Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026
10:38
A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
[Examination of speech perception and cognitive functioning in the elderly]
H Meister1, S Schreitmüller, L Grugel
1Jean-Uhrmacher-Institut für klinische HNO-Forschung, Universität zu Köln, Köln, Deutschland. hartmut.meister@uni-koeln.de
HNO
|April 22, 2011
Summary
Elderly individuals experience reduced speech understanding in noisy environments, even with good hearing. Cognitive functions, particularly verbal memory, significantly impact this decline.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Gerontology
Context:
- Aging is associated with difficulties in speech perception, especially in complex auditory environments.
- Hearing impairment is a known factor, but cognitive decline may also contribute to speech understanding problems in older adults.
- This study investigates speech perception in elderly individuals with normal hearing thresholds.
Purpose:
- To compare speech perception abilities between young and elderly listeners in various acoustic conditions.
- To assess the relationship between cognitive functioning and speech understanding in the elderly.
- To identify specific cognitive factors influencing speech perception in older age.
Summary:
- Elderly listeners with normal hearing demonstrated poorer speech discrimination than young adults across most tested acoustic situations.
- Significant differences were observed in challenging conditions, such as those with fluctuating maskers and competing speech.
- Speech perception performance correlated significantly with declarative verbal memory test results.
Impact:
- Age-related decline in speech understanding in complex listening environments is confirmed.
- Cognitive abilities, especially working memory, play a crucial role in compensating for auditory challenges in the elderly.
- Findings highlight the importance of considering cognitive factors in addressing speech perception difficulties in aging populations.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
01:27Language and Cognition
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
01:29Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer disease is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It leads to gradual neuronal loss, causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and loss of functional independence.Risk Factors and EtiologyThe disease is multifactorial. Age is the strongest risk factor, with prevalence doubling every 5 years after age 65. Genetic factors include mutations in genes such as APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which are associated...