Comparison of Spatial Hearing Ability between Young Adults and Elders with Weakness in Perception of Speech-In-Noise: A Questionnaire Study

Aging has apparent functional effects on auditory processing, such as spatial hearing processing, with the most apparent being speech in noise perception disorder. The aim of the present study was comparison of spatial hearing ability between young adults and elderly people. According to the inclusion criteria, 30 young adults with the age range of 18 to 28 years old with normal hearing and 20 elderly people with the age range of 60 to 70 years old with normal hearing and speech in noise disorder were included in study The comparison of mean scores using independent t-test showed that there was a significant difference in the mean scores of speech in noise-quite, lateralization, and total score between the two groups. Sex had no effect on the results obtained, Lower scores of elderly people with normal hearing in spatial hearing questionnaire, compared with young adults, can be defined as their weak performance in spatial hearing processing. The results of the present study reconfirms the effect of age on spatial hearing processing, such as lateralization and speech in noise.