The aging auditory system: anatomic and physiologic changes and implications for rehabilitation

Abstract

Over the last century, research in the area of age-related hearing loss has provided a vast amount of knowledge regarding age-related effects on the anatomy and physiology of the auditory system. As we enter the new millennium, researchers are beginning to shift their attention towards developing methods of modulating the effects of age-related hearing loss and the development of efficacious intervention strategies to meet all of an individual's hearing-related rehabilitative needs. The purpose of this review is to provide a framework for considering how the biological aspects of the aging auditory system interact with the most common current therapeutic intervention for age-related hearing loss--the use of amplification--and also how the biological aspects point to other potential intervention strategies.