Preserved
communication
abilities
promote
healthy
ageing.
To
this
end,
the
age-typical
loss
of
sensory
acuity
might
in
part
be
compensated
for
by
an
individual's
preserved
attentional
neural
filtering.
Is
such
a
compensatory
brain-behaviour
link
longitudinally
stable?
Can
it
predict
individual
change
listening
behaviour?
We
here
show
that
behaviour
and
filtering
ability
follow
largely
independent
developmental
trajectories
modelling
electroencephalographic
behavioural
data
N
=
105
ageing
individuals
(39-82
y).
First,
despite
expected
decline
hearing-threshold-derived
acuity,
listening-task
performance
proved
stable
over
2
y.
Second,
were
correlated
only
within
each
separate
measurement
timepoint
(T1,
T2).
Longitudinally,
however,
our
results
raise
caution
on
attention-guided
metrics
as
predictors
behaviour:
neither
at
T1
nor
its
2-year
could
change,
under
combination
strategies.
Neural
activity
in
auditory
cortex
tracks
the
amplitude-onset
envelope
of
continuous
speech,
but
recent
work
counter-intuitively
suggests
that
neural
tracking
increases
when
speech
is
masked
by
background
noise,
despite
reduced
intelligibility.
Noise-related
amplification
could
indicate
stochastic
resonance
–
response
facilitation
through
noise
supports
tracking,
a
comprehensive
account
lacking.
In
five
human
electroencephalography
(EEG)
experiments,
current
study
demonstrates
generalized
enhancement
due
to
minimal
noise.
Results
show
a)
enhanced
for
at
very
high
SNRs
(∼30
dB
SNR)
where
highly
intelligible;
b)
this
independent
attention;
c)
it
generalizes
across
different
stationary
maskers,
strongest
12-talker
babble;
and
d)
present
headphone
free-field
listening,
suggesting
neural-tracking
real-life
listening.
The
paints
clear
picture
enhances
representation
onset-envelope,
contributes
tracking.
further
highlights
non-linearities
induced
make
its
use
as
biological
marker
processing
challenging.
Neural
activity
in
auditory
cortex
tracks
the
amplitude-onset
envelope
of
continuous
speech,
but
recent
work
counterintuitively
suggests
that
neural
tracking
increases
when
speech
is
masked
by
background
noise,
despite
reduced
intelligibility.
Noise-related
amplification
could
indicate
stochastic
resonance
–
response
facilitation
through
noise
supports
tracking,
a
comprehensive
account
lacking.
In
five
human
electroencephalography
experiments,
current
study
demonstrates
generalized
enhancement
due
to
minimal
noise.
Results
show
(1)
enhanced
for
at
very
high
signal-to-noise
ratios
(~30
dB
SNR)
where
highly
intelligible;
(2)
this
independent
attention;
(3)
it
generalizes
across
different
stationary
maskers,
strongest
12-talker
babble;
and
(4)
present
headphone
free-field
listening,
suggesting
neural-tracking
real-life
listening.
The
paints
clear
picture
enhances
representation
onset-envelope,
contributes
tracking.
further
highlights
non-linearities
induced
make
its
use
as
biological
marker
processing
challenging.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory),
Год журнала:
2025,
Номер
unknown
Опубликована: Апрель 20, 2025
Abstract
Assessments
of
listening
effort
are
increasingly
relevant
to
understanding
the
speech-comprehension
difficulties
experienced
by
older
adults.
Pupillometry
is
most
common
tool
assess
but
has
limitations.
Recent
research
shown
that
eye
movements
decrease
when
effortful
and
proposed
indicators
as
alternative
measures.
However,
much
work
was
conducted
in
younger
adults
trial-based
sentence-listening
paradigm,
during
concurrent
visual
stimulation.
The
extent
which
index
con
tinuous
speech
listening,
independently
stimuli,
adults,
unknown.
In
current
study,
listened
continuous
stories
with
varying
degrees
background
noise
under
free
moving-dot
viewing
conditions.
Eye
decreased
(as
indexed
fixation
duration,
gaze
dispersion,
saccade
rate)
increasing
masking.
reduction
did
not
depend
on
age
group
or
conditions,
indicating
can
be
used
effects
masking
different
situations
people
ages.
pupil
area
only
sensitive
early
experiment.
sum,
study
suggests
a
potential
listening.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory),
Год журнала:
2024,
Номер
unknown
Опубликована: Фев. 23, 2024
During
continuous
speech
perception,
endogenous
neural
activity
becomes
time-locked
to
acoustic
stimulus
features,
such
as
the
amplitude
envelope.
This
speech-brain
coupling
can
be
decoded
using
non-invasive
brain
imaging
techniques,
including
electroencephalography
(EEG).
Neural
decoding
may
provide
clinical
use
an
objective
measure
of
encoding
by
-
for
example
during
cochlear
implant
(CI)
listening,
wherein
signal
is
severely
spectrally
degraded.
Yet,
interplay
between
and
linguistic
factors
lead
top-down
modulation
thereby
complicating
audiological
applications.
To
address
this
ambiguity,
we
assess
envelope
under
spectral
degradation
with
EEG
in
acoustically
hearing
listeners
(n
=
38;
18-35
years
old)
vocoded
speech.
