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Age-related changes in binaural processing: I. Evoked potential findings
1Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, Wichita State University, Kansas 67208.
The American Journal of Otology
|September 1, 1991
Summary
Older adults show reduced auditory processing in noisy environments. Speech competition in one ear impacts late auditory evoked potentials (LAEP) and P300 responses, with age-related declines observed in LAEP amplitude reductions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Auditory processing declines with age, impacting speech comprehension in complex acoustic environments.
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) like LAEP and P300 offer insights into neural processing of auditory stimuli.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related effects of contralateral speech competition on late auditory evoked potentials (LAEP) and P300.
- To determine if auditory processing changes with age under conditions of auditory distraction.
Main Methods:
- Female volunteers aged 20-80 years were divided into four age groups.
- Late auditory evoked potentials (LAEP) and P300 responses were recorded during contralateral speech competition.
- Amplitude and latency of N1, P2 (LAEP), and P300 components were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Contralateral speech competition did not affect earlier auditory responses but impacted LAEP and P300.
- Older adults (50-80 years) showed greater LAEP N1-P2 amplitude reduction compared to younger adults (20-49 years).
- P300 amplitude decreased with competition, but this effect was not age-dependent. Latency of N1, P2, and P300 increased with competition across all age groups.
Conclusions:
- The late auditory evoked potential (LAEP) reflects age-related changes in binaural processing or attention.
- While P300 is sensitive to auditory competition, it does not appear to show age-related differences in this context.