The Effect of Hearing Loss and Hearing Device Fitting on Fatigue in Adults: A Systematic Review.
Jack A Holman, Avril Drummond, Graham Naylor
PMID 32639255WHAT IT FOUND
Hearing loss is linked to higher fatigue in many studies, but the evidence is weak and inconsistent.
Hearing device fitting shows mixed results for reducing fatigue, with some support for cochlear implants but not hearing aids. Solid conclusions are not possible.
Key findings
01Of 24 findings on hearing loss and fatigue, 16 supported the hypothesis that hearing loss increases fatigue, while 8 showed no significant effect.
02Evidence for hearing device fitting reducing fatigue was sparse and mixed; subjective measures supported the hypothesis in 4 of 7 findings, while behavioral measures showed a positive effect in only one study.
03The quality of evidence for both hearing loss and device fitting effects on fatigue was rated as 'very low' due to heterogeneity in measurement and study design.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The review included only 20 studies, and the quality of evidence was rated 'very low' by GRADE standards. Fatigue was measured inconsistently across studies, with many using surrogate measures like 'vitality' or 'need for recovery' rather than direct fatigue scales. Most studies were observational or non-randomized, which limits causal inference. The search terms did not include 'performance' or 'reduction in performance', potentially missing relevant behavioral studies. There was significant heterogeneity in populations, hearing loss definitions, and device types (hearing aids vs. cochlear implants), making direct comparison difficult.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that fitting hearing devices will reliably reduce fatigue in patients with hearing loss. The evidence is weak, inconsistent, and of very low quality, with some studies showing no benefit. Furthermore, the studies primarily measured long-term fatigue via self-report, so these findings may not apply to transient, task-related fatigue experienced during listening.