KITE Research Institute’s StreetLab is an immersive virtual reality facility that allows scientists to study complex interactions between sensory and cognitive processes. Study participants navigated a virtual street-crossing environment while simultaneously completing listening, memory, and standing balance tasks.
Recent research reveals cognitive training improves balance and multitasking with varied benefits to hearing ability.
Tasks that require staying balanced while listening and thinking—like crossing a busy street—can become increasingly difficult with age. Hearing loss is also common in older adults and has been linked to cognitive decline and a higher risk of falls, making everyday multitasking more challenging. A new study from UHN’s KITE Research Institute (KITE) found that cognitive training may support improved balance and cognition in older adults, but its benefits may be limited in individuals with more severe hearing loss.
To examine whether structured cognitive training could support improved balance in older adults with hearing loss, participants were randomly assigned to complete a 12-week cognitive training program or to a control group without training. Participants were middle-aged adults with normal hearing, older adults with normal hearing, and older adults with hearing loss. The at-home training program included short, computer-based sessions completed three times per week. The exercises involved remembering and identifying sequences of numbers, responding to visual cues (like images), and switching between tasks—activities designed to strengthen memory, attention, and mental flexibility.
To read the full story, go to UHN Research News.