Posted:
A study was led by researchers at Université Paris Cité and Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, and Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg in Germany, as part of an international collaboration under the PRESAGE (Precision Audiology for Age-Related Hearing Loss) project.
The team tested adults aged 40 and older at research centers in Paris and Oldenburg, using a broad set of hearing and balance tests. These went beyond standard hearing exams to include speech-in-noise understanding, loudness perception, inner-ear physiology, and vestibular function. The goal was to show that hearing loss and balance changes are connected and that a more complete testing approach can better describe how people experience age-related hearing loss.
The study found that results were consistent across both countries, which allowed the data to be combined. Age affected several hearing measures even when standard hearing thresholds were within normal limits, while most balance measures did not show strong age effects. The authors provide reference data that could help clinicians and researchers interpret advanced hearing and balance tests more accurately in the future.
This work is published as a preprint, meaning it has not yet been peer-reviewed and should not yet be used to guide clinical care. Read the full preprint here.
