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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners

An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners

Published on: March 13, 2026

Influence of aging on human sound localization.

Marina S Dobreva¹, William E O'Neill, Gary D Paige

¹Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, NY 14642-8603, USA.

Journal of Neurophysiology

|March 4, 2011

Summary

Aging impairs sound localization accuracy and precision, affecting safety in environments like traffic. Older adults show significant deficits in processing auditory spatial cues, particularly temporal ones, due to peripheral and central auditory system decline.

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Area of Science:

Auditory Neuroscience
Human Auditory Perception
Gerontology

Background:

Age-related auditory changes impact sound localization, posing risks in daily environments.
Accurate sound localization relies on peripheral and central auditory functions.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify age-related changes in the accuracy and precision of free-field sound localization.
To investigate how advancing age affects the processing of different auditory spatial cues.

Main Methods:

Young, middle-aged, and elderly participants localized sound targets in a darkened room using laser pointing.
Band-passed and narrowband targets were used to isolate interaural time/intensity differences and spectral cues.
Localization performance was assessed across various frequencies to evaluate cue utilization.

Main Results:

Older adults exhibited reduced accuracy and precision for broadband, low-pass, and high-pass targets.
Significant horizontal localization imprecision was observed in middle-aged and elderly listeners for specific narrowband frequencies.
Age-related declines in auditory temporal processing were linked to localization deficits.

Conclusions:

Sound localization accuracy and precision deteriorate with age, reflecting both peripheral and central auditory system decline.
Distinct neural processing of auditory spatial cues is selectively affected by aging.
Deficits in sound localization due to aging can have significant safety implications.