Developing a temporal processing-based auditory training program for the senior users of hearing aids: a home PC-based program

Abstract

Background and Aim: One of the consequences of aging is temporal processing impairment and reduced neural synchronization, which reduces speech comprehension in challenging situations such as noisy and reflective environments. This study aimed to develop a novel temporal processing-based auditory training program for the senior users of hearing aids.

Methods: The program was designed based on different aspects of temporal processing and consists of multiple duty including: 1) detect the number of stimuli, 2) detect the pitch of the stimuli, 3) detect the duration pattern, 4) detect the number of nonsense speech stimuli in noise, and 5) detect the gap in noise. The program consists of 36 sessions (1800 exercises) and one or more features of temporal processing are challenged in all sections.

Results: Content validity ratio, content validity index and impact score were used for validation. The results showed acceptable validity.

Conclusion: Since training exercises can improve the physiological representation of sounds by changing hearing maps and temporal decoding, and these changes lead to improved perception, therefore, the auditory rehabilitation program for the seniors with emphasis on the temporal features of speech, was designed and developed. So it is hoped that with the implementation of the rehabilitation program in the seniors with hearing loss, the effects of age related hearing loss, including depression and social isolation, will be reduced to some extent.

Keywords: Aging; presbycusis; temporal processing; auditory training; hearing loss