Age and sentence context effects on auditory temporal processing in noise.

Abstract

This study examined the effects of age and sentence context on perceiving speech temporal cues in noise. Adults 18 to 81 yrs of age with self-reported normal hearing performed a phonemic categorization task using the dent/tent contrast with varied voice-onset times (VOTs). Target words were embedded in sentences that biased perception toward "dent," "tent," or provided no bias, presented in speech-shaped noise at a 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio. Results showed reduced VOT processing with increasing age in neutral and dent-biasing contexts but not in tent-biasing contexts. Findings suggest that contextual influences can shape age-related changes in temporal processing in challenging listening conditions.