1. Learning to treat hearing loss
Dave Moore
Scientific Director
National Biomedical Research Unit in Hearing
www.hearing.nihr.ac.uk davem@ihr.mrc.ac.uk

2. Prevalence of hearing loss
Children (6-19 years) Adults
1.6
Mild 15-29
1.4 40
Proportion of Population (%)
Moderate 30-44
1.2 Severe 45-74
30 Profound ≥75
1
0.8
20
0.6
0.4 10
0.2
0 0
16-30 31-45 46-75 >75 18-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80
Mild Moderate Severe Profound
Hearing Loss (dB HL) Age Range (years)
(Source: US - National Health Survey) (Source: UK – IHR National Study of Hearing)

3. Hearing loss in middle age
(55-74 y.o.)
• 12% have a hearing problem that causes moderate or severe worry,
annoyance or upset
• 27% have bilateral hearing impairment (0.5-4 kHz; ≥ 25 dB HL)
• 5.7% receive hearing aids
• Hearing problems (speech-in-noise) are unreported for 10 years
• 47% with hearing difficulties who see a GP receive no referral
(Davis, Smith, Ferguson, Stephens & Gianopoulos, Health Technol. Assess., 2007)

4. Auditory training
100
Track 1
Track 2
Pitch difference (%)
10
1
0.1
0 5 10 15
Trials
Freq
Time

5. Auditory training and learning
20
10
Pitch difference (%)
5
2
1
0.5
0.2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Practice block # (500 trials/block)
(Amitay, Hawkey and Moore, Percept. Psychophys., 2005)

6. A study of auditory training
Training
Type of training Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Phoneme
discrimination
Classroom
activities
Training Pre/post test
Phonemes Phonological Assessment Battery
(11 different contrasts – 30 mins/block) (PhAB; rhyme, alliteration, Spoonerisms,
non-word reading)
Classroom
(normal lessons)
8-9 y.o. mainsteam children trained for 6
hours over 4 weeks

7. Training improves speech listening
Trained
14 P< 10-5
Untrained
Phonological Awareness
13
(Age Equivalent - yrs)
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
Pre Post Delayed
Time of Test
(Moore, Rosenberg and Coleman, Brain. Lang., 2005)

8. Auditory learning – the future?
Siftables: The toy blocks that think . . .

9. Summary
•Most people with hearing loss are currently untreated. Those who receive
hearing instruments could obtain further benefit
•Auditory training improves hearing. There is growing recognition that it has further
potential in the management of hearing problems
•Auditory training works in a predominantly if not exclusive ‘top-down’ fashion, but it
can influence hearing even out to the ear
•Several recent studies have shown that cochlear implant users can benefit from
training
•A huge potential exists for mass screening and training of hearing via novel methods
and the internet