The Impact of Hearing Impairment on Mobility – Moving from Lab to Life

In this project, we ask whether individuals with age-related hearing loss are more vulnerable than those with no hearing loss in terms of balance and mobility, given that both effortful listening and motor control utilize cognitive resources. Our early work revealed that older adults with hearing loss were more vulnerable to the deleterious effects of mental workload while balancing and walking. A portion of the work takes place at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute where we simulate crossing a busy intersection while listening to multiple speakers. Our most recent work focuses on at-home cognitive training to improve mobility and cognition. Middle-aged adults, healthy older adults, and older adult hearing aid users are target groups for this intervention study.

Researchers

• Karen Li (Concordia University)
• Natalie Phillips, (Concordia University)
• Louis Bherer (Université de Montréal)
• Jennifer Campos (Toronto Rehab Institute)
• Jean-Pierre Gagné (Université de Montréal)
• Kathleen M. Pichora-Fuller, (University of Toronto)
• Nancy St Onge (Concordia University)
• Walter Wittich (Université de Montréal

Funding

• CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research)