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Aging Reduces Attentional Modulation of Speech-Evoked Cortical Responses While Preserving Adaptation
Anoop Basavanahalli Jagadeesh1, Ajith Kumar Uppunda2
1School of Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA.
Background:
This study examined age-related differences in repetition-related adaptation and attentional modulation of cortical auditory evoked potentials elicited by meaningful speech stimuli.
Methods:
Younger (18-35 years) and older (50-70 years) adults with clinically normal hearing were tested under active and passive listening conditions. N1 peak amplitudes were analyzed across early (first 30) and late (last 30) stimulus trials.
Results:
Repetition-related reductions in N1 amplitude were observed in both groups, indicating preserved adaptation. However, younger adults showed significant attentional enhancement of N1 amplitude, whereas older adults did not.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that aging selectively reduces top-down attentional modulation while preserving repetition-related sensory adaptation.
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