Hearing thresholds and cognitive flexibility in young healthy individuals with normal hearing

Objective: Pure tone audiometry may seem to be a relatively easy task for the participant but it may involve cognitive as well as sensory abilities. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between hearing thresholds in the frequency range 0.125–8 kHz and the core executive function cognitive flexibility in healthy individuals with normal hearing. Design: Experimental study measuring correlations between different pure-tone hearing threshold measures and cognitive flexibility. Pure tone air conduction audiometry (frequencies 0.125–8.0 kHz) and two tests of cognitive flexibility (information updating and shifting ability) were conducted. Study sample: Seventy-two subjects (aged between 21 and 36) with normal hearing (<20 dB HL) for the tested frequencies. Results: Four measures of average pure tone hearing thresholds were negatively correlated with cognitive flexibility. Conclusions: Pure-tone air conduction hearing thresholds seem to be related to cognitive flexibility in healthy individuals with normal hearing.