Aging Effects on the Activation of the Auditory Cortex during Binaural Speech Listening in White Noise: An fMRI Study

Hwang, Juen Haur; Li, Chia Wei; Wu, Changwei W.; Chen, Jyh Horng

doi:10.1159/000103209

Cited by 56 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…In general, when listeners are tested in less challenging situations, the role of central processing is reduced compared with when they are tested in more adverse situations. Recent physiologic studies have shown that listeners who can recruit a wider network of prefrontal cortical activity to compensate for listening in adverse environments generally perform better than listeners who do not adapt in a similar manner (Hwang et al, 2007; Wong et al, 2009). Indeed, Wong et al (2009) also reported that for both young and older listeners, the ability to recruit a greater region of cortical activity had a significant correlation with behavioral performance for speech-processing tasks in noise.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Spectral Resolution, Working Memory, and Audibility in Explaining Variance in Susceptibility to Temporal Envelope Distortion

Davies-Venn¹,

Souza²

2014

J Am Acad Audiol

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Background Several studies have shown that hearing thresholds alone cannot adequately predict listeners' success with hearing-aid amplification. Furthermore, previous studies have shown marked differences in listeners' susceptibility to distortions introduced by certain nonlinear amplification parameters. Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the role of spectral resolution, working memory, and audibility in explaining perceptual susceptibility to temporal envelope and other hearing-aid compression-induced distortions for listeners with mild to moderate and moderate to severe hearing loss. Research Design A between-subjects repeated-measures design was used to compare speech recognition scores with linear versus compression amplification, for listeners with mild to moderate and moderate to severe hearing loss. Study Sample The study included 15 adult listeners with mild to moderate hearing loss and 13 adults with moderate to severe hearing loss. Data Collection/Analysis Speech recognition scores were measured for vowel-consonant-vowel syllables processed with linear, moderate compression, and extreme compression amplification. Perceptual susceptibility to compression-induced temporal envelope distortion was defined as the difference in scores between linear and compression amplification. Both overall scores and consonant feature scores (i.e., place, manner, and voicing) were analyzed. Narrowband spectral resolution was measured using individual measures of auditory filter bandwidth at 2000 Hz. Working memory was measured using the reading span test. Signal audibility was quantified using the Aided Audibility Index. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the predictive role of spectral resolution, working memory, and audibility benefit on listeners' susceptibility to compression-induced distortions. Results For all listeners, spectral resolution, working memory, and audibility benefit were significant predictors of overall distortion scores. For listeners with moderate to severe hearing loss, spectral resolution and audibility benefit predicted distortion scores for consonant place and manner of articulation features, and audibility benefit predicted distortion scores for consonant voicing features. For listeners with mild to moderate hearing loss, the model did not predict distortion scores for overall or consonant feature scores. Conclusions The results from this study suggest that when audibility is adequately controlled, measures of spectral resolution may identify the listeners who are most susceptible to compression-induced distortions. Working memory appears to modulate the negative effect of these distortions for listeners with moderate to severe hearing loss.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Spectral Resolution, Working Memory, and Audibility in Explaining Variance in Susceptibility to Temporal Envelope Distortion

Davies-Venn¹,

Souza²

2014

J Am Acad Audiol

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“…But some recent findings in relation to binaural function and ageing could be of relevance to the outcome with bilateral implantation observed here. Recent studies (26, 27) report that in elderly listeners with clinically normal peripheral hearing function, there are signs of reduced binaural ability resulting in poorer speech recognition in noise compared with younger listeners. One of these (27) also found reduced activation in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus in members of their older sample.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Younger- and Older-Age Adults With Unilateral and Bilateral Cochlear Implants

