Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University, St Louis, Washington, USA.
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Washington, USA.
Ear Hear. 2019 Sep/Oct;40(5):1106-1116. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000000698.
The goal of this study was to identify the effects of auditory deprivation (age-related hearing loss) and auditory stimulation (history of hearing aid use) on the neural registration of sound across two stimulus presentation conditions: (1) equal sound pressure level and (2) equal sensation level.
We used a between-groups design, involving three groups of 14 older adults (n = 42; 62 to 84 years): (1) clinically defined normal hearing (≤25 dB from 250 to 8000 Hz, bilaterally), (2) bilateral mild-moderate/moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss who have never used hearing aids, and (3) bilateral mild-moderate/moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss who have worn bilateral hearing aids for at least the past 2 years.
There were significant delays in the auditory P1-N1-P2 complex in older adults with hearing loss compared with their normal hearing peers when using equal sound pressure levels for all participants. However, when the degree and configuration of hearing loss were accounted for through the presentation of equal sensation level stimuli, no latency delays were observed. These results suggest that stimulus audibility modulates P1-N1-P2 morphology and should be controlled for when defining deprivation and stimulus-related neuroplasticity in people with hearing loss. Moreover, a history of auditory stimulation, in the form of hearing aid use, does not appreciably alter the neural registration of unaided auditory evoked brain activity when quantified by the P1-N1-P2.
When comparing auditory cortical responses in older adults with and without hearing loss, stimulus audibility, and not hearing loss-related neurophysiological changes, results in delayed response latency for those with age-related hearing loss. Future studies should carefully consider stimulus presentation levels when drawing conclusions about deprivation- and stimulation-related neuroplasticity. Additionally, auditory stimulation, in the form of a history of hearing aid use, does not significantly affect the neural registration of sound when quantified using the P1-N1-P2-evoked response.
本研究旨在确定听觉剥夺（与年龄相关的听力损失）和听觉刺激（助听器使用史）对声音在两种刺激呈现条件下的神经记录的影响：（1）相等的声压级和（2）相等的感觉级。
我们采用了分组设计，涉及三组 14 名老年人（n=42；62 至 84 岁）：（1）临床定义的正常听力（250 至 8000Hz 双侧≤25dB），（2）双侧轻度至中度/中度至重度感音神经性听力损失，从未使用过助听器，以及（3）双侧轻度至中度/中度至重度感音神经性听力损失，至少在过去 2 年内佩戴双侧助听器。
与听力正常的同龄人相比，使用所有参与者相等的声压级时，听力损失的老年人的听觉 P1-N1-P2 复合波有明显延迟。然而，当通过呈现相等感觉水平的刺激来考虑听力损失的程度和配置时，没有观察到潜伏期延迟。这些结果表明，刺激可听度调节 P1-N1-P2 形态，在定义听力损失者的剥夺和刺激相关的神经可塑性时应加以控制。此外，以助听器使用形式出现的听觉刺激不会显著改变未助听听觉诱发脑活动的神经记录，当使用 P1-N1-P2 进行量化时。
在比较有和没有听力损失的老年人的听觉皮质反应时，刺激的可听度，而不是与听力损失相关的神经生理变化，导致与年龄相关的听力损失者的反应潜伏期延迟。未来的研究在得出关于剥夺和刺激相关神经可塑性的结论时，应仔细考虑刺激呈现水平。此外，以助听器使用史形式出现的听觉刺激不会显著影响使用 P1-N1-P2 诱发反应量化的声音的神经记录。
