Functional Age-Related Changes Within the Human Auditory System Studied by Audiometric Examination.

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Gerontology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is common, affecting speech understanding in noise.
• Current methods often focus on peripheral hearing, missing central auditory deficits.
• Speech perception decline in the elderly isn't fully explained by hearing thresholds alone.

Purpose of the Study:

• Compare central auditory abilities in elderly and young adults with normal hearing thresholds.
• Investigate the interaction between peripheral and central auditory impairments.
• Clarify the impact of temporal processing deficits on speech perception in aging.

Main Methods:

• Utilized classical audiological tests and advanced central auditory tests.
• Included gap detection threshold (GDT) and interaural time difference (ITD) detection.
• Assessed speech perception in quiet, gated speech, and speech in babble noise.

Main Results:

• Elderly participants showed deficits in temporal processing (GDT, ITD) despite normal hearing thresholds.
• Peripheral function more strongly influenced speech perception in quiet.
• Temporal processing became crucial for speech perception in noisy environments.

Conclusions:

• Central auditory processing, especially temporal aspects, declines with age.
• Presbycusis involves both peripheral and central changes affecting speech understanding.
• Targeting central auditory function may improve speech perception interventions for the elderly.