Auditory training can improve working memory, attention, and communication in adverse conditions for adults with hearing loss
Auditory training (AT) helps compensate for degradation in the auditory signal. A series of three high-quality training studies are discussed, which include, (i) a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of phoneme discrimination in quiet that trained adults with mild hearing loss (n = 44), (ii) a repeate...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media
2015
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39375/ |
| _version_ | 1848795822862368768 |
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| author | Ferguson, Melanie A. Henshaw, Helen |
| author_facet | Ferguson, Melanie A. Henshaw, Helen |
| author_sort | Ferguson, Melanie A. |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Auditory training (AT) helps compensate for degradation in the auditory signal. A series of three high-quality training studies are discussed, which include, (i) a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of phoneme discrimination in quiet that trained adults with mild hearing loss (n = 44), (ii) a repeated measures study that trained phoneme discrimination in noise in hearing aid (HA) users (n = 30), and (iii) a double-blind RCT that directly trained working memory (WM) in HA users (n = 57). AT resulted in generalized improvements in measures of self-reported hearing, competing speech, and complex cognitive tasks that all index executive functions. This suggests that for AT related benefits, the development of complex cognitive skills may be more important than the refinement of sensory processing. Furthermore, outcome measures should be sensitive to the functional benefits of AT. For WM training, lack of far-transfer to untrained outcomes suggests no generalized benefits to real-world listening abilities. We propose that combined auditory-cognitive training approaches, where cognitive enhancement is embedded within auditory tasks, are most likely to offer generalized benefits to the real-world listening abilities of adults with hearing loss. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:38:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-39375 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:38:12Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-393752020-05-04T17:07:54Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39375/ Auditory training can improve working memory, attention, and communication in adverse conditions for adults with hearing loss Ferguson, Melanie A. Henshaw, Helen Auditory training (AT) helps compensate for degradation in the auditory signal. A series of three high-quality training studies are discussed, which include, (i) a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of phoneme discrimination in quiet that trained adults with mild hearing loss (n = 44), (ii) a repeated measures study that trained phoneme discrimination in noise in hearing aid (HA) users (n = 30), and (iii) a double-blind RCT that directly trained working memory (WM) in HA users (n = 57). AT resulted in generalized improvements in measures of self-reported hearing, competing speech, and complex cognitive tasks that all index executive functions. This suggests that for AT related benefits, the development of complex cognitive skills may be more important than the refinement of sensory processing. Furthermore, outcome measures should be sensitive to the functional benefits of AT. For WM training, lack of far-transfer to untrained outcomes suggests no generalized benefits to real-world listening abilities. We propose that combined auditory-cognitive training approaches, where cognitive enhancement is embedded within auditory tasks, are most likely to offer generalized benefits to the real-world listening abilities of adults with hearing loss. Frontiers Media 2015-05-28 Article PeerReviewed Ferguson, Melanie A. and Henshaw, Helen (2015) Auditory training can improve working memory, attention, and communication in adverse conditions for adults with hearing loss. Frontiers in Psychology, 6 . 556/1-556/7. ISSN 1664-1078 Auditory training Hearing loss Working memory Attention Communication Hearing aids Executive function Speech perception http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00556 doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00556 doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00556 |
| spellingShingle | Auditory training Hearing loss Working memory Attention Communication Hearing aids Executive function Speech perception Ferguson, Melanie A. Henshaw, Helen Auditory training can improve working memory, attention, and communication in adverse conditions for adults with hearing loss |
| title | Auditory training can improve working memory, attention, and communication in adverse conditions for adults with hearing loss |
| title_full | Auditory training can improve working memory, attention, and communication in adverse conditions for adults with hearing loss |
| title_fullStr | Auditory training can improve working memory, attention, and communication in adverse conditions for adults with hearing loss |
| title_full_unstemmed | Auditory training can improve working memory, attention, and communication in adverse conditions for adults with hearing loss |
| title_short | Auditory training can improve working memory, attention, and communication in adverse conditions for adults with hearing loss |
| title_sort | auditory training can improve working memory, attention, and communication in adverse conditions for adults with hearing loss |
| topic | Auditory training Hearing loss Working memory Attention Communication Hearing aids Executive function Speech perception |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39375/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39375/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39375/ |