Simulated hearing loss in healthy young and older adults results in poor reaction time in older adults

Emerging evidence links hearing loss to increased fall risk in older adults, yet mechanisms remain unclear. This study examined the impact of simulated hearing loss on reactive balance control in healthy young and older adults. Participants performed dual-task scenario involving auditory sentence repetition and unexpected surface translations....

Audiologists treating older adults should be aware that even temporary hearing loss degrades reaction time in this group, supporting the clinical rationale for prompt hearing rehabilitation as a falls-risk mitigation strategy — though this study uses simulated rather than actual hearing loss, so direct practice changes should await replication in clinical populations.

This study strengthens the mechanistic case linking hearing loss to fall risk in older adults, reinforcing the importance of hearing care as part of broader geriatric health management.

1. 01Simulated hearing loss impaired reaction time in older adults but not in healthy young adults.
2. 02The study isolates hearing loss as a variable in reactive balance control, separate from other age-related factors.
3. 03Findings support the hypothesis that hearing loss contributes to fall risk via slowed reaction time.
4. 04Participants were healthy adults, limiting direct generalizability to those with actual clinical hearing loss.
5. 05Results add mechanistic evidence to the growing body of research on hearing loss and fall prevention.

PMID

42395036

DOI

10.56031/2576-215x.1125.

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Healthy young and older adults without clinical hearing loss

Intervention

Simulated hearing loss (auditory occlusion/masking during balance and reaction time tasks)

Comparator

Normal hearing condition in the same participants (within-subject)