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ABSTRACT
This study investigated the association between age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and differences in response efficiency and variability on a sustained attention task. The study population comprised 32 participants in a hearing loss group (HLG) and 34 controls without hearing loss (CG). Mean reaction time (RT) and accuracy were recorded to assess response efficiency. RT variability was decomposed to examine temporal aspects of variability associated with neural arousal and top-down executive control of vigilant attention. The HLG had a significantly longer mean RT, possibly reflecting a strategic approach to maintain accuracy. The HLG also demonstrated altered variability (indicative of greater decline in neural arousal) but maintained executive control that was significantly predictive of poorer response efficiency. Adults with ARHL may rely on higher-order attention networks to compensate for decline in both peripheral sensory function and in subcortical arousal systems which mediate lower-order automatic neurocognitive processes.
Acknowledgments
We thank the participants for their generous support of this study. DGL was supported by the Global Brain Health Institute, Chime, the Irish Research Council and the Central Remedial Clinic. Initial funding to establish the Global Brain Health Institute was provided by the Atlantic Philanthropies.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Contributors
DGL and BAL conceived the study. DGL oversaw the data collection. DGL conducted the statistical analysis. EM conducted the Fast Fourier Transform. DGL and BAL interpreted the data. DGL drafted the manuscript.