Frequency detection, frequency discrimination, and spectro-temporal pattern perception in older and younger typically hearing adults
Elderly adults often experience difficulties in speech understanding, possibly due to age-related deficits in frequency perception. It is unclear whether age-related deficits in frequency perception differ between the apical or basal regions of the cochlea. It is also unclear how aging might differe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023061303 |
| _version_ | 1797732930846457856 |
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| author | Duo-Duo Tao Bin Shi John J. Galvin Ji-Sheng Liu Qian-Jie Fu |
| author_facet | Duo-Duo Tao Bin Shi John J. Galvin Ji-Sheng Liu Qian-Jie Fu |
| author_sort | Duo-Duo Tao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Elderly adults often experience difficulties in speech understanding, possibly due to age-related deficits in frequency perception. It is unclear whether age-related deficits in frequency perception differ between the apical or basal regions of the cochlea. It is also unclear how aging might differently affect frequency discrimination or detection of a change in frequency within a stimulus. In the present study, pure-tone frequency thresholds were measured in 19 older (61–74 years) and 20 younger (22–28 years) typically hearing adults. Participants were asked to discriminate between reference and probe frequencies or to detect changes in frequency within a probe stimulus. Broadband spectro-temporal pattern perception was also measured using the spectro-temporal modulated ripple test (SMRT). Frequency thresholds were significantly poorer in the basal than in the apical region of the cochlea; the deficit in the basal region was 2 times larger for the older than for the younger group. Frequency thresholds were significantly poorer in the older group, especially in the basal region where frequency detection thresholds were 3.9 times poorer for the older than for the younger group. SMRT thresholds were 1.5 times better for the younger than for the older group. Significant age effects were observed for SMRT thresholds and for frequency thresholds only in the basal region. SMRT thresholds were significantly correlated with frequency thresholds only in the older group. The poorer frequency and spectro-temporal pattern perception may contribute to age-related deficits in speech perception, even when audiometric thresholds are nearly normal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:21:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-66fef8e509c044e28dfba29f9a0b84b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:21:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-66fef8e509c044e28dfba29f9a0b84b52023-08-30T05:53:06ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-08-0198e18922Frequency detection, frequency discrimination, and spectro-temporal pattern perception in older and younger typically hearing adultsDuo-Duo Tao0Bin Shi1John J. Galvin2Ji-Sheng Liu3Qian-Jie Fu4Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, ChinaDepartment of Ear, Nose, and Throat, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, ChinaHouse Institute Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, 90057, USA; University Hospital Center of Tours, Tours, 37000, FranceDepartment of Ear, Nose, and Throat, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China; Corresponding author. Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China.Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.Elderly adults often experience difficulties in speech understanding, possibly due to age-related deficits in frequency perception. It is unclear whether age-related deficits in frequency perception differ between the apical or basal regions of the cochlea. It is also unclear how aging might differently affect frequency discrimination or detection of a change in frequency within a stimulus. In the present study, pure-tone frequency thresholds were measured in 19 older (61–74 years) and 20 younger (22–28 years) typically hearing adults. Participants were asked to discriminate between reference and probe frequencies or to detect changes in frequency within a probe stimulus. Broadband spectro-temporal pattern perception was also measured using the spectro-temporal modulated ripple test (SMRT). Frequency thresholds were significantly poorer in the basal than in the apical region of the cochlea; the deficit in the basal region was 2 times larger for the older than for the younger group. Frequency thresholds were significantly poorer in the older group, especially in the basal region where frequency detection thresholds were 3.9 times poorer for the older than for the younger group. SMRT thresholds were 1.5 times better for the younger than for the older group. Significant age effects were observed for SMRT thresholds and for frequency thresholds only in the basal region. SMRT thresholds were significantly correlated with frequency thresholds only in the older group. The poorer frequency and spectro-temporal pattern perception may contribute to age-related deficits in speech perception, even when audiometric thresholds are nearly normal.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023061303AgingSpectro-temporal modulated ripple testFrequency discriminationElderly |
| spellingShingle | Duo-Duo Tao Bin Shi John J. Galvin Ji-Sheng Liu Qian-Jie Fu Frequency detection, frequency discrimination, and spectro-temporal pattern perception in older and younger typically hearing adults Heliyon Aging Spectro-temporal modulated ripple test Frequency discrimination Elderly |
| title | Frequency detection, frequency discrimination, and spectro-temporal pattern perception in older and younger typically hearing adults |
| title_full | Frequency detection, frequency discrimination, and spectro-temporal pattern perception in older and younger typically hearing adults |
| title_fullStr | Frequency detection, frequency discrimination, and spectro-temporal pattern perception in older and younger typically hearing adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Frequency detection, frequency discrimination, and spectro-temporal pattern perception in older and younger typically hearing adults |
| title_short | Frequency detection, frequency discrimination, and spectro-temporal pattern perception in older and younger typically hearing adults |
| title_sort | frequency detection frequency discrimination and spectro temporal pattern perception in older and younger typically hearing adults |
| topic | Aging Spectro-temporal modulated ripple test Frequency discrimination Elderly |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023061303 |
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