Senescent Changes in Sensitivity to Binaural Temporal Fine Structure.
Christian Füllgrabe, Aleksander P Sęk, Brian C J Moore
PMID 30027803WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults could detect binaural timing differences only at lower frequencies as age increased: the highest frequency for this detection fell by about 162 Hz for every 10-year increase from 60 to 85 years, even with normal or near-normal low-frequency hearing.
Key findings
01Mean binaural timing test thresholds were 937, 819, and 666 Hz for the 60-69, 70-79, and 80+ age groups.
02The highest frequency for detecting binaural timing differences declined by about 162 Hz for every 10-year increase from age 60 to 85.
03Binaural timing thresholds were weakly related to low-frequency hearing, but not to high-frequency hearing or age-corrected reasoning scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study compared different people at one time, so it shows age-related differences, not how the same person changes over time. All older participants had normal or near-normal low-frequency hearing, so the results may not apply to clinic patients with low-frequency hearing loss. The sample was less deprived and had higher age-corrected nonverbal reasoning than the general population, which may make the reference values optimistic. Three of the oldest participants could not complete the test; their scores were set to a guessing value, which may understate true variability. The young comparison group came from other studies, so differences between young and older adults may include testing-site or method differences. The paper reports associations and reference data, not evidence that TFS-AF testing changes speech perception or hearing aid outcomes.
Declared interests
The supplied text names the Medical Research Council, UK, and the Rosetrees Trust as funders; it does not provide a separate conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the age-related decline as proof that the TFS-AF test will improve patient care or that hearing aid processing can be chosen from it. The paper provides reference thresholds and correlations, not tested treatment effects, and it says larger studies are needed to establish clinical usefulness.