Age differences in central auditory system responses to naturalistic music
Niels Trusbak Haumann1, Bjørn Petersen1, Peter Vuust1
1Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Universitetsbyen 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Biological Psychology
|April 22, 2023
Summary
Older adults show altered auditory processing compared to younger adults, with age-related differences in brain responses (ERs) observed even with naturalistic music, though less pronounced in highly realistic contexts.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Aging impacts the central auditory system, causing difficulties in understanding complex sounds like speech in noise.
- Previous studies on auditory evoked responses (ERs) in aging revealed altered P1, N1, P2, mismatch negativity (MMN), and P3a amplitudes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if age-related differences in ERs persist with naturalistic musical stimuli.
- To compare the effects of medium versus highly naturalistic auditory contexts on age-related ER changes.
Main Methods:
- Older (55-77 years) and younger (21-31 years) adults listened to synthesized melodies (medium naturalistic) and studio music recordings (highly naturalistic).
- Auditory evoked responses (ERs), including P1, N1, P2, MMN, and P3a amplitudes and latencies, were measured.
Main Results:
- Age-related differences in ER amplitudes were replicated for medium naturalistic music.
- These age differences were reduced with highly naturalistic music, except for P2 amplitude at slow rates.
- Auditory processing time course slowed with highly naturalistic stimuli, regardless of age.
Conclusions:
- Age-related changes in central auditory processing can be observed using naturalistic stimuli.
- Naturalistic stimuli offer new possibilities for studying age-related auditory disorders.
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