The effect of a simulated hearing loss on performance of an auditory memory task in driving

Hearing loss has been shown to exacerbate the effect of auditory distraction on driving performance in older drivers. This study controlled for the potentially confounding factor of age-related cognitive decrements, by applying a simulated hearing loss in young, normally hearing individuals. Participants drove a simulated road whilst completing auditory tasks under simulated hearing loss or normal hearing conditions. Measures of vehicle control, eye movements and auditory task performance were recorded. Results showed that performing the auditory tasks whilst driving resulted in more stable lateral vehicle control and a reduction in gaze dispersion around the road centre. These trends were not exacerbated by simulated hearing loss, suggesting no effect of hearing loss on vehicle control or eye movement patterns during auditory task engagement. However, a small effect of simulated hearing loss on the performance of the most complex auditory task was observed during driving, suggesting that the use of sound-based in-vehicle systems may be problematic for hearing impaired individuals. Further research incorporating a wider variety of driving scenarios and auditory tasks is required in order to confirm the findings of this study.

[1]  J. Veltman,et al.  Physiological workload reactions to increasing levels of task difficulty. , 1998, Ergonomics.

[2]  Cynthia Owsley,et al.  Vision and driving , 2010, Vision Research.

[3]  B. Moore,et al.  Simulation of the effect of threshold elevation and loudness recruitment combined with reduced frequency selectivity on the intelligibility of speech in noise. , 1997, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[4]  C. Owsley,et al.  The useful field of view test: a new technique for evaluating age-related declines in visual function. , 1993, Journal of the American Optometric Association.

[5]  Seppo Karjalainen,et al.  Relationship between self-reported hearing and measured hearing impairment in an elderly population in Finland , 2011, International journal of audiology.

[6]  U. Lindenberger,et al.  Relations between aging sensory/sensorimotor and cognitive functions , 2002, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.

[7]  Natasha Merat,et al.  The effect of auditory distraction on the useful field of view in hearing impaired individuals and its implications for driving , 2016, Cognition, Technology & Work.

[8]  B. Moore Cochlear hearing loss : physiological, psychological and technical issues , 2014 .

[9]  Ying Wang,et al.  The sensitivity of different methodologies for characterizing drivers’ gaze concentration under increased cognitive demand , 2014, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour.

[10]  J. Wann,et al.  Active gaze, visual look-ahead, and locomotor control. , 2008, Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance.

[11]  Natasha Merat,et al.  Surrogate in-vehicle information systems and driver behaviour: effects of visual and cognitive load in simulated rural driving , 2005 .

[12]  K A Brookhuis,et al.  The effects of mobile telephoning on driving performance. , 1991, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[13]  P. Baltes,et al.  Emergence of a Powerful Connection Between Sensory and Cognitive Functions Across the Adult Life Span: A New Window to the Study of Cognitive Aging? , 1997 .

[14]  Björn Peters,et al.  Hearing loss and a supportive tactile signal in a navigation system : effects on driving behavior and eye movements , 2013 .

[15]  Tony Leroux,et al.  Could Driving Safety be Compromised by Noise Exposure at Work and Noise-Induced Hearing Loss? , 2008, Traffic injury prevention.

[16]  B C Moore,et al.  Effects of spectral smearing on the intelligibility of sentences in the presence of interfering speech. , 1994, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[17]  M. Sivak The Information That Drivers Use: Is it Indeed 90% Visual? , 1996, Perception.

[18]  Arthur Wingfield,et al.  Central presbycusis: a review and evaluation of the evidence. , 2012, Journal of the American Academy of Audiology.

[19]  T. Salthouse A Theory of Cognitive Aging , 1985 .

[20]  P G Smith,et al.  Risk of death from motor-vehicle injury in Brazilian steelworkers: a nested case-control study. , 1997, International journal of epidemiology.

[21]  D. Gronwall,et al.  The psychological effects of concussion , 1974 .

[22]  R. Cumming,et al.  Sensory impairment and driving: the Blue Mountains Eye Study. , 1999, American journal of public health.

[23]  B. Moore,et al.  Simulation of the effects of loudness recruitment and threshold elevation on the intelligibility of speech in quiet and in a background of speech. , 1993, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[24]  N Merat,et al.  Leading to distraction: Driver distraction, lead car, and road environment. , 2016, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[25]  Birgitta Thorslund,et al.  Cognitive workload and driving behavior in persons with hearing loss , 2013 .

[26]  Natasha Merat,et al.  Behavioural changes in drivers experiencing highly-automated vehicle control in varying traffic conditions , 2013 .

[27]  Ying Wang,et al.  The Impact of Systematic Variation of Cognitive Demand on Drivers' Visual Attention across Multiple Age Groups , 2010 .

[28]  R. Klein,et al.  Prevalence of hearing loss in older adults in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study. , 1998, American journal of epidemiology.

[29]  D. Roth,et al.  Cumulative Meta-analysis of the Relationship Between Useful Field of View and Driving Performance in Older Adults: Current and Future Implications , 2005, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[30]  A. Davis,et al.  Hearing in adults : the prevalence and distribution of hearing impairment and reported hearing disability in the MRC Institute of Hearing Research's National Study of Hearing , 1995 .

[31]  B. Moore,et al.  Effects of spectral smearing on the intelligibility of sentences in noise , 1993 .

[32]  T. Lunner,et al.  Cognition counts: A working memory system for ease of language understanding (ELU) , 2008, International journal of audiology.

[33]  P. Baltes,et al.  Emergence of a powerful connection between sensory and cognitive functions across the adult life span: a new window to the study of cognitive aging? , 1997, Psychology and aging.

[34]  Klaus Bengler,et al.  Driving Simulator as an Evaluation Tool – Assessment of the Influence of Field of View andSecondary Tasks on Lane Keeping and Steering Performance , 2007 .

[35]  D. Gronwall,et al.  Delayed recovery of intellectual function after minor head injury. , 1974, Lancet.

[36]  Alex Chaparro,et al.  Hearing Impairment Affects Older People's Ability to Drive in the Presence of Distracters , 2010, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[37]  Johan Engström,et al.  Comparison between Visual and Tactile Signal Detection Tasks Applied to the Safety Assessment of In-Vehicle Information Systems , 2017 .

[38]  Ulf Andersson,et al.  Deterioration of the phonological processing skills in adults with an acquired severe hearing loss , 2002 .

[39]  Richard Wilkie,et al.  Controlling steering and judging heading: retinal flow, visual direction, and extraretinal information. , 2003, Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance.

[40]  Johan Engström,et al.  Sensitivity of eye-movement measures to in-vehicle task difficulty , 2005 .