Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-2016
Keywords
Aging, Age-related hearing loss, Presbycusis, Auditory temporal processing, Gap detection
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.12.024
Abstract
The auditory system relies on extraordinarily precise timing cues for the accurate perception of speech, music, and object identification. Epidemiological research has documented the age-related progressive decline in hearing sensitivity that is known to be a major health concern for the elderly. Although smaller investigations indicate that auditory temporal processing also declines with age, such measures have not been included in larger studies. Temporal gap detection thresholds (TGDTs; an index of auditory temporal resolution) measured in 1071 listeners (aged 18–98 years) were shown to decline at a minimum rate of 1.05 ms (15%) per decade. Age was a significant predictor of TGDT when controlling for audibility (partial correlation) and when restricting analyses to persons with normal-hearing sensitivity (n = 434). The TGDTs were significantly better for males (3.5 ms; 51%) than females when averaged across the life span. These results highlight the need for indices of temporal processing in diagnostics, as treatment targets, and as factors in models of aging.
Rights Information
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Neurobiology of Aging, v. 43, p. 72-78
This article is the post-print author version.
Scholar Commons Citation
Ozmeral, Erol J.; Eddins, Ann C.; Frisina, Robert Sr.; and Eddins, David A., "Large Cross-Sectional Study of Presbycusis Reveals Rapid Progressive Decline in Auditory Temporal Acuity" (2016). Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Publications. 2.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/csd_facpub/2
