Auditory temporal summation in presbycusis and noise exposure.
Threshold-duration functions were obtained at 250, 1000, and 4999 Hz by Brief-Tone Békésy Audiometry. Results for an older group (51-57 yrs.) with no otological abnormalities showed the presence of depressed threshold-duration functions with a decreased constant of temporal summation when compared to a young normative group. The effect is frequency dependent and is most pronounced at 4000 Hz. The older group, divided into noise exposed and non-noise exposed subsamples, showed identical threshold-duration functions and resembled those for a young noise exposed group. Auditory temporal summation appears to be affected by the neuorphysiological disturbances of presbycusis and at least from 51 to 57 years is independent of noise exposure.
D000375:Aging; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors