Aging Auditory System and Amplification

Abstract

The aging of auditory system determines the physical, sensory, and neural changes in the peripheral and central parts and may cause changes in the reception and sound processing. Age related hearing loss, also called presbycusis, can occur in the elderly population due to aging. The difficulty for compression of speech in the elderly may be due solely to hearing loss, but may be linked to degenerative issues of the central auditory system. Age is a factor that interferes with the central auditory processing. The results of auditory processing may change and more if there is the presence of peripheral hearing loss. It should be considered that the longer an individual has hearing loss, the greater the negative effects on the perception of sound and performance in listening skills. The use of hearing aids favors amplification and modification of the sound stimulus so that it reaches the eardrum with quantity increase and quality, promoting and stimulating the auditory skills. This chapter intends to make a review of the auditory processing disorder and evidence the benefit of the use of amplification in the elderly.