J Audiol Otol.  2018 Jul;22(3):134-139. 10.7874/jao.2017.00304.

Effects of Age on Speech-in-Noise Identification: Subjective Ratings of Hearing Difficulties and Encoding of Fundamental Frequency in Older Adults

• Heidari A
• Moossavi A
• Yadegari F
• Bakhshi E
• Ahadi M

• KMID: 2418917
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2017.00304

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Numerous studies have indicated deterioration of speech perception in noisy conditions among the elderly even those with normal hearing capabilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of age on the speech-in-noise identification by speech-in-noise (SIN) test, subjective ratings of hearing difficulties by speech, spatial, and qualities of hearing scale (SSQ) questionnaire and encoding of fundamental frequency (F0) by Speech auditory brainstem response (ABR) in the elderly and comparing the results with young people.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
The present study was conducted on 32 elderly people aged over 60 years old (17 male and 15 female) with the mean age of 68.9 (standard deviation=6.33) possessing normal peripheral hearing and 32 young subjects (16 male and 16 female) aged 18-25 years old.
RESULTS
Findings showed that the score of SIN test is lower among the elderly people as compared with young people in signal-to-noise ratios of 0 and -10 based on Iranian version of SSQ questionnaire (p < 0.001). The range of F0 amplitude in the elderly people is also lower than young people (p < 0.001) in Speech ABR.
CONCLUSIONS
It seems that speech processing in older people is deteriorated comparing with young people regardless of their normal peripheral auditory thresholds. This decrease will result in weaker perception and improper segregation of speech from other competing sources.

Keyword

Aging; Fundamental frequency (Fâ‚€); Speech-in-noise perception

MeSH Terms

Adult*
Aged
Aging
Auditory Threshold
Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem
Hearing*
Humans
Male
Signal-To-Noise Ratio
Speech Perception