Beschreibung
In a previous project (Kognitive und multisensorische Faktoren erfolgreichen Sprachverstehens, “KOMUS”), a test battery to measure possible influencing factors on speech recognition was developed. This battery includes measures of speech recognition and other audiological abilities, balance, vision and (fine) motor skills as well as tactile perception and neuropsychological (cognitive) tests. Extensive effort was spent on the testing of 223 participants at two appointments each. Participants were 55 to 81 years old, including the typical age group getting in contact with hearing rehabilitation for the first time [1]. Aim of the KOMUS study was to collect various cognitive, behavioural and sensory data of a typical gerartric participant group with and without age-dependent sensorineural hearing loss. In the analysis of this data, the influence of cognitive, sensory and motor impairments on hearing rehabilitation and everyday-life communication was examined [2-3]. Additionally, specific subordinated issues were analysed and published, including research questions about technology usage [4] and supra-threshold auditory processing [5]. In the project “KOMUS_analysis”, the statistical analysis of the KOMUS data will be intensified focusing on two research questions that are not covered yet. One focus will be on the evaluation of balance measured with the Vertiguard System (Zeisberg GmbH, Metzingen, Germany). It is hypothesized that balance is associated with age-related loss in vestibular function and interacts with hearing loss, visuo-spatial and cognitive abilities (H1). Within the project, this hypothesis will be examined using logistic regression aiming to spot variables that predict balance problems and vestibular issues as well as linear regressions to figure out influencing factors on vertiguard outcome. The second focus is laid on the subjective meausures (questionnaires) included in the KOMUS test battery. We hypothesize that age-related sensoric disabilities (balance, vision, fine motor skills, tactile perception) enhance subjective hearing loss and reduce quality of life (H2). To test this hypothesis, an analysis of subjective ratings in the questionnaires HHI-E and SSQ will be carried out including regression analysis to figure out sensoric factors (besides hearing loss) that influence questionnaire ratings.