Age-related differences in auditory spatial processing revealed by acoustic change complex

Xing Wang; Shuai Nie; Yining Wen; Zihui Zhao; Jiaying Li; Ningyu Wang; Juan Zhang

doi:10.3389/fnhum.2024.1342931

Age-related differences in auditory spatial processing revealed by acoustic change complex

Front Hum Neurosci. 2024 Apr 12:18:1342931. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1342931. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Xing Wang^#¹, Shuai Nie^#¹, Yining Wen¹, Zihui Zhao¹, Jiaying Li¹, Ningyu Wang¹, Juan Zhang¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Objectives: The auditory spatial processing abilities mature throughout childhood and degenerate in older adults. This study aimed to compare the differences in onset cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) and location-evoked acoustic change complex (ACC) responses among children, adults, and the elderly and to investigate the impact of aging and development on ACC responses.

Design: One hundred and seventeen people were recruited in the study, including 57 typically-developed children, 30 adults, and 30 elderlies. The onset-CAEP evoked by white noise and ACC by sequential changes in azimuths were recorded. Latencies and amplitudes as a function of azimuths were analyzed using the analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression model.

Results: The ACC N1'-P2' amplitudes and latencies in adults, P1'-N1' amplitudes in children, and N1' amplitudes and latencies in the elderly were correlated with angles of shifts. The N1'-P2' and P2' amplitudes decreased in the elderly compared to adults. In Children, the ACC P1'-N1' responses gradually differentiated into the P1'-N1'-P2' complex. Multiple regression analysis showed that N1'-P2' amplitudes (R² = 0.33) and P2' latencies (R² = 0.18) were the two most variable predictors in adults, while in the elderly, N1' latencies (R² = 0.26) explained most variances. Although the amplitudes of onset-CAEP differed at some angles, it could not predict angle changes as effectively as ACC responses.

Conclusion: The location-evoked ACC responses varied among children, adults, and the elderly. The N1'-P2' amplitudes and P2' latencies in adults and N1' latencies in the elderly explained most variances of changes in spatial position. The differentiation of the N1' waveform was observed in children. Further research should be conducted across all age groups, along with behavioral assessments, to confirm the relationship between aging and immaturity in objective ACC responses and poorer subjective spatial performance.

Significance: ACCs evoked by location changes were assessed in adults, children, and the elderly to explore the impact of aging and development on these differences.

Keywords: acoustic change complex; central auditory processing; cortical auditory evoked potential; event-related potential; sound localization.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was funded by the Sail Plan for Clinical Technology Innovation Project of Beijing Hospitals Authority (grant number: ZLRK202307 to JZ), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number: 82371943 to JZ), and the Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Multidisciplinary Team Program (grant number: CYDXK202201 to JZ).