Neural correlates of central auditory processing deficits in the auditory midbrain in an animal model of age-related hearing loss

Abstract

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), clinically referred to as presbycusis, affects over 10 million Americans and is considered to be the most common communication disorder in the elderly. Presbycusis can be associated with at least two underlying etiologies, a decline in cochlear function resulting in sensorineural hearing loss, and deficits in auditory processing within the central auditory system. Previous psychoacoustic studies have revealed that aged human listeners display deficits in temporal acuity that worsen with the addition of background noise. Spectral and temporal acuity is essential for following the rapid changes in frequency and intensity that comprise most natural sounds including speech. The perceptual analysis of complex sounds depends to a large extent on the ability of the auditory system to follow and even sharpen neural encoding of rapidly changing acoustic signals, and the inferior colliculus (IC) is a key auditory nucleus involved in temporal and spectral processing. In this talk, I will review neural correlates of temporal and signal-in-noise processing at the level of the auditory midbrain in an animal model of ARHL. Understanding the neural substrate of these perceptual deficits will assist in its diagnosis and rehabilitation, and be crucial to further advances in the design of hearing aids and therapeutic interventions.