We
dissociate
sensory
from
higher-order
processing
employing
intelligible
(English)
non-intelligible
(Dutch)
stimuli,
auditory
attention
sustained
a
repeated-phrase
detection
task.
Subject-specific
group
decoders
were
trained
reconstruct
held-out
data,
decoder
significance
determined
via
random
permutation
testing.
Whereas
reconstruction
did
not
vary
resolution,
was
associated
better
accuracy
general.
Results
similar
across
subject-specific
analyses,
less
consistent
effects
decoding.
Permutation
tests
revealed
possible
differences
statistical
experimental
condition.
In
general,
while
robust
observed
at
individual
level,
variability
within
participants
would
most
likely
prevent
differentiate
levels
intelligibility
on
basis.
Preserved
communication
abilities
promote
healthy
ageing.
To
this
end,
the
age-typical
loss
of
sensory
acuity
might
in
part
be
compensated
for
by
an
individual’s
preserved
attentional
neural
filtering.
Is
such
a
compensatory
brain–behaviour
link
longitudinally
stable?
Can
it
predict
individual
change
listening
behaviour?
We
here
show
that
behaviour
and
filtering
ability
follow
largely
independent
developmental
trajectories
modelling
electroencephalographic
behavioural
data
N
=
105
ageing
individuals
(39–82
y).
First,
despite
expected
decline
hearing-threshold-derived
acuity,
listening-task
performance
proved
stable
over
2
y.
Second,
were
correlated
only
within
each
separate
measurement
timepoint
(T1,
T2).
Longitudinally,
however,
our
results
raise
caution
on
attention-guided
metrics
as
predictors
behaviour:
neither
at
T1
nor
its
2-year
could
change,
under
combination
strategies.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory),
Год журнала:
2024,
Номер
unknown
Опубликована: Июнь 24, 2024
Neural
activity
in
auditory
cortex
tracks
the
amplitude
envelope
of
continuous
speech,
but
recent
work
counter-intuitively
suggests
that
neural
tracking
increases
when
speech
is
masked
by
background
noise,
despite
reduced
intelligibility.
Noise-related
amplification
could
indicate
stochastic
resonance
-
response
facilitation
through
noise
supports
tracking.
However,
a
comprehensive
account
sensitivity
to
and
role
cognitive
investment
lacking.
In
five
electroencephalography
(EEG)
experiments
(N=109;
box
sexes),
current
study
demonstrates
generalized
enhancement
due
minimal
noise.
Results
show
a)
enhanced
for
at
very
high
SNRs
(~30
dB
SNR)
where
highly
intelligible;
b)
this
independent
attention;
c)
it
generalizes
across
different
stationary
maskers,
strongest
12-talker
babble;
d)
present
headphone
free-field
listening,
suggesting
neural-tracking
real-life
listening.
The
paints
clear
picture
enhances
representation
envelope,
contributes
further
highlights
non-linearities
induced
make
its
use
as
biological
marker
processing
challenging.
Neural
activity
in
auditory
cortex
tracks
the
amplitude-onset
envelope
of
continuous
speech,
but
recent
work
counter-intuitively
suggests
that
neural
tracking
increases
when
speech
is
masked
by
background
noise,
despite
reduced
intelligibility.
Noise-related
amplification
could
indicate
stochastic
resonance
–
response
facilitation
through
noise
supports
tracking,
a
comprehensive
account
lacking.
In
five
human
electroencephalography
(EEG)
experiments,
current
study
demonstrates
generalized
enhancement
due
to
minimal
noise.
Results
show
a)
enhanced
for
at
very
high
SNRs
(∼30
dB
SNR)
where
highly
intelligible;
b)
this
independent
attention;
c)
it
generalizes
across
different
stationary
maskers,
strongest
12-talker
babble;
and
d)
present
headphone
free-field
listening,
suggesting
neural-tracking
real-life
listening.
The
paints
clear
picture
enhances
representation
onset-envelope,
contributes
tracking.
further
highlights
non-linearities
induced
make
its
use
as
biological
marker
processing
challenging.
Neural
activity
in
auditory
cortex
tracks
the
amplitude
envelope
of
continuous
speech,
but
recent
work
counter-intuitively
suggests
that
neural
tracking
increases
when
speech
is
masked
by
background
noise,
despite
reduced
intelligibility.
Noise-related
amplification
could
indicate
stochastic
resonance
–
response
facilitation
through
noise
supports
tracking.
However,
a
comprehensive
account
sensitivity
to
and
role
cognitive
investment
lacking.
In
five
electroencephalography
(EEG)
experiments
(N=109;
box
sexes),
current
study
demonstrates
generalized
enhancement
due
minimal
noise.
Results
show
a)
enhanced
for
at
very
high
SNRs
(∼30
dB
SNR)
where
highly
intelligible;
b)
this
independent
attention;
c)
it
generalizes
across
different
stationary
maskers,
strongest
12-talker
babble;
d)
present
headphone
free-field
listening,
suggesting
neural-tracking
real-life
listening.
The
paints
clear
picture
enhances
representation
envelope,
contributes
further
highlights
non-linearities
induced
make
its
use
as
biological
marker
processing
challenging.
