Spatial Attention

Authors: Kennidy DyerDeCator, Mishaela DiNino

SUNY Campus: SUNY Buffalo

Presentation Type: Poster

Location: UU 111

Presentation #: 66

Timeslot: Session B 10:15-11:15 AM

Abstract: Age-related changes to the auditory system contribute to declines in speech perception, particularly in noisy environments. The auditory nerve, which transmits sound information from the cochlea to the brain, undergoes structural and functional deterioration with aging, leading to impaired neural synchrony and reduced temporal processing. These deficits impact interaural time difference (ITD) cues and fundamental frequency (F0) discrimination—cues that are essential for focusing on a specific speaker in noisy settings. This study investigates how older adults utilize ITD and F0 cues, both separately and in combination, compared to younger adults and whether physiological measures, including standard and extended high-frequency (EHF) thresholds, auditory brainstem responses (ABR), and middle ear muscle reflexes (MEMR) predict auditory perception in aging adults with normal hearing for their age. Older adults exhibited a reduced reliance on both cues compared to younger adults; however, physiological measures did not account for this difference in auditory cue utilization. The observed effects may have been influenced by age-related declines in other factors, such as cognitive ability. Findings from this research will enhance our understanding of age-related auditory processing declines and inform strategies to mitigate speech-in-noise difficulties in older populations.