The influence of age-related hearing loss on working memory based on EEG analysis

Due to the increasing age, hearing loss with progressive deterioration of the auditory system is defined as age-related hearing loss (ARHL). Many studies have confirmed that there is a correlation between ARHL and the decline of cognitive function, but its internal correlation mechanism is not completely clear. Based on this background, this study explored the effects of ages and the levels of listening on the cognitive function represented by working memory, aiming to study the correlation mechanism between the levels of listening and working memory load by looking for the characteristics and rules of EEG signals. The results showed that the behavioral performance and P300 amplitude decreased with the increase of task load, β and θ oscillatory activity of neurons also showed the same rule of change and the level of task load significantly affected the cognitive control and cognitive induction process of working memory. In addition, age and hearing level also had an impact on the performance of working memory at high load levels. When the demand for attention and executive ability in working memory tasks was higher, the brain regions of the elderly and people with lower hearing levels were more activated, while their task performance was still significantly different from those with high hearing levels.