Turkish dichotic sentence mobile scan test results in young and elderly people

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of age on dichotic listening performance by comparing results from the Turkish Dichotic Sentence Mobile Screening Test in young and elderly individuals with normal hearing. A total of 60 adults (30 young, 30 old) underwent otoscopic examination, audiological tests, and, for the elderly group, a mini-mental test. The Turkish Dichotic Sentence Mobile Screening Test was administered, and directed and undirected scores for the right and left ears were compared between age groups. In the young group, the directed left ear mean (96.67% ± 8.02%), directed right ear mean (98.33% ± 3.79%), undirected left ear mean (97.67% ± 6.26%), and undirected right ear mean (98.67% ± 5.71%) were obtained. In the elderly group, corresponding values were lower: directed left ear mean (49.00% ± 36.33%), directed right ear mean (54.67% ± 40.66%), undirected left ear mean (64.00% ± 32.86%), and undirected right ear mean (65.00% ± 30.82%). Statistically significant differences were found between the young and elderly groups (p < 0.001), with the young group consistently outperforming the elderly group. These results align with existing literature on dichotic listening tests, highlighting age-related declines in performance. The study contributes valuable insights into age-related changes in auditory processing and cognition, emphasizing the importance of considering dichotic listening as a marker of cognitive aging. Future research should explore potential interventions to mitigate age-related declines in dichotic listening performance.