Evaluating the Effect of Hearing Status on Gait and Balance in Individuals With and Without Access to Auditory Cues

Abstract

Background: It has recently been demonstrated that the importance of the auditory system’s contribution to the perception of posture and mobility increases in cases where input from other systems, such as vestibular peripheral, somatosensory, and visual, is reduced or compromised There is a growing interest in how auditory cues serve as an additional input that aids in postural stability, gait and balance, and self-motion perception. Recent evidence from other investigators reveals that auditory information may be used to improve all of these, but the process is poorly understood and requires further research. However, it would appear that preliminary information from these studies makes a strong case for clinicians to consider the importance of audition when developing treatment plans for people with hearing loss that may also be experiencing ongoing vestibular involvement. This research project aims to determine the effect of hearing status on static stability while standing and dynamic movement by measuring postural sway, gait speed, and step length using multiple wireless gait sensors. Methods: Individuals were fitted with an array of Opal sensors and were asked to complete five randomly ordered tasks (aka “conditions”). Each condition began with a measure of postural sway as a baseline. Vision was denied in all but one condition. Postural sway was measured by having participants stand upright with their feet at shoulder width, lined up at the starting mark with hands on their hips for 30 seconds. Participants then would complete another postural sway measure that immediately preceded the dynamic gait task where participants would walk down the track and return to the start position. For each “sway into walk” condition visual cues and auditory input were manipulated. Results: Mean values for postural sway and gait/lower limb support were compared to normative data from other studies using the same gait sensor technology. Mean values for postural sway were compared across conditions and revealed a statistically significant difference for the hearing-impaired participants when performing the first vision denied condition as compared to the normal hearing participants. The data did not demonstrate a statistical significance across the sway trials. Our data did not show any statistically significant changes between hearing-impaired and normal hearing participants during any of the trial conditions when analyzing gait parameters. A statistically significant change for gait speed and stride length was observed between our two baseline conditions. Mean values from our data collection were consistent with previously established reference intervals.