Age‐related changes in the binaural temporal window.

Abstract

Substantial data indicate that monaural temporal processing, sound localization ability, and spatial release from masking decline with advancing age. Physiological and psychophysical evidence indicate that the auditory system is quite sensitive to patterns of interaural cross correlation (IACC) as determined by the combined input from the two ears. Here we test the hypothesis that age‐related changes in temporal processing lead to an elongation of the binaural temporal window as measured with an interaural correlation change interval (ICCI) task. The ICCI threshold was measured as a function of the duration change in interaural correlation. Band pass (400–3200 Hz) noise bursts were separated into three segments. Initial and final segments were interaurally uncorrelated while central segments were interaurally uncorrelated in the standard intervals and interaurally correlated in the signal interval. The duration of the central segment was adaptively varied to determine ICCI threshold. The just noticeable difference in static interaural correlation also was measured. The perception of static and dynamic changes in interaural correlation as well as estimates of the equivalent rectangular duration of the binaural temporal window will be compared across groups of younger and older adult subjects.