Although there are many reported age-related declines in the human body, the notion
that a central auditory processing deficit exists in older adults has not always been
clear. Hearing loss and both structural and functional central nervous system changes
with advancing age are contributors to how we listen, hear, and process auditory information.
Even older adults with normal or near normal hearing sensitivity may exhibit age-related
central auditory processing deficits as measured behaviorally and/or electrophysiologically.
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of assessment and rehabilitative
approaches for central auditory processing deficits in older adults. It is hoped that
the outcome of the information presented here will help clinicians with older adult
patients who do not exhibit the typical auditory processing behaviors exhibited by
others at the same age and with comparable hearing sensitivity all in the absence
of other health-related conditions.
Keywords
Central auditory processing deficit - central presbycusis - age-related - cognition
- speech-in-noise - dichotic - temporal processing