Effect of age on binaural interaction abilities measured using the binaural fusion test

Abstract Objectives Binaural interaction refers to how the two ears work together, playing a crucial role in everyday tasks such as sound localization and improving speech understanding in noisy or reverberant environments. As age increases, various physiological changes occur, which can affect binaural interaction. To study these changes and their impact on binaural processing, the binaural fusion test (BFT) was employed. Method The study included 90 participants divided into three age groups: children (7–11 years), young adults (18–30 years), and older adults (50–68 years). Children and young adults had normal hearing thresholds (< 15 dBHL), while older adults had near-normal hearing (< 25 dBHL). All participants underwent the BFT in Kannada. Results The one-way ANOVA test revealed a significant effect of age on BFT performance, with young adults achieving the highest scores, followed by children and then older adults. Additionally, when comparing age-related differences in Masking Level Difference scores (measured elsewhere) with BFT scores across the groups, it was found that BFT performance is relatively more resilient to the effects of aging. Conclusion Older adults demonstrated poorer scores, likely due to age-related physiological changes. Additionally, children showed lower scores than young adults, indicating that the binaural interaction process continues to mature during childhood.