Improving speech perception in noise in young and older adults using transcranial magnetic stimulation

Normal aging is associated with speech perception in noise (SPiN) difficulties. The objective of this study was to determine if SPiN performance can be enhanced by intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) in young and older adults.

We developed a sub-lexical SPiN test to evaluate the contribution of age, hearing, and cognition to SPiN performance in young and older adults. iTBS was applied to the left posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) and the left ventral premotor cortex (PMv) to examine its impact on SPiN performance.

Aging was associated with reduced SPiN accuracy. TMS-induced performance gain was greater after stimulation of the PMv compared to the pSTS. Participants with lower scores in the baseline condition improved the most.

SPiN difficulties can be reduced by enhancing activity within the left speech-processing network in adults. This study paves the way for the development of TMS-based interventions to reduce SPiN difficulties in adults.