Age-related deficits in auditory temporal processing: unique contributions of neural dyssynchrony and slowed neuronal processing

摘要: This study was guided by the hypothesis that aging central nervous system progressively loses its ability to process rapid acoustic changes are important for speech recognition. Specifically, we hypothesized age-related deficits in neural synchrony and neuronal oscillatory activity occur independently older adults disrupt auditory temporal processing. Neural is largely dependent on phase locking within pathway, beginning at nerve. In contrast, resonance characteristics of integrity structure long range cortical connections. We tested our hypotheses assessing differences electrophysiologic correlates peak frequency younger with normal hearing determining their associations a behavioral measure gap detection. Phase-locking values were smaller (poorer synchrony) alpha lower than decreased as detection thresholds increased; variations phase-locking uniquely predicted thresholds. These effects driven, large part, adults. results reveal dissociable mechanisms associated distinct underlying pathology may differentially be present contribute processing declines.