What is it about?
Our MEG study investigated how fast brain rhythms (gamma oscillations) are involved speech understanding. We identified two distinct types of gamma oscillations, the first was related to representation of the sound at the auditory cortex, the second was specific for combining sound items into objects and thus allowed perception and understanding of the meaning of the sound. The latter type of gamma oscillations was strongly attenuated when the stimulus sound was presented in noise. The findings explain why speech-in-noise perception becomes so difficult in older age.
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Why is it important?
Hearing loss in older age makes it specifically difficult for elderly people understanding speech in a noisy environment. Hearing can be restored with amplification through hearing aids. However, often, the problem of speech understanding in noise remains. Here we showed that ageing related changes in the auditory brain contribute to the speech-in-noise problem.
Perspectives
The findings may help changing the focus of auditory rehabilitation onto central brain mechanisms. Understanding how ageing impacts on central auditory processing may help advancing supportive technology and training intervention for elderly people.
Dr Bernhard Ross
University of Toronto
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: 40-Hz oscillations underlying perceptual binding in young and older adults, Psychophysiology, April 2016, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12654.
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