This project examines the structure and function of neural systems that are hypothesized to contribute toage-related declines in speech recognition. Large age-related differences in speech recognition areobserved in complex and demanding listening environments for reasons that are unclear. Aging brainsundergo extraordinary changes and there is little understanding of how these changes limit or preservecognitive abilities. We propose to track the aging of two neural systems that play central roles in hypothesesfor declines in speech recognition.
Aim 2. 1 tests the hypothesis that age-related anatomical declines inbrain regions that support speech recognition lead to increased reliance on attention-related frontal cortex forword recognition in normal hearing adults.
Aim 2. 2 tests the hypothesis that older adults with normalhearing exhibit speech recognition declines when additive anatomical declines within speech-related andattention-related systems limit the ability to attend to degraded speech.
Aim 2. 3 tests the hypothesis that themost common form of age-related hearing loss, metabolic presbyacusis, leads to compensatory changeswithin speech-related and attention-related systems. This project uses brain activation experiments to definespeech-responsive brain regions where anatomical declines may explain the connection between the agingbrain and speech recognition difficulties. This project will provide an understanding of the age-relatedneurobiological changes that people with normal hearing and with hearing loss experience and therebyprovide a foundation for improving the speech recognition of older adults through the development ofintervention strategies that are based on the peripheral and central nervous system changes that occur withage.
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