Seminars in Hearing Research at Purdue (SHRP)

Date: Thursday, September 28th, 2023
Time: 12pm - 1:00pm
Location: NLSN 1215

Title: Age Effects on Auditory Temporal Processing and Relationship to Speech Perception in Noise

Speaker: Varsha Mysore Athreya, Ph.D. Student, SLHS

Abstract: Individuals with normal audiometric sensitivity have variable speech perception in noise capabilities, which can worsen with age. Temporal processing plays a vital role in speech perception, especially in adverse listening conditions. Auditory decline due to aging manifests both as peripheral pathology and central auditory system changes, leading to altered temporal processing. To understand the relative contributions of these changes, we measure within-(frequency)-channel and cross-channel temporal processing in normal-hearing individuals across a wide age range. Robust perception of within-channel temporal cues requires precise coding both at peripheral and central levels of the auditory pathways. However, cross-channel processing is supported by central mechanisms. In this talk, I will present our results from a battery of behavioral and electrophysiological measures of within- and cross-channel temporal processing. Age effects on cross-channel temporal-coherence processing appear to be larger than within-channel alterations. Furthermore, our metrics of individual cross-channel temporal-coherence processing are stronger predictors of speech-in-noise outcomes, especially when tasks emphasize streaming and selective attention. Taken together, our results underscore the importance of central auditory changes in aging as a key contributor to age-related perceptual deficits.

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