Results of visual information processing tests in elderly people with presbycusis

In a group of 21 elderly subjects with mild to moderate hearing loss of presbycusis type, a series of tests of visual information processing was performed. Cortical-evoked potentials were recorded in response to flash and to checker-board pattern stimulation. Further, five speech reading tests were administered. The results obtained in this group of elderly subjects were compared to those of a group of young normal-hearing subjects and those of a group of young subjects with congenital hearing impairment. The visual-evoked potentials showed significantly smaller N1P2-amplitude in elderly subjects than in the other two groups for both flash and checker-board pattern stimulation. The average latency of the P2-component was shorter than in both the other two groups in response to checker-board pattern stimulation. The elderly subjects scored significantly less well than the young normal-hearing group on all five speech reading tests. Linear regression analysis between the results of the five speech reading tests and those of the latency and amplitude measures of the evoked visual responses showed no significant correlations.