ABSTRACT
Purpose:
to assess the effect of age, schooling and hearing loss on temporal processing in elderly.
Methods:
a total of 30 elderly subjects were assessed comprising 15 with hearing loss and low education (Group 1) and 15 with normal hearing (Group 2). Participants were submitted to audiological assessment, cognitive screening and assessment of temporal processing (resolution and temporal sequencing).
Results:
the groups differed for schooling and age, with Group 1 subjects being older (p=0.024) and having less schooling (p=0.002). Group 1 subjects also had higher gaps-in-noise (GIN) detection thresholds and lower GIN detection percentage compared to the performance of Group 2 subjects (GIN Threshold p=0.002; GIN % p=0.005). Participants from both groups had similar performance for temporal sequencing ability (p=0.691). In this sample, a negative correlation was found between schooling and temporal acuity threshold (p=0.045), i.e. the higher the schooling (in years) the lower the gap detection threshold. Despite the fact that the two groups differ as to participants' age, this variable did not affect their performance at behavioral temporal processing tests.
Conclusion:
Temporal resolution ability in elderly individuals with hearing loss and a lesser level of education are impaired to a greater extent. There was no correlation between age and performance at temporal tests.
Keywords:
Hearing; Aging; Hearing Loss; Auditory Perceptual Disorders
