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Hearing and speech processing in midlife.
Karen S Helfer1, Alexandra Jesse2
1Department of Communication Disorders, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 358 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Hearing Research
|March 12, 2021
Summary
Middle-aged adults experience declining speech understanding in noisy environments. This review highlights the need for more research into early aging effects on auditory processing and perception.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Middle-aged adults report difficulties with speech comprehension in challenging listening conditions.
- Existing research primarily compares young and older adults, neglecting early aging effects.
- Senescent changes in speech understanding require further investigation in the middle-aged population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current research on hearing and speech perception in middle-aged adults.
- To explore objective and subjective measures of hearing and speech understanding.
- To examine listening effort and audiovisual speech perception in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies focusing on middle-aged adults' auditory function.
- Analysis of research encompassing self-perceived hearing, objective hearing tests, and speech perception.
- Inclusion of studies on listening effort and multisensory speech processing.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests a decline in speech understanding and increased listening effort in middle age.
- Subjective reports of hearing difficulties correlate with objective measures.
- Audiovisual speech perception may be affected by early aging processes.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need for more research on hearing and speech processing in middle-aged adults.
- Understanding early aging effects is crucial for timely intervention and management of hearing issues.
- Future research should define the nature, consequences, and potential remediation strategies for hearing problems in this age group.
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