Effects of aging on dichotic listening ability

Abstract

Background Elderly patients frequently suffer from problems in speech discrimination especially in noisy situation, and they also have several problems from using amplifications devices especially binaural amplification. This necessitates the need for central auditory evaluation in association of peripheral auditory evaluation. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of aging on dichotic listening performance. This was a case-control study conducted at the Audiology Unit, ENT Department. Participant were 46 individuals within the age range of 60 to 89 years with no history of neurological disorder or cognitive impairment, and all the participants were of high social class. Forty-five adult individuals (control group) with the age range 32–57 years, with no history of neurological disorders. Both cases and control groups were subjected to otological examination, immittancemetry, puretone audiometry, speech audiometry, and central auditory processing assessment by the use of central questionnaire for elderly and dichotic digits (version II) test. Results The elderly group scored significantly depressed scores of dichotic digits’ test, especially in the left ear than in the adult group. Conclusion Dichotic listening ability was significantly affected in elderly patients.

Turkish dichotic sentence mobile scan test results in young and elderly people

“…In comparison with similar studies, our findings align with the work of Andrade et al [1], Jerger et al [9], Tawfik and Shafik [16], Jerger and Martin [8], Jain et al [7], and Takio et al [15].…”

“…Like Andrade et al [1], we observed that there was a negative correlation between age and correct response scores in both ears, with the worst performance occurring in the older group. Similarly, in line with Jerger et al [9] and Tawfik and Shafik [16], our results indicate lower scores in the elderly group than in the younger group across various dichotic listening parameters.…”

“…Lastly, the loss of efficiency in interhemispheric transfer due to the degeneration of auditory pathways in the corpus callosum has been suggested as a third possibility [6]. Several studies, including those by Andrade et al [1], Jerger et al [9], Tawfik and Shafik [16], and Takio et al [15], have investigated the relationship between age and dichotic test performance. These studies consistently report a decline in scores with increasing age, reinforcing the association between age and dichotic listening abilities.…”