Abstract
Hearing loss is highly prevalent among older adults (65% in U.S. adults age ³70 years) and has been identified as a major modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. Social isolation has been proposed as a key mechanism linking hearing loss to cognitive decline, as individuals with hearing loss often withdraw from social interactions due to communication difficulties. However, current social engagement assessments rely on subjective measures prone to reporting bias and may lack the sensitivity to capture meaningful changes. To address this gap, this proposal introduces a novel, objective approach to measure social engagement using the TILE Audio Recorder (TAR), an non-intrusive, wearable device that uses deep-learning-based multimodal speech pattern modeling to capture speech arousal and activity as proxies for social engagement.
In this proposal, we aim to validate the TAR device’s outcome measures (speech arousal and activity) in a pilot cohort of older adults (³60 years), assessing whether the device can effectively discriminate differences among groups defined by hearing status and detect changes over time with adoption of hearing aid use. In Aim 1, we will characterize and compare speech arousal and activity across three groups (n=20 each) of older adults: 1) those with normal hearing, 2) those with hearing loss who have never used hearing aids, and 3) those who are regular hearing aid users. In Aim 2, we will assess changes in speech arousal and activity before and 4-month after hearing aid adoption (n=20), and explore the impact of hearing aid use on cognitive processing using EEG Event-Related Potentials.
This interdisciplinary pilot project will lay the groundwork for future research, establishing the TAR as a robust and sensitive tool for measuring social engagement in larger-scale studies and clinical trials. This innovative methodology has the potential for broad adoption in both research and practical settings, enabling the study of dementia risk factors while identifying older adults at risk for dementia due to hearing loss and social isolation.