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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.

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|March 12, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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.

Keywords:
AgingAudiovisual speechListening effortPresbycusisSpeech perception

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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.