Effects of age and age-related hearing loss on the brain

It is well documented that aging adversely affects the ability to perceive time-varying acoustic cues. Here we review how physiological measures are being used to explore the effects of aging (and concomitant hearing loss) on the neural representation of temporal cues. Also addressed are the implications of current research findings on the rehabilitation of older hearing-impaired adults. Learner outcomes: (1) Identify one evoked potential that reflects age-related physiological changes in the brain. (2) List three contributing factors for why older adults have difficult understanding speech in noise. (3) Give an example of a top-down approach to auditory rehabilitation. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All tights reserved.