Enhancing the everyday hearing experience

Maeve Doyle

Through a collaboration between Professor Kathy Pichora-Fuller’s lab and Sonova Canada Inc., psychology alumna April Pereira participated in the development of technology for people with hearing loss. The project investigates speech-in-noise understanding in the real world.

Photo of April Pereira Convocation Summer 2019

“We are trying to see how we can enhance hearing experience in everyday situations,” says Pereira, who graduated this past summer. “We assess hearing experience with both in-lab technology and out in the real world.” As part of a research team, she focused on older adults who used hearing aids. Volunteers participated in a variety of tasks that they conducted both indoors and out. “Specifically, we are looking at what settings might be best for hearing-aid wearers and how we can improve their everyday hearing.”

In winter 2019, Pereira was in the final semester of her honours bachelor of arts when Pichora-Fuller invited her to participate in the research-industry collaboration. Pereira had already participated in an independent research project in Pichora-Fuller’s lab.

Over 2.7 million Canadians with hearing loss

Pichora-Fuller, a professor of psychology, conducts laboratory-based research on auditory and cognitive aging in adults and its impact on social engagement and healthy aging. She has collaborated with Sonova for more than 10 years. Sonova, an international company, develops, manufactures and sells hearing technologies such as hearing aids and cochlear implants.

“Based on our analysis of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, there are now over 2.7 million Canadians in the age range from 45 to 85 years who have at least mild hearing loss,” says Pichora-Fuller. “And, as the boomers age, that number is only increasing.” Age-related hearing loss is a significant risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, she says. There also appears to be an increased risk for a range of other age-related health issues including depression, walking difficulties, falls, poorer physical functioning, frailty and even mortality.

“It seems clear that age-related hearing loss plays an important role not only in how older adults access sound or understand speech, but also in their overall health and prospects for aging well and participating fully in everyday life,” Pichora-Fuller says.

From theory to application

Pereira says that Pichora-Fuller’s continuing work with Sonova is important to the quality of life of people worldwide, and to older adults in particular.

“I learned a lot previously about research, which sometimes tends to stay within academia. Doing research in the field, you can see how what you do can move to patents and then to products in the real world that will actually help people,” she says.

Now a master’s student in cognitive psychology at the University of Waterloo, Pereira calls the industry research experience immeasurably valuable.

 

 

In addition to independent research projects, the University of Toronto Mississauga provides opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research through the University of Toronto Excellence Awards, NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards, the UTM Dean’s Undergraduate Research Grants and the Research Opportunity Program.

The UTM Experiential Education Unit invites faculty with undergraduate research projects and staff who support research to an information session on the Research Opportunity Program.

Monday, November 25, 2019
10 to 11:30 a.m.
UTM Room 3141, Davis Building

Register to attend: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/experience/rop-information-session-faculty-staff.