The Influence of Hearing Aids on Balance Control: A Systematic Review

• Main Authors: Amin, N. (Author), Bianchini, C. (Author), Borsetto, D. (Author), Ciorba, A. (Author), Corazzi, V. (Author), Franchella, S. (Author), Obholzer, R. (Author), Pelucchi, S. (Author), Soulby, A.J (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: S. Karger AG 2021
• Subjects: adult; Adult; aged; Article; Balance; body equilibrium; Cochrane Library; comparative study; controlled clinical trial; controlled study; Cross-Sectional Studies; cross-sectional study; disease severity; dizziness; Dizziness; Embase; fear of falling; female; functional status; head impulse test; hearing aid; Hearing aid; Hearing Aids; hearing impairment; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural; human; Humans; male; Medline; meta analysis; observational study; outcome assessment; perception deafness; Peripheral vestibular loss; Postural Balance; Postural control; Prospective Studies; prospective study; quality control; quality of life; Quality of Life; Scopus; Short Form 36; stabilography; systematic review; Systematic review; task performance; timed up and go test; Vestibular diseases; vestibular disorder; Web of Science
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 Aim: To assess the current opinion on the effects of hearing loss treatment by hearing aids (HAs) and the benefits of HA use on imbalance. Methods: PRISMA-compliant systematic review was done, including observational studies in patients affected by mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss with HAs, investigating the benefits of HAs on balance. Electronic searches were performed through Medline, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. Results: A total of 200 patients in 8 studies were included in this systematic review. Four studies were cross-sectional, 3 cross-sectional controlled and 1 prospective nonrandomized study. Static and dynamic balance in the aided condition improved in patients assessed using clinical investigations including Romberg test and Functional Ambulation Performance/mini-BESTest, respectively. Variable outcomes were found measuring static and dynamic balance during the aided condition with objective tests (computerized posturography, Mobility Lab device). Improved quality of life outcomes and self-confidence were noted, while subjective measurements of balance had conflicting results. Conclusion: Although an improvement in balance in patients with HAs has been shown in certain conditions, the overall benefit is still unclear and it is only possible to speculate that HAs may also improve static, dynamic, or subjective perception of balance function in adults affected by hearing loss. © 2020