The results of a psychophysical study of the characteristics of auditory perception of sound rhythmic sequences in a risk group for age-related hearing loss: elderly people aged 60 to 78 years (Group 1: = 39; M = 15, F = 24, normal hearing according to pure tone threshold audiometry) were presented. The comparison groups included young subjects aged 18 to 30 years with normal hearing (Group 2: = 47; 24 men and 23 women) and elderly people aged 62 to 76 years with grade 2 bilateral sensorineural hearing loss who do not use hearing aids (Group 3: = 30; 14 men and 16 women). Age and gender differences in rhythm recognition were analyzed. The experimental stimuli corresponded to sequences of 3 tone bursts (F = 1000 H2) of varying duration (300, 600 ms; 150 ms pause), forming 6 rhythmic pattern variants (long-short-long, short-short-long, etc.). Additionally, 20 elderly subjects from Group 1 and 22 young subjects from Group 2 took part in short-term auditory memory testing using the auditory digit series reproduction method (Jacobs test). The correlation between the indicators of rhythmic pattern recognition and auditory memory was assessed. The obtained data confirmed the influence of age and hearing condition on rhythm perception. The reliable decrease in its indicators (p 0.01) observed in elderly subjects with normal hearing thresholds. In this group, gender differences in the “success” of auditory rhythm perception and their relationship with the characteristics of short-term auditory memory were also evident. The results are discussed in the context of using rhythmic sound sequences in testing programs and sensory-cognitive training for the early detection and prevention of age-related hearing problems, including central auditory analysis and auditory memory processes.
E. A. Ogorodnikova (Wed,) studied this question.