Assessment of Speech Perception in Elderly Using Speech Auditory Brainstem Response (S) ABR

Objectives to examine how noise impacts speech encoding in elderly with normal peripheral hearing Background temporal processing affection and speech in noise difficulties are prevalent in the elderly. These two functions could be evaluated precisely using Speech auditory brainstem response (S) ABR. Methods This is a case-control study included 30 normal hearing elderly (study group) and 20 normal hearing young adults (control group) for investigating the effect of noise on speech perception in elderly using Speech, Spatial and Qualities of hearing scale (SSQ) questionnaire and (S) ABR. Results The results of the statistical analysis showed that the two groups' SSQ scores were significantly different. In quite recording, the two groups' (S) ABR onset and transient peak latencies differed significantly. A number of steady-state peaks, offset peaks, and onset latencies of (S) ABR were significantly different between the two groups in a noisy environment. Conclusions The ageing process causes a decline in the brainstem-level temporal encoding of speech, which makes it more challenging for older people to hear speech in noisy settings.