Ratelle David, Tremblay Pascale
CERVO Brain Research Center, 2301 Avenue D'Estimauville, Quebec City, QC G1J 2G3, Canada; Université Laval, Faculté de Médecine, École des Sciences de la Réadaptation, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, 1050 Avenue de la Médecine, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Faculty of Medicine, Rabinovitch House, 3640 Rue de la Montagne, Montréal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada.
Hear Res. 2025 Jul 11;466:109367. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2025.109367.
The study of neural speech tracking (NST) has gained increasing attention in the field of auditory neuroscience in recent years. However, its contribution to speech perception in noise (SPiN), especially regarding aging and hearing loss, has yet to be fully explored. This systematic review examined NST in adults with and without hearing loss, focusing on its modulation by age, hearing impairment, and adverse acoustic conditions, as well as its relationship with behavioral SPiN performance. A systematic literature search identified studies using electroencephalography (EEG) or magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate NST in continuous speech processing under adverse acoustic conditions. Studies included participants with and without hearing loss, excluding those with neurological disorders. Various NST methods, including forward and backward modeling, coherence, and cross-correlation, were examined. Fifty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies focused on young adults, with fewer studies including older adults or individuals with hearing loss. Findings suggest that older adults exhibit increased NST compared to younger adults, potentially reflecting compensatory mechanisms for auditory processing declines. Similarly, hearing impairment was generally associated with enhanced NST, likely due to altered neural encoding and increased reliance on cognitive resources. The impact of adverse acoustic conditions, as reflected by the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), on NST was predominantly negative, with NST decreasing as noise levels increased. However, some studies suggested a non-linear relationship, with NST peaking at intermediate SNRs. Furthermore, most studies reported a positive correlation between NST and SPiN performance, typically observed across individuals or conditions within homogeneous groups or pooled samples. While stronger tracking was generally associated with better behavioral outcomes, this relationship does not imply that higher NST always corresponds to better performance across different populations. Age and hearing loss appear to modulate NST, likely through both neural compensation and auditory processing adaptations. The complex effects of SNR on NST highlight the need for additional research to better understand its underlying mechanisms. Future studies should delve deeper into the interplay between aging, cognition, and auditory deficits in shaping NST, offering a more comprehensive understanding of speech processing in challenging acoustic environments.
近年来，神经语音追踪（NST）研究在听觉神经科学领域受到越来越多的关注。然而，其对噪声环境下语音感知（SPiN）的贡献，尤其是在衰老和听力损失方面，尚未得到充分探索。本系统综述研究了有听力损失和无听力损失的成年人的NST，重点关注年龄、听力障碍和不利声学条件对其的调节作用，以及它与行为学SPiN表现的关系。一项系统的文献检索确定了使用脑电图（EEG）或脑磁图（MEG）来研究不利声学条件下连续语音处理中的NST的研究。研究纳入了有听力损失和无听力损失的参与者，排除了患有神经系统疾病的人。研究了各种NST方法，包括正向和反向建模、相干性和互相关性。五十四项研究符合纳入标准。大多数研究集中在年轻人身上，包括老年人或听力损失个体的研究较少。研究结果表明，与年轻人相比，老年人的NST增加，这可能反映了听觉处理能力下降的补偿机制。同样，听力障碍通常与增强的NST相关，这可能是由于神经编码改变和对认知资源的依赖增加。信噪比（SNR）所反映的不利声学条件对NST的影响主要是负面的，随着噪声水平的增加，NST降低。然而，一些研究表明存在非线性关系，NST在中等SNR时达到峰值。此外，大多数研究报告NST与SPiN表现之间存在正相关，通常在同质组或合并样本中的个体或条件之间观察到。虽然更强的追踪通常与更好的行为结果相关，但这种关系并不意味着在不同人群中更高的NST总是对应更好的表现。年龄和听力损失似乎通过神经补偿和听觉处理适应来调节NST。SNR对NST的复杂影响凸显了需要更多研究以更好地理解其潜在机制。未来的研究应更深入地探究衰老、认知和听觉缺陷在塑造NST中的相互作用，以便更全面地理解具有挑战性声学环境中的语音处理。
