Auditory temporal resolution threshold in elderly individuals.

Abstract

Background: the Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT) evaluates temporal resolution threshold. There are doubts as to whether performance in this task remains unchanged with the aging process. At the same time, there is a concern about how much the difficulties of communication experienced by elderly individuals are related to the deterioration of temporal resolution.

Aim: to determine auditory temporal resolution threshold in elderly individuals with normal peripheral hearing or symmetric mild sensorineural hearing loss, and to correlate findings with gender, age, audiometric findings and scores obtained in the Self - Assessment of Communication (SAC) questionnaire.

Methods: 63 elderly individuals, aged between 60 and 80 years (53 women and 10 men), were submitted to the RGDT and the SAC.

Results: statistical analysis of the relationship between gender and the RGDT indicated that the performance of elderly females was statistically poorer when compared to elderly males. Age and audiometric configuration did not correlate to performance in the RDGT and in the SAC. The results indicate that in the SAC both genders presented no significant complaints about communication difficulties regardless of the outcome obtained in the RGDT or audiometric configuration.

Conclusion: the average temporal resolution threshold for women was 104.81ms. Considering gender, females did not present correlations between age and audiometric configuration, not only when considering the RGDT results but also when analyzing the SAC results.