Aging and High-Frequency Hearing Sensitivity

tlwiley{at}facstaff.wisc.edu

As part of a large population-based study of hearing and aging, ultra highfrequency (9–20 kHz) threshold measures are reported for 3396 participants grouped by age (48–59 years, n=1233; 60–69 years, n=1031; 70–79 years, n=851; 80–92 years, n=281). Ultra high-frequency (UHF) thresholds were higher for older age groups. The percentage of unmeasurable responses also was significantly higher for older age groups and for higher frequencies in the UHF range. The observed age effects remained significant after adjusting for gender. In general, UHF thresholds were significantly higher for men compared to those for women at lower UHF frequencies (9–14 kHz), but were not significantly different by gender for the highest UHF frequencies (16, 18, and 20 kHz). After accounting for hearing loss at traditional audiometric frequencies (250–8000 Hz), the age effect still remained; even for comparable degrees of sensorineural hearing loss, participants in older age groups evidenced higher UHF thresholds.

KEY WORDS: aging, ultra high-frequency, hearing loss, presbycusis

Submitted on January 5, 1998
Accepted on March 16, 1998

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