Extended high frequency hearing influences cortical response amplitudes to speech

Since young adults hear sounds up to 20 kHz, the loss of extended high-frequency hearing (EHF; above 8 kHz) is a hallmark of age-related hearing loss, often progressing from early lifetime. However, this deficit frequently goes undetected because routine clinical hearing tests and most hearing aids are currently limited mostly up to 8 kHz. EHF hearing has been linked to deficits in speech perception in noise and to self-reported hearing. However, it remains elusive how EHF hearing influences speech intelligibility. Here we recorded neuromagnetic brain responses using magnetoencephalography (MEG) within a frequency-tagging speech paradigm designed to probe hierarchical levels of attention and memory-dependent speech processing and recognition. Auditory evoked cortical magnetic field (AEF) responses were significantly reduced in both left and right brain hemispheres in individuals with impaired EHF hearing compared to those subjects with rather preserved EHF hearing. A gradual reinforcement of left-hemispheric AEF seen over age was not observed in young adults (19-29 y) with preserved EHF hearing. This was linked to stronger auditory brainstem responses (ABR), reflecting better neural synchronized auditory responses at stimulus onset. The reinforced left hemispheric dominance in young adults with impaired EHF hearing, in contrast, was linked to lower ABRs. Our findings suggest that sound energy above 8 kHz contributes through its impact on stimulus-onset synchrony to phase locking of oscillations in the auditory cortex to intelligible speech. Together, the results highlight the need to reconsider the neglect of EHF hearing in both audiological assessment and hearing aid design. SignificanceWe show here that deficits in extended high-frequency (EHF) hearing, up to now neglected in routine clinical audiometry and hearing aid technology, lead to reduced cortical evoked auditory field (AEF) response amplitudes to attended and unattended speech, even at a young age. A gradual increase in reinforced left-hemispheric AEF responses during attended speech does not occur in young people with good EHF hearing; this is linked to better synchronization of neural responses at the onset of sound. This suggests a crucial role of sounds containing energy above 8kHz in minimizing the need for cognitive resources during active listening. Collectively, our results challenge current clinical practices and underscore the need to incorporate EHF hearing into audiological assessment and hearing aid design.