{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,22]],"date-time":"2026-01-22T02:46:18Z","timestamp":1769049978267,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]],"date-time":"2026-01-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768780800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Audiology Research"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Accumulation of cerumen (earwax) in the auditory canal is a common condition, particularly in children and older adults, and often causes temporary hearing loss. While chronic hearing loss is known to affect mood and cognition, little is known about the psychological impact of short-term auditory deprivation. This pilot study aimed to examine the emotional and cognitive effects of simulated temporary hearing loss. Methods: Thirty healthy adults (16 females, aged 18\u201360) participated. Temporary hearing loss was simulated by placing earplugs in both ears for two hours. Participants completed four tests, assessing anxiety, mood, and attention at three time points: before wearing earplugs, during the blocked condition, and after earplug removal. Results: Participants showed a significant increase in state anxiety and a decrease in mood during the earplug condition. Interestingly, visual attention performance improved while hearing was obstructed and remained elevated even after earplug removal. Conclusions: Short-term simulated hearing loss produces measurable emotional and cognitive changes, including increased anxiety but enhanced visual attention. Clinicians should consider these effects when assessing patients with temporary hearing obstruction, such as those with cerumen impaction. The results carry implications for the broader population wearing earplugs on a temporary basis including musicians, construction employees, and, in general, people working in noisy environments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/audiolres16010013","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]],"date-time":"2026-01-19T14:58:54Z","timestamp":1768834734000},"page":"13","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Emotional and Cognitive Effects of Simulated Temporary Hearing Deficit with Healthy Adults"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-6861-6263","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leora","family":"Moss Levy","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Communication Disorders, Achva Academic College, Arugot 7980400, Israel"},{"name":"Kidma Center for Hearing Tests, Hearing Aids, and Speech Therapy, Jerusalem 9446724, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kinneret","family":"Weisler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Communication Disorders, Achva Academic College, Arugot 7980400, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2018). Hearing Loss in Adults, National Guideline Center. [Guideline #98]."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"30","DOI":"10.1177\/0194599816680327","article-title":"Plain language summary: Earwax (cerumen impaction)","volume":"156","author":"Krouse","year":"2017","journal-title":"Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg."},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"525","article-title":"Cerumen impaction: Diagnosis and management","volume":"98","author":"Michaudet","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am. Fam. Physician"},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"S1","article-title":"Clinical practice guideline: Cerumen impaction in children","volume":"172","author":"Mansour","year":"2025","journal-title":"Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"228","DOI":"10.1016\/j.archger.2010.03.025","article-title":"Cerumen removal: Comparison of cerumenolytic agents and effect on cognition among the elderly","volume":"52","author":"Oron","year":"2011","journal-title":"Arch. Gerontol. Geriatr."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"272","DOI":"10.1111\/jppi.12137","article-title":"Guidelines for ENT examination of adults with intellectual disabilities","volume":"12","author":"Oron","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Policy Pract. Intellect. Disabil."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.1136\/ebn1132","article-title":"Evidence on earwax removal methods","volume":"14","author":"Roth","year":"2011","journal-title":"Evid.-Based Nurs."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1471","DOI":"10.2147\/CIA.S195824","article-title":"Depression in elderly patients with hearing loss: Current perspectives","volume":"14","author":"Cosh","year":"2019","journal-title":"Clin. Interv. Aging"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"891","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291718003409","article-title":"Hearing loss and psychiatric disorders: A review","volume":"49","author":"Lazer","year":"2019","journal-title":"Psychol. Med."},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"718","article-title":"Recognizing emotional challenges of hearing loss","volume":"70","author":"McLeod","year":"2017","journal-title":"Hear. J."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"649","DOI":"10.1007\/s00127-018-1638-3","article-title":"Prevalence of anxiety disorders in people with hearing impairment: A systematic review","volume":"54","author":"Shoham","year":"2019","journal-title":"Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"Murray, M.M., and Wallace, M.T. (2012). Visual abilities in individuals with profound deafness: A critical review. The Neural Bases of Multisensory Processes, Taylor & Francis. Chapter 22."},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"Casey, P.R. (2018). Adjustment Disorder: From Controversy to Clinical Practice, Oxford University Press."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Spielberger, C.D. (1995). State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI) [Database Record], APA PsycTests.","DOI":"10.1037\/t06498-000"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.3109\/14992020309074639","article-title":"Negative consequences of uncorrected hearing loss: A review","volume":"42","author":"Arlinger","year":"2003","journal-title":"Int. J. Audiol."