Noble¹,

Tyler²,

Dunn³

et al. 2009

Otology &Amp; Neurotology

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Objective Compare results of cochlear implantation in younger and older adults in the domains of disability and handicap, as well as in tests of word recognition and localization, across unilateral implant (CI), bilateral (CI+CI) and CI with an acoustic hearing aid in the non-implanted ear (CI+HA). Design Three parts: retrospective (post-implant only) analysis; prospective (pre-versus post-implant); correlation between age and benefit from CI versus CI+CI. Two age groups, above and below 60 years, for the first two analyses; age is a continuous variable for the third analysis. Setting Tertiary referral hospital clinic Patients Postlingually severely-to-profoundly hearing impaired adults: Totals of 68 CI, 36 CI+CI, and 38 CI+HA in the retrospective part of the study; totals of 30 CI, 18 CI+CI and 16 CI+HA in the prospective parts. Numbers vary from these totals on individual measures. Interventions Patients receive either one or two cochlear implants; some with one CI opt to retain a hearing aid in the non-implanted ear. Outcome measures Principal measures: Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly, Hearing Handicap Questionnaire, Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing scale, word recognition test, and soundfield localization test. The study is exploratory, but proceeding from a null hypothesis of no expected contrast as a function of patient age. Results All patient groups show significant benefit following implantation. No significant age-related differences are observed in patients with unilateral implant, nor in CI+HA group. In the CI+CI group, the younger cohort showed very substantial increases in both performance and self-rated abilities; the older cohort provides more mixed outcomes. Conclusion Results for the CI group confirm and extend earlier research. The result for the younger group of CI+CI patients demonstrates the consistent incremental benefit obtained from a bilateral procedure. The mixed outcome observed in the older CI+CI group might be due to individual differences in interaction between effects of aging and the ability to integrate binaural cues.

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“…However, it does not reflect the more advanced central functions, such as those of the central auditory cortex. The temporal resolution of functional magnetic resonance imaging is close to 1 s and is therefore not suitable for the real-time reflection of central auditory processing [Hwang et al, 2007]. Auditory event-related potentials are potentials recorded from the scalp with a high temporal resolution and are accurate to the millisecond.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Aging and the High-Frequency Auditory Threshold on Speech-Evoked Mismatch Negativity in a Noisy Background

Chen

Chen²,

Zheng³

et al. 2015

Audiol Neurotol

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Mismatch negativity (MMN) has been widely used to study the function of central auditory processing in the elderly. However, current research has not yet considered the effect of noise and high-frequency hearing threshold on MMN in the elderly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aging and high-frequency hearing loss on speech-related MMN in noisy backgrounds. Additionally, the possible mechanisms of central auditory processing dysfunction in the elderly were investigated. Fifty people aged 61-80 (70 ± 5.8) years were recruited for this study. They were divided into a 61- to 70-year-old group and a 71- to 80-year-old group. Fifty younger adults aged 21-40 (31 ± 5.3) years were recruited as healthy controls. Pure-tone hearing thresholds were recorded. A speech discrimination score (SDS) and a speech-evoked MMN under white noise with a bandwidth from 125 to 8,000 Hz background condition were recorded. The relationships between SDS and MMN latency and amplitude were analyzed. The effects of age and binaural 2,000-, 4,000- and 8,000-Hz pure-tone hearing thresholds on MMN latency and amplitude were analyzed. We found that the hearing thresholds of 2,000, 4,000 and 8,000 Hz in the 61- to 70-year-old and 71- to 80-year-old groups were higher than those in the control group. The SDS in a noisy background in the 61- to 70-year-old and 71- to 80-year-old groups were lower than those in the control group. Speech-evoked MMN latency was longer in the 61- to 70-year-old and in the 71- to 80-year-old groups than in the control group (215.8 ± 14.2 ms). SDS and speech-evoked MMN latency were negatively correlated. Age and speech-evoked MMN latency were positively correlated, as were the binaural 4,000- to 8,000-Hz pure-tone hearing thresholds and speech-evoked MMN. This study suggests that in elderly subjects, the function of preattentive central auditory processing changes. Additionally, increasing age and high-frequency hearing thresholds create a synergy in neurons that is weakened in the MMN time window, which may be a cause of central auditory processing disorders in elderly subjects in noisy background conditions.

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Aging Effects on the Activation of the Auditory Cortex during Binaural Speech Listening in White Noise: An fMRI Study

Cited by 56 publications

References 44 publications

The Role of Spectral Resolution, Working Memory, and Audibility in Explaining Variance in Susceptibility to Temporal Envelope Distortion

The Role of Spectral Resolution, Working Memory, and Audibility in Explaining Variance in Susceptibility to Temporal Envelope Distortion

Younger- and Older-Age Adults With Unilateral and Bilateral Cochlear Implants

The Effect of Aging and the High-Frequency Auditory Threshold on Speech-Evoked Mismatch Negativity in a Noisy Background

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