Predicting hearing loss using machine learning

Project Summary

Hearing decline is a common complaint among older adults. Aging affects an individual’s hearing ability; however, it is not clear what the underlying reason for this decline is. Previous studies have shown that auditory processing involves not only hearing but also factors like cognitive, central, and peripheral functions, socioeconomic status, and psychosocial performance. It is not well understood which of these factors contribute to hearing difficulties in late life. This study aims to fill this gap in two ways. Our first goal is to examine the CLSA data cross-sectionally to determine which cognitive, demographic, and psychological factors are associated with hearing levels at that point. Our second goal is to investigate the extent to which hearing decline over time can be predicted by the initial profile of the factors identified as important in the first study.