Age-Related Deficits in Electrophysiological and Behavioral Measures of Binaural Temporal Processing
Binaural processing, particularly the processing of interaural phase differences, is important for sound localization and speech understanding in background noise. Age has been shown to impact the neural encoding and perception of these binaural temporal cues even in individuals with clinically norm...
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| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.578566/full |
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| author | Tess K. Koerner Ramesh Kumar Muralimanohar Ramesh Kumar Muralimanohar Frederick J. Gallun Frederick J. Gallun Curtis J. Billings Curtis J. Billings |
| author_facet | Tess K. Koerner Ramesh Kumar Muralimanohar Ramesh Kumar Muralimanohar Frederick J. Gallun Frederick J. Gallun Curtis J. Billings Curtis J. Billings |
| author_sort | Tess K. Koerner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Binaural processing, particularly the processing of interaural phase differences, is important for sound localization and speech understanding in background noise. Age has been shown to impact the neural encoding and perception of these binaural temporal cues even in individuals with clinically normal hearing sensitivity. This work used a new electrophysiological response, called the interaural phase modulation-following response (IPM-FR), to examine the effects of age on the neural encoding of interaural phase difference cues. Relationships between neural recordings and performance on several behavioral measures of binaural processing were used to determine whether the IPM-FR is predictive of interaural phase difference sensitivity and functional speech understanding deficits. Behavioral binaural frequency modulation detection thresholds were measured to assess sensitivity to interaural phase differences while spatial release-from-masking thresholds were used to assess speech understanding abilities in spatialized noise. Thirty adults between the ages of 35 to 74 years with normal low-frequency hearing thresholds were used in this study. Data showed that older participants had weaker neural responses to the interaural phase difference cue and were less able to take advantage of binaural cues for speech understanding compared to younger participants. Results also showed that the IPM-FR was predictive of performance on the binaural frequency modulation detection task, but not on the spatial release-from-masking task after accounting the effects of age. These results confirm previous work that showed that the IPM-FR reflects age-related declines in binaural temporal processing and provide further evidence that this response may represent a useful objective tool for assessing binaural function. However, further research is needed to understand how the IPM-FR is related to speech understanding abilities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T19:42:39Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T19:42:39Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-78b89edf803541639bf463375fdc7c5c2022-12-22T00:14:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2020-10-011410.3389/fnins.2020.578566578566Age-Related Deficits in Electrophysiological and Behavioral Measures of Binaural Temporal ProcessingTess K. Koerner0Ramesh Kumar Muralimanohar1Ramesh Kumar Muralimanohar2Frederick J. Gallun3Frederick J. Gallun4Curtis J. Billings5Curtis J. Billings6VA RR&D National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United StatesVA RR&D National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United StatesDepartment of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United StatesVA RR&D National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United StatesDepartment of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United StatesVA RR&D National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United StatesDepartment of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United StatesBinaural processing, particularly the processing of interaural phase differences, is important for sound localization and speech understanding in background noise. Age has been shown to impact the neural encoding and perception of these binaural temporal cues even in individuals with clinically normal hearing sensitivity. This work used a new electrophysiological response, called the interaural phase modulation-following response (IPM-FR), to examine the effects of age on the neural encoding of interaural phase difference cues. Relationships between neural recordings and performance on several behavioral measures of binaural processing were used to determine whether the IPM-FR is predictive of interaural phase difference sensitivity and functional speech understanding deficits. Behavioral binaural frequency modulation detection thresholds were measured to assess sensitivity to interaural phase differences while spatial release-from-masking thresholds were used to assess speech understanding abilities in spatialized noise. Thirty adults between the ages of 35 to 74 years with normal low-frequency hearing thresholds were used in this study. Data showed that older participants had weaker neural responses to the interaural phase difference cue and were less able to take advantage of binaural cues for speech understanding compared to younger participants. Results also showed that the IPM-FR was predictive of performance on the binaural frequency modulation detection task, but not on the spatial release-from-masking task after accounting the effects of age. These results confirm previous work that showed that the IPM-FR reflects age-related declines in binaural temporal processing and provide further evidence that this response may represent a useful objective tool for assessing binaural function. However, further research is needed to understand how the IPM-FR is related to speech understanding abilities.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.578566/fullagingelectrophysiologyinteraural phase differencebinaural processingIPM-FRtemporal processing |
| spellingShingle | Tess K. Koerner Ramesh Kumar Muralimanohar Ramesh Kumar Muralimanohar Frederick J. Gallun Frederick J. Gallun Curtis J. Billings Curtis J. Billings Age-Related Deficits in Electrophysiological and Behavioral Measures of Binaural Temporal Processing Frontiers in Neuroscience aging electrophysiology interaural phase difference binaural processing IPM-FR temporal processing |
| title | Age-Related Deficits in Electrophysiological and Behavioral Measures of Binaural Temporal Processing |
| title_full | Age-Related Deficits in Electrophysiological and Behavioral Measures of Binaural Temporal Processing |
| title_fullStr | Age-Related Deficits in Electrophysiological and Behavioral Measures of Binaural Temporal Processing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Age-Related Deficits in Electrophysiological and Behavioral Measures of Binaural Temporal Processing |
| title_short | Age-Related Deficits in Electrophysiological and Behavioral Measures of Binaural Temporal Processing |
| title_sort | age related deficits in electrophysiological and behavioral measures of binaural temporal processing |
| topic | aging electrophysiology interaural phase difference binaural processing IPM-FR temporal processing |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.578566/full |
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