Relations between speech‐reception, psychophysical temporal processing, and subcortical electrophysiological measures of auditory function in humans

Carcagno, Samuele; Plack, Christopher J.

doi:10.1016/j.heares.2022.108456

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 79 publications

(132 reference statements)

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“…Next, the test was also applied to a population with abnormal auditory temporal processing tests (abnormal adults—AA) and older adults (OA) with no cognitive impairment, with a view to verifying the diagnostic accuracy of the proposed normative values. The AA group was chosen to test the cutoff points due to the shared behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroanatomical correlates of the ATP tests [ 1 , 2 , 33 ], while the OA group was expected to perform worse at the BMT test due to a decline in general perceptual processing [ 34 , 35 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of Validity and Normative Values of a New Auditory Backward Masking Test

Filippini

Filho

Barros

et al. 2022

JCM

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There are still no valid, clinically feasible instruments to assess backward masking (BM), an auditory temporal processing (ATP) phenomenon. The aim of this study was to develop, standardize and present evidence of validity for a behavioral test for BM assessment. Young adults were submitted to a BM test (BMT), where they were asked to identify a 1000 Hz pure tone followed by a narrowband noise with interstimulus intervals of 0 to 400 ms and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) between −20 and −30 dB. The correct response rate and target sound detection threshold were calculated, and the results compared with those of young adults with abnormal ATP tests and older adults. Diagnostic accuracy analyses were carried out. Young adults with normal ATP obtained an average correct response rate of 89 and 87% for SNR −20 and −30 dB, respectively, with average thresholds between 10 and 15 ms and no difference between the left and right ears. Results were more consistent at SNR −20 dB, and the best diagnostic accuracy was obtained for SNR −20 dB, with good specificity, but low sensitivity. Normative values were obtained for the BMT, which proved to be clinically feasible, with preliminary evidence of validity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of Validity and Normative Values of a New Auditory Backward Masking Test

Filippini

Filho

Barros

et al. 2022

JCM

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Phase coding in phoneme processing slows with age

Dapper,

Schirmer,

Rüttiger

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The comprehension of phonemes is a fundamental component of speech processing which relies on both, temporal fine structure (TFS) and temporal envelope (TE) coding. EEG amplitude in response to phonemes has been identified as indicator of speech performance in hearing aid users. Presbyacusis may also alter neuro-electric responses to phonemes, even with minimally or unaffected hearing thresholds. Elevated speech reception thresholds (SRT) in absence of pure-tone threshold (PTT) elevation suggest central processing deficits. We therefore collected audiometric data (PTT, SRT) and EEG during passive listening in 80 subjects, ranging in age from 18 to 76 years. We confirm phoneme-evoked EEG response amplitude (PEA) as indicator of speech comprehension. Specifically, PEA decreased with elevated SRT, PTT and increased age. As novel observation, we report the temporal delay of phoneme-evoked EEG responses (PED) to increase with age and PTT. The absolute duration of PED, its age-correlation, and the lack of PEA-lateralization combined with the frequency of phoneme stimuli used here suggest a predominantly thalamic generator of phoneme-evoked EEG responses. Hearing loss in extended high-frequencies affects PED more than PEA. In our sample, neural compensation for increased PTT came at the cost of decreased temporal processing speed. Most importantly, PED correlates with SRT and explains SRT-variance in quiet and in ipsilateral noise that PTT cannot. PED was a better predictor of TFS coding in quiet and of TE coding in ipsilateral noise. As PED reflects both TFS and TE coding, thalamic activity may provide integrated information at the gate of neocortex.Significance StatementIntact speech comprehension is essential for social participation which protects against depression and dementia. Age-related hearing loss is a growing problem in aging societies, as hearing deficits constitute the third most important modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline. This work uses electrical brain responses to phonemes in a cohort covering age 18 to 76 years. As the temporal delay of phoneme responses showed the most significant correlations with age and high-frequency thresholds, we demonstrated that speed of neural processing seems essential for speech comprehension. The observed neural signals likely originate from thalamus which receives feedback from neocortex and is embedded in cognitive processing. Developing objective markers for speech processing is key for ensuring cognitive fitness in aging.

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Neural adaptation at stimulus onset and speed of neural processing as critical contributors to speech comprehension independent of hearing threshold or age

Schirmer,

Wolpert,

Dapper

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Loss of afferent auditory fiber function (cochlear synaptopathy) has been suggested to occur before a clinically measurable deterioration of subjective hearing threshold. This so-called “hidden” hearing loss is characterized by speech comprehension difficulties. We examined young, middle-aged, and older individuals with and without hearing loss using pure-tone (PT) audiometry, short-pulsed distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), auditory brainstem responses (ABR), auditory steady state responses (ASSR), speech comprehension (OLSA), and syllable discrimination in quiet and noise. After normalizing OLSA thresholds for PT thresholds (“PNOT”), differences in speech comprehension still remained and showed no significant dependence on age, allowing us to categorize participants into groups with good, standard, and poor speech comprehension. Listeners with poor speech comprehension in quiet exhibited smaller firing rate adaptions at stimulus onset (as measured by the difference between DPOAE threshold and pure-tone threshold) and delayed supra-threshold ABR waves I-V, suggesting high spontaneous rate low threshold fiber cochlear synaptopathy. In contrast, when speech comprehension was tested in noise, listeners with poor speech comprehension had larger DPOAEs acceptance rate, putatively resulting from altered basilar membrane compression (recruitment). This was linked with higher uncomfortable loudness levels and larger ASSR amplitudes. Moreover, performance in phoneme discrimination was significantly different below (/o/-/u/) and above the phase-locking limit (/i/-/y/), depending on whether vowels were presented in quiet or ipsilateral noise. This suggests that neural firing rate adaptation at stimulus onset is critical for speech comprehension, independent of hearing threshold and age, whereas the recruitment phenomenon counterbalances the loss in speech-in-noise discrimination due to impaired threshold.Significance StatementAge-related hearing loss is the third largest modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline. It has been suggested that the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline is not fully explained by hearing threshold loss. We here suggest that language comprehension deficits may be used as an early indication of future hearing loss and therefore cognitive decline. We found that, independent of age and pure-tone thresholds, speech comprehension in quiet and ipsilateral noise depend on different onset firing-rate adaptations of inner hair cells (measured by DPOAE threshold), along with cochlear synaptopathy of high spontaneous rate auditory nerve fibers and neural spiking synchronicity. These measures may be used as possible future indicators of risk for cognitive decline.

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Relations between speech‐reception, psychophysical temporal processing, and subcortical electrophysiological measures of auditory function in humans

Cited by 3 publications

References 79 publications

Evidence of Validity and Normative Values of a New Auditory Backward Masking Test

Evidence of Validity and Normative Values of a New Auditory Backward Masking Test

Phase coding in phoneme processing slows with age

Neural adaptation at stimulus onset and speed of neural processing as critical contributors to speech comprehension independent of hearing threshold or age

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