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Objective: The chronicity of the problem of conductive pathologies, the lack of improvement with treatment, and the progression of hearing loss are seen as important criteria for using hearing aids. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of conductive pathologies and the use of hearing aids on temporal processing.
Methods: In this study, 68 adults (aged 19-58 years [mean 38.26 years]) with mild to moderate bilateral conductive hearing loss were included in the study: 23 bilateral hearing aid users, 22 unilateral hearing aids users, and 23 patients with no use of amplification, and 31 healthy adults (aged 22-60 years [mean 34.13 years]) were included as a control group. After the complete audiological test battery, gaps in noise threshold, total percentage score, duration pattern, and frequency pattern tests were performed for temporal processing.
Results: The results of frequency pattern test, duration pattern test, and total percentage score were obtained from high to low, respectively, as normal hearing, bilateral hearing aid users, aided ear of unilateral hearing aid group, unaided ear of unilateral hearing aid group, and no hearing aid group. Ranked from highest to lowest, gaps in noise threshold threshold results were the reverse of total percentage score results, as expected. Finally, the results of patients with long-term conductive hearing loss who had never used hearing aids were significantly lower when compared with the hearing aid users group and the control group.
Conclusion: As a result of this study, although the cochlea and auditory nerve are intact in long-term conductive pathologies, the existing hearing loss may lead to auditory deprivation and affect temporal processing. Early intervention with appropriate amplification in conductive pathologies on the other hand may contribute to temporal processing.
Cite this article as: Torun Topçu M, Çiprut A, Akdeniz E. Hearing aid use on auditory temporal processing in conductive hearing loss. B-ENT 2022;18(3):162-169.