Neuroplasticity in Auditory Aging

摘要：总体 美国老年人严重听力损失超过50%，这表明与年龄有关的 听力损失(ARHL)是最常见的慢性健康疾病之一，由 上了年纪的人。未经治疗的听力损失与抑郁、社会孤立和认知有关 拒绝。虽然助听器仍然是改善这些人沟通的主要设备 对于ARHL，接受率相对较低，约为25%。理解中的语音 听力状况恶化(例如，噪音、混响、快速语音)仍然是主要问题 对于老年人来说是一个挑战，即使是那些听力正常的人也是如此。根本问题 源于听觉外周、中枢听觉通路、认知能力的限制 能力，以及支持听觉加工的听觉认知网络的变化 噪声中的信号和其他形式的刺激退化。虽然广泛地理解 老年人经历的问题正在具体化，努力通过以下方式缓解问题 系统的调查一直很稀少。因此，该计划的总体目标是 格兰特项目是开发一个听觉衰老过程中神经可塑性的综合模型，该模型 将确定有益的干预策略以减轻听觉-认知的影响 随着年龄的增长而下降，并将识别与听觉通路相关的关键改变部位 以最积极的结果。重点是适应性行为训练，以1)增强 听觉注意网络，以提高对相关信息的选择性注意，并 抑制不相关的信息；2)重新建立兴奋性和兴奋性之间的适当平衡 和抑制放电模式，以增强听觉处理和认知；以及3)改善 提高声刺激编码精度以改善声场景的神经时序 分析和语音识别。这些阳性神经可塑性的目标指数将是 通过使用行为、电生理和成像的系统方法进行监控 人类和动物。该计划包括3个项目(P1：(在噪音、杂乱中和 混响环境.老化的中心影响和补救方法.P2： 听觉时间加工；P3：高认知要求的言语感知训练) 和3个核心(核心A：管理；核心B：信号处理和数据分析；核心C： 人类受试者研究核心)，涉及9个高度协作的听觉和认知 致力于解决语言交流问题的神经科学家 随着年龄的增长。如果成功，该计划有可能恢复成功的通信 并改善数百万美国老年人的生活质量。

ABSTRACT: OVERALL Significant hearing loss among older Americans exceeds 50%, suggesting that age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is one of the most common chronic health conditions experienced by older people. Untreated hearing loss is linked to depression, social isolation, and cognitive decline. While hearing aids remain the primary device for improving communication for those with ARHL, the take-up rate is relatively low at about 25%. Understanding speech in degraded listening situations (e.g., noise, reverberation, fast speech) continues to be a major challenge for older people, even among those with normal hearing. The underlying problem stems from limitations in the auditory periphery, the central auditory pathways, cognitive abilities, and alterations in the auditory-cognitive networks that support processing of auditory signals in noise and other forms of stimulus degradation. While a broad understanding of the problems experienced by older people is crystallizing, efforts to alleviate the problem through systematic investigation have been sparse. Thus, the over-arching goal of this Program Project Grant is to develop an integrative model of neuroplasticity in auditory aging, which will identify beneficial intervention strategies for mitigating the impact of auditory -cognitive decline with aging and will identify key loci of change in the auditory pathways that correlate with the most positive outcomes. The focus is on adaptive behavioral training to 1) enhance the auditory attention network to improve selective attention to relevant information and to suppress irrelevant information; 2) re-establish the appropriate balance between excitatory and inhibitory firing patterns to enhance auditory processing and cognition; and 3) improve neural timing to enhance precision of coding of acoustic stimuli to improve acoustic scene analysis and speech recognition. These targeted indices of positive neural plasticity will be monitored through a systems approach using behavior, electrophysiology, and imaging with humans and animals. The program includes 3 projects (P1: (Listening in noise, clutter, and reverberant environments – central effects of aging and approaches to remediation; P2: Auditory temporal processing; P3: Speech Perception Training with High Cognitive Demand) and 3 cores (Core A: Administrative; Core B: Signal Processing and Data Analysis; Core C: Human Subjects Research Core), and involves 9 highly collaborative auditory and cognitive neuroscientists with a dedicated interest in solving the problems of speech communication with aging. If successful, the program has the potential to restore successful communication and improve quality of life for millions of older Americans.