Assessment of auditory effort in individuals with sensorineuralunilateral hearing loss and the intervention process

• Grant number: 17/07447-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2017
• End date: January 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Maria Fernanda Capoani Garcia Mondelli
• Grantee: Maria Fernanda Capoani Garcia Mondelli
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Carlos Ferreira dos Santos ; Raquel Beltrão Amorim ; Regina Tangerino de Souza Jacob

Abstract

Children with unilateral hearing loss may be at risk for auditory effort / fatigue related to sensory deficit, since speech processing requires effort and more cognitive resources. The use of a biological marker in combination with subjective and behavioral measures can provide insight into the variables and underlying mechanisms associated with fatigue in the child with hearing loss. To minimize this consequence, the use of the Hearing Aids (HA) can promote an improvement in the ability of speech perception. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate the auditory effort in school children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss before and after the hearing loss intervention. Twenty children of both sexes, aged 7-12 years old, enrolled in a regular school and diagnosed with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss will be invited to participate in the study. The children will perform the following research steps: pediatric quality of life inventory application - multidimensional fatigue module (PedsQL-Fatigue), salivary cortisol collection, evaluation of the auditory effort through the dual task (auditory task through Hearing Noise Test in association with visual activity through Genius), selection, adaptation and verification of the hearing aid. After the use of the amplification for a period of three months, the children will perform the evaluations again. After completing the data collection, the results will go through statistical tests appropriate to the purpose of the study, which will be determined together with a professional in the area. (AU)