Cañete Oscar M, Luza-Barrios Alejandro, Oyarzo-Núñez Felipe, Paredes-Inostroza Gabriela, Mutis-Coroseo Axel
School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
School of Medical Technology, Andrés Bello University, Viña del Mar, Chile.
J Audiol Otol. 2025 Jul;29(3):205-213. doi: 10.7874/jao.2025.00045. Epub 2025 Jul 18.
This study investigated the self-reported listening abilities of older adults with clinically normal hearing and examined the role of auditory processing abilities and extended high-frequency thresholds in perceived challenges.
This cross-sectional study used self-report questionnaires and objective measures, such as the dichotic digit test, gaps-in-noise test, and extended high-frequency audiometry. Fifty adults, including 25 younger adults (<30 years) and 25 older adults (≥50 years) with normal hearing thresholds, were included.
Older adults reported significantly more difficulties in spatial hearing, intelligibility in quiet and sound identification tasks compared to younger adults. Objective assessments revealed deficits in temporal resolution, binaural separation, and extended high-frequency thresholds in older individuals. Significant correlations were observed between extended high-frequency thresholds and auditory processing abilities. However, no correlation was found between extended high-frequency thresholds and self-reported listening difficulties.
Older adults with clinically normal hearing reported more listening difficulties and performed worse in auditory processing tasks than younger adults. Extended high-frequency thresholds were correlated with auditory processing abilities but not with self-reported difficulties. These findings indicate a relationship between age-related auditory changes and perceived listening difficulties, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive auditory assessment in older adults.
本研究调查了听力临床正常的老年人自我报告的听力能力，并探讨了听觉处理能力和扩展高频阈值在感知挑战中的作用。
本横断面研究采用自我报告问卷和客观测量方法，如双耳数字试验、噪声间隙试验和扩展高频听力测定。纳入了50名成年人，包括25名听力阈值正常的年轻成年人（<30岁）和25名年长成年人（≥50岁）。
与年轻成年人相比，年长成年人在空间听力、安静环境下的可懂度和声音识别任务方面报告的困难明显更多。客观评估显示，年长个体在时间分辨率、双耳分离和扩展高频阈值方面存在缺陷。扩展高频阈值与听觉处理能力之间存在显著相关性。然而，扩展高频阈值与自我报告的听力困难之间未发现相关性。
听力临床正常的年长成年人比年轻成年人报告更多的听力困难，并且在听觉处理任务中表现更差。扩展高频阈值与听觉处理能力相关，但与自我报告的困难无关。这些发现表明了年龄相关的听觉变化与感知到的听力困难之间的关系，强调了对年长成年人进行全面听觉评估的必要性。