},{"key":"ref_16","first-page":"21","article-title":"Effect of Hearing Protection Devices on Anxiety and Depression of Stone Workers","volume":"7","author":"Tavakolizadeh","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Res. Med. Dent. Sci."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shende, S.A., and Mudar, R.A. (2023). Cognitive control in age-related hearing loss: A narrative review. Hear. Res., 430.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heares.2023.108814"},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"169","article-title":"Auditory memory deficit in elderly with hearing loss","volume":"25","author":"Shahidipour","year":"2013","journal-title":"Iran. J. Otorhinolaryngol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Roy, R.A. (2018). Auditory working memory in adults with normal hearing vs. mild-moderate hearing loss. Glob. J. Otolaryngol., 13.","DOI":"10.19080\/GJO.2018.13.555862"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"661","DOI":"10.1080\/14992020903019320","article-title":"An evaluation of musician earplugs with college music students","volume":"48","author":"Chesky","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. J Audol."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"Teichman, Y., and Melink, H. (1982). A Hebrew Version of Spielberger\u2019s State Trait Anxiety Inventory, Ramot."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1002\/(SICI)1097-4679(199901)55:1<79::AID-JCLP8>3.0.CO;2-7","article-title":"Adult and geriatric normative data and validation of the profile of mood states","volume":"55","author":"Nyenhuis","year":"1999","journal-title":"J. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"989","article-title":"Measurement of feelings using visual analogue scales","volume":"62","author":"Aitken","year":"1969","journal-title":"Proc. R. Soc. Med."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"569","DOI":"10.1016\/S0022-3956(97)00029-0","article-title":"The use of visual analog scales in mood disorders: A critical review","volume":"31","author":"Ahearn","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Psychiatr. Res."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Brickenkamp, R., and Zillmer, E. (1998). The d2 Test of Attention, Hogrefe & Huber.","DOI":"10.1037\/t03299-000"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wechsler, D. (2003). Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Harcourt. [4th ed.].","DOI":"10.1037\/t15174-000"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"136","DOI":"10.1016\/S1525-8610(04)70455-7","article-title":"Cerumen, hearing, and cognition in the elderly","volume":"3","author":"Moore","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Am. Med. Dir. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Spiegel, D.R., Jafri, R., and Bradshaw, E. (2012). A case of auditory hallucinations due to cerumen-induced transient hearing loss. J. Neuropsychiatry Clin. Neurosci., 24.","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.neuropsych.11030072"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jung, N., Wranke, C., Hamburger, K., and Knauff, M. (2014). How emotions affect logical reasoning: Evidence from experiments with mood-manipulated participants, spider phobic, and people with exam anxiety. Front. Psychol., 5.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2014.00570"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1001\/jamaoto.2014.42","article-title":"Hearing impairment associated with depression in US adults, 2005\u20132010","volume":"140","author":"Li","year":"2014","journal-title":"JAMA Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sun, W., Matsuoka, T., Imai, A., Oya, N., and Narumoto, J. (2021). Effects of hearing impairment, quality of life and pain on depressive symptoms in elderly people. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 18.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph182212265"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"776","DOI":"10.1097\/01.psy.0000133328.03596.fb","article-title":"Moderate effects of hearing loss on mental health and well-being: Results from the Nord-Tr\u00f8ndelag hearing loss study","volume":"66","author":"Tambs","year":"2004","journal-title":"Psychosom. Med."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.3758\/s13414-013-0545-7","article-title":"Is the emotional Stroop task a special case of mood induction? Evidence from sustained effects of attention under emotion","volume":"76","author":"Mama","year":"2014","journal-title":"Atten. Percept. Psychophys."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"662","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-8986.1996.tb02362.x","article-title":"Picture media and emotion: Effects of a sustained affective context","volume":"33","author":"Bradley","year":"1996","journal-title":"Psychophysiology"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"622","DOI":"10.1037\/1528-3542.6.4.622","article-title":"Sustained and transient modulation of performance induced by emotional picture viewing","volume":"6","author":"Pereira","year":"2006","journal-title":"Emotion"}],"container-title":["Audiology Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2039-4349\/16\/1\/13\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,21]],"date-time":"2026-01-21T12:01:26Z","timestamp":1768996886000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2039-4349\/16\/1\/13"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]]},"references-count":35,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]}},"alternative-id":["audiolres16010013"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/audiolres16010013","relation":{},"ISSN":["2039-4349"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2039-4349","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]]}}}