Low-frequency hearing loss in presbycusis. A central interpretation
D. Hayes and J. Jerger
Elderly subjects with a central phonemically balanced (PB) and synthetic
sentence identification (SSI) pattern show greater low-frequency (LF)
sensitivity loss than elderly subjects with a peripheral PB-SSI pattern.
This LF hearing loss is not the simple consequence of age, nor does the LF
hearing loss account for depressed SSI performance. We conclude that LF
sensitivity loss and a central PB-SSI pattern are both components of
central aging. We discuss the implications for auditory rehabilitation of
elderly subjects.
