Background: Hearing loss in older adults is associated with cognitive decline. Emerging evidence suggests a possible link between hearing aid use and cognitive protection. However, the underlying factors associated with the hearingcognition connection are currently unknown. Purpose: This study examined changes in emotion and motivation in older adults before and after short-term hearing aid use. Analyses further explored the relationship of emotion and motivation to previously documented cognitive changes associated with hearing aid use. Establishing relationships among these factors will clarify their individual and combined associations with cognitive performance and emotional well-being in hearing aid users. Research Design: A single-group repeated-measures design was used in this study. Study Sample: Participants included 29 new hearing aid users with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and an average age of 70years. Intervention: Participants were fitted with bilateral digital hearing aids. Data Collection and Analysis: Emotions and motivation were assessed in a group of older adults before and after a hearing aid acclimatization period of 4 months. Cognition operationalized as working memory performance and datalogged hours of hearing aid use documented in a previous study were used in the analyses. Data were analyzed with repeated-measures analysis of variance and principal-component analyses. Results: Significant improvements were found in autonomous motivation after using hearing aids for 4 months. In contrast, no effect of hearing aid use was found for controlled motivation or emotions. After using hearing aids, stronger and more cohesive associations were found among positive emotions, increased autonomous motivation, and reduced fear, and these factors were related to actual hearing aid use over the 4-month study period. In addition, after using hearing aids, autonomous motivation was associated with higher working memory scores, emotional support, and general life satisfaction. Conclusions: Autonomous motivation improved after 4 months of hearing aid use. Associations among emotions, motivation, working memory, and hearing aid usage suggest an intricate mechanism underlying hearing aid adoption. Clinical Relevance Statement: Because emotional and motivational factors, as well as cognitive performance, were associated with hearing aid usage, rehabilitative and counseling efforts with individuals who have hearing loss should support the value of intrinsically driven hearing aid use, self-efficacy, and social connectedness as part of a holistic approach to maximize hearing aid outcomes. The connection among these variables also supports the notion that hearing-health care and hearing aids are an essential aspect of aging and emotional well-being in individuals with hearing loss.
Schafer et al. (Thu,) studied this question.