Age-Related Differences in Early Cortical Representations of Target Speech Masked by Either Steady-State Noise or Competing Speech.

ABSTRACT: Word in noise identification is facilitated by acoustic differences between target and competing sounds and temporal separation between the onset of the masker and that of the target. Younger and older adults are able to take advantage of onset delay when the masker is dissimilar (Noise) to the target word, but only younger adults are able to do so when the masker is similar (Babble). We examined the neural underpinning of this age difference using cortical evoked responses to words masked by either Babble or Noise when the masker preceded the target word by 100 or 600 ms in younger and older adults, after adjusting the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) to equate behavioural performance across age groups and conditions. For the 100 ms onset delay, the word in noise elicited an acoustic change

SUBMITTER: Schneider BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9389464 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature