise present. Better tolerance is associated with greater success with amplification, as measured by duration and consistency of use. Yet, there are unknowns about why this should be so. One question is whether the ANL is related to the brain’s ability to inhibit or suppress noise. Another is whether ANL is a stable value or if it changes when challenging cognitive tasks are performed. Two experiments in this study analyze the effects of a cognitive load on unilaterally and bilaterally presented ANL scores and their relationship to the sensory gating mechanism measured through cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEP). Results indicated a significant increase in the ANL score measured with the addition of a cognitive load in the unilateral and bilateral condition. A number of statistical analyses were performed to assess differences between measurements of CAEPs and behavioral results and none were statistically significant.