Auditory Temporal Processing

摘要：衰老对听觉时间处理的不利影响已在 人类和动物模型。目前，对这些听觉系统在多大程度上存在知识空白， 通过听觉训练可以减轻有或没有听力损失的老年人的听觉处理缺陷 和神经可塑性，以提高神经计时和语音理解的精度。我们的长期目标是 确定老年人的听力缺陷可以通过听觉训练得到改善的程度。我们支持- 提出了一个创新的方法来调查老化，听力，和神经可塑性，通过结合感知 用电生理测量进行训练实验。我们的目标是比较年轻的正常人- 听力（YNH），老年听力正常（ONH）和老年听力受损（OHI）成年听众，并评估 外显训练后时间处理的知觉和电生理测量的改善 听觉时间加工任务我们的中心假设是，听觉时间处理的训练将 在知觉表现和神经编码方面产生伴随的改善，这将关闭 组间年龄相关差异的差距。有了强有力的初步数据， 将通过追求三个具体目标进行测试：（1）确定时间知觉训练的程度 使用简单的非语音刺激的速率辨别改善了YNH、ONH和 （2）确定知觉训练对言语线索辨别的影响程度， 离散时间线索不同的单词改善了YNH，ONH和OHI lis的感知和神经编码。 （3）确定知觉训练对句子加工的影响程度， 呈现率可以改善YNH、ONH和OHI听者的行为表现和神经编码。 预期的结果是，我们将了解什么知觉训练任务导致同步改善 在知觉和神经听觉的时间处理和研究结果将产生重大影响，在老年人 在日常生活中遇到沟通困难的听众，因为他们将直接导致专注和 新的康复形式。这项研究是创新的，因为我们将建立技术， 被证明在听觉时间处理和言语感知方面有显著改善， 有证据表明神经编码得到了改善。这些研究将服务于该计划的更大目标 项目资助，因为他们将有助于确定人类大脑中的神经可塑性机制， 年轻人和老年人成功的行为结果

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 tem- poral 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 pro- pose 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 normal-hearing (ONH), and older hearing-impaired (OHI) adult listeners, and evaluate 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 processing 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, ONH, and OHI listeners; (2) Determine the extent to which perceptual training on speech cue discrimination in contrasting words differing in discrete temporal cues improves perceptual and neural encoding in YNH, ONH, and OHI lis- teners; 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, 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 produce 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