Development of audiometric parameters throughout the lifespan. I: Auditory data.

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Neuroscience
• Gerontology

Background:

• Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is a common sensorineural condition impacting auditory function.
• Hearing decline can begin as early as age 18 and is influenced by various factors throughout life.
• Different pathologies lead to varied hearing loss phenotypes affecting specific auditory aspects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish average auditory test data for different age groups across the lifespan.
• To analyze the effects of aging on a comprehensive battery of auditory measures.
• To provide a normative baseline for future auditory research and clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Enrolled 290 volunteers (116 males, 174 females) aged 18-87.
• Utilized a custom audiometric device for extensive auditory examinations.
• Included tests such as pure tone audiometry (PTA), high-frequency thresholds (PTAhf), speech in noise (SIN), and various temporal and spectral processing tasks.

Main Results:

• Significant age-related effects were observed across all auditory parameters, with varying onset and progression.
• Some functions, including PTA and gap detection (GDT), showed continuous decline starting early in life.
• Other functions, like speech in noise (SIN) and interaural time delay (ITD) sensitivity, were primarily affected after age 60.

Conclusions:

• Aging has clear, yet distinct, effects on diverse auditory processing domains.
• Normative data reveal that auditory decline is not uniform and varies by test and age of onset.
• The findings offer a crucial baseline for understanding and addressing age-related changes in hearing.