Mussoi Bruna S, Warren A'Diva, Benedict Jordin, Sereki Serena, Huyck Julia Jones
Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Knoxville.
Speech Pathology and Audiology, Kent State University, OH.
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2025 Jun 5;68(6):2992-3010. doi: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-24-00667. Epub 2025 May 15.
The aim of this study was to evaluate (a) the effect of aging on spectral and temporal resolution, as measured both behaviorally and electrophysiologically, and (b) the contributions of spectral and temporal resolution and cognition to speech perception in younger and older adults.
Eighteen younger and 18 older listeners with normal hearing or no more than mild-moderate hearing loss participated in this cross-sectional study. Speech recognition was assessed with the QuickSIN test and six-band noise-vocoded sentences. Frequency discrimination, temporal interval discrimination, and gap detection thresholds were obtained using a three-alternative forced-choice task. Cortical auditory evoked potentials were recorded in response to tonal frequency changes and to gaps in noise. Cognitive testing included nonverbal reasoning, vocabulary, working memory, and processing speed.
There were age-related declines on many outcome measures, including speech perception in noise, cognition (nonverbal reasoning, processing speed), behavioral gap detection thresholds, and neural correlates of spectral and temporal processing (smaller P1 amplitudes and prolonged P2 latencies in response to frequency change; smaller N1-P2 amplitudes and longer P1, N1, P2 latencies to temporal gaps). Hearing thresholds and neural processing of spectral and temporal information were the main predictors of degraded speech recognition performance, in addition to cognition and perceptual learning. These factors accounted for 58% of the variability on the QuickSIN test and 41% of variability on the noise-vocoded speech.
The results confirm and extend previous work demonstrating age-related declines in gap detection, cognition, and neural processing of spectral and temporal features of sounds. Neural measures of spectral and temporal processing were better predictors of speech perception than behavioral ones.
本研究旨在评估（a）衰老对频谱和时间分辨率的影响，通过行为学和电生理学方法进行测量；以及（b）频谱和时间分辨率及认知对年轻和年长成年人言语感知的贡献。
18名听力正常或听力损失不超过轻度至中度的年轻听众和18名年长听众参与了这项横断面研究。使用QuickSIN测试和六频段噪声编码句子评估言语识别。通过三选一强制选择任务获得频率辨别、时间间隔辨别和间隙检测阈值。记录对音调频率变化和噪声间隙的皮质听觉诱发电位。认知测试包括非言语推理、词汇、工作记忆和处理速度。
在许多结果指标上都存在与年龄相关的下降，包括噪声中的言语感知、认知（非言语推理、处理速度）、行为间隙检测阈值以及频谱和时间处理的神经相关性（对频率变化的P1波幅较小且P2潜伏期延长；对时间间隙的N1 - P2波幅较小且P1、N1、P2潜伏期较长）。除了认知和感知学习外，听力阈值以及频谱和时间信息的神经处理是言语识别性能下降的主要预测因素。这些因素解释了QuickSIN测试中58%的变异性以及噪声编码言语中41%的变异性。
结果证实并扩展了先前的研究，表明在间隙检测、认知以及声音频谱和时间特征的神经处理方面存在与年龄相关的下降。频谱和时间处理的神经测量指标比行为测量指标更能预测言语感知。
