Neuroplasticity in Auditory Aging

项目2--摘要 衰老对听觉时间处理的有害影响已经在人类和 动物模型。目前，对于这些听觉时间处理在多大程度上存在空白 无论有没有听力损失的老年人，都可以通过听觉训练和神经可塑性来缓解听力障碍。 以提高神经计时和语音理解的精度。我们的长期目标是确定 老年人的听力障碍可以通过听觉训练来改善。我们提出了一种创新的 结合知觉训练实验研究衰老、听力和神经可塑性的探讨 通过电生理测量。目的是比较年轻的正常听力(YNH)和年长的NOR- 听力障碍(ONH)、青少年听力受损(YHI)和老年听力障碍(OHI)成年听众，以及评估- 外显后对时间加工知觉和电生理测量的改善 关于听觉时间处理任务的培训。我们的中心假设是，听觉临时性训练- 赛辛将在感知性能和神经编码方面产生相应的改善，这将 缩小不同年龄组之间的差距。随着强劲的初步数据在手，中央银行 假设将通过追求三个具体目标来检验：(1)确定知觉训练的程度 基于简单非语音刺激的时频辨别改善知觉和神经编码 YNH、YHI、ONH和OHI听者；(2)确定对言语提示的知觉训练的程度。 不同离散时间线索的对比词对知觉和神经编码的改善作用 YNH、YHI、ONH和OHI听者；以及(3)确定在处理过程中的知觉训练的程度 提高呈现速度的句子可以改善YNH的行为表现和神经编码， YHI，ONH，和OHI听众。预期的结果是，我们将了解知觉训练任务导致了什么 在知觉和神经听觉时间处理方面的同步改善，研究结果将有助于 Duce对那些在日常生活中遇到沟通困难的年长听众有重大影响，因为他们 将直接导致有重点的和新颖的康复形式。这项研究具有创新性，因为我们将拥有 已建立的技术，已被证明在听觉时间处理和 语音感知，结合神经编码改进的证据。这些研究将为 该计划项目拨款的更大目标是因为它们将有助于识别大脑中的神经再生机制 与年轻人和老年人的成功行为结果相对应的人类。这些研究将 服务于计划项目拨款的更大目标，因为它们将有助于确定神经再生机制 在人类大脑中，与年轻人和老年人的成功行为结果相对应。

PROJECT 2 – ABSTRACT The detrimental effects of aging on auditory temporal processing have been well documented in humans and animal models. At present, there are gaps in knowledge of the extent to which these auditory temporal processing deficits can be mitigated in older adults with or without hearing loss through auditory training and neuroplasticity, to improve precision of neural timing and speech understanding. Our long-term goal is to determine the extent to which hearing deficits in older adults can be ameliorated with auditory training. We propose an innovative approach to the investigation of aging, hearing, and neuroplasticity by marrying perceptual training experiments with electrophysiological measurements. The objectives are to compare young normal-hearing (YNH), older nor- mal-hearing (ONH), young hearing-impaired, (YHI), and older hearing-impaired (OHI) adult listeners, and eval- uate the improvements in perceptual and electrophysiological measures of temporal processing after explicit training on auditory temporal processing tasks. Our central hypothesis is that training of auditory temporal pro- cessing will produce concomitant improvements in both perceptual performance and neural encoding, which will close the gap in the age-related differences between groups. With strong preliminary data in hand, the central hypothesis will be tested by pursuing three specific aims: (1) Determine the extent to which perceptual training on temporal rate discrimination using simple non-speech stimuli improves perceptual and neural encoding in YNH, YHI, ONH, and OHI listeners; (2) Determine the extent to which perceptual training on speech cue dis- crimination in contrasting words differing in discrete temporal cues improves perceptual and neural encoding in YNH, YHI, ONH, and OHI listeners; and (3) Determine the extent to which perceptual training on the processing of sentences with increasing presentation rate can improve behavioral performance and neural encoding in YNH, YHI, ONH, and OHI listeners. The expected outcomes are that we will learn what perceptual training tasks lead to simultaneous improvements in perceptual and neural auditory temporal processing and the findings will pro- duce a significant impact in older listeners who experience difficulty in communicating in daily life because they will lead directly to focused and novel forms of rehabilitation. This research is innovative because we will have established techniques that are proven to provide significant improvements in auditory temporal processing and speech perception, combined with evidence of improvements to neural encoding. These studies will serve the larger goals of the program project grant because they will help identify the neuroplastic mechanisms in the brain of humans that correspond to successful behavioral outcomes in younger and older adults. These studies will serve the larger goals of the program project grant because they will help identify the neuroplastic mechanisms in the brain of humans that correspond to successful behavioral outcomes in younger and older adults.