INFLUENCE OF HEARING AID ON BALANCE: A SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

Falls are significant public health risk, often linked to factors like vestibular disorders, muscle weakness, and vision problems. Hearing loss in older adults has been identified as a contributor to fall risk. Studies explore the role of hearing in balance through methods like suppressing auditory cues, comparing balance function between cochlear implant or hearing users and non-users. However, research lacks a comprehensive overview of balance measures, sound environments, and vestibular tests used in studying the hearing-balance relationship. Hence, the aim of the review was to compile information on the balance function measures, auditory environment modifications, and vestibular function tests utilized in studies that investigated the impact of hearing aids on balance function. A systematic search of literature was carried out and selected 10 studies for the review. Use of hearing aid influenced some parameters of balance function, when it is assessed using subjective tests of postural control and objective test like posturography. Ambient environmental noise to standardized speech stimuli were used for providing auditory cues. Some studies used vestibular function test results as an independent variable also. Lack of homogeneity of outcome measures and auditory stimulus/environments limited the comparison across studies and hindered quantitative analysis in previous systematic reviews. Hence, it is important to have homogeneity in the future studies.