Hearing in the elderly: a test protocol and preliminary results

Hearing deteriorates with age. ISO 7029 (2000) presents data on hearing threshold as a function of sex and age up to 70 years. There is a need for an extension of these data beyond 70 years. There is also a need for testing the central component of hearing in the elderly. A test protocol was established, and groups of subjects aged 60 to > or = 90 were selected. After a questionnaire and an ear examination, the following tests were performed: air-conduction pure-tone audiometry in the frequency range of 125-16 kHz, tympanometry, speech recognition score in quiet conditions, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) and cognitive cortical evoked potentials (MMN, P300, N400). Preliminary tests showed the expected age-related reduced hearing sensitivity as seen from the pure-tone audiograms, a lower speech recognition score in the oldest subjects, lack of TEOAE and poor cognitive responses in the elderly. Statistical data will be developed based on the complete material of around 400 subjects.