Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2025

Targeted Training of Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Aged and Parkinsonian Rats
Published on: August 8, 2011
The acoustic change complex evoked by location-change sounds in the elderly
Shuai Nie1, Xing Wang1, Junzhi Wu1
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Objective:
We have shown that the acoustic change complex (ACC) can be elicited by changing the horizontal sound location in young individuals. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the application of ACC within the elderly and its relationship with behavioural results.
Design:
The minimum audible angle (MAA), as well as onset cortical auditory evoked potentials (onset-CAEPs) and ACC elicited by the stimuli of location-change white noise (±45 to ±2 degrees) were recorded. Latencies and amplitudes were analysed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between ACC and MAA.
Study Sample:
Ten older adults with normal hearing (NH) and twenty with presbycusis.
Results:
The ACC was effectively elicited with angular variations in elderly participants. The onset-CAEP N1 latency, ACC N1'-P2' amplitude, and N1' latency were all associated with the angle shifts, with the N1' latency being the most predictive factor for angle discrimination. The consistency between MAA and ACC made them complementary for the clinical evaluation of sound localisation.
Conclusions:
The utilisation of ACC, evoked by location-change sounds, presented a promising clinical objective measure for evaluating sound localisation abilities in the elderly.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Hearing
The Cochlea
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
Perception of Sound Waves
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same...
The Auditory Ossicles
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...

