Effect of Age and Gender on Auditory Stream Segregation in Adults with Normal Hearing Sensitivity

Abstract Context: The ability of the central auditory nervous system to perceptually group similar sounds and segregate different sounds is called auditory stream segregation. One of the major cues in analyzing an auditory scene is spectral profiling. Aim: The study aimed to investigate the effect of age and gender on auditory stream segregation using profile analysis thresholds (PATs). Settings and Design: A mixed-model study design has been employed in the study. Methods: Participants were divided into three age groups (21–30, 31–40, and 41–50 years). PATs were measured for complex tones with fundamental frequencies of 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 750 Hz, and 1000 Hz. The minimum amplitude change in the third harmonic required for participants to identify the tone with an odd timbre was determined using the MLP Toolbox. Statistical Analysis: Kruskal–Wallis H -test and Mann–Whitney U -tests were performed. Results: The study found no significant gender differences in PATs across any test frequency or age group, although males exhibited slightly better performance. Age significantly affected thresholds at 250 Hz and 500 Hz, with the 21–30 years of age group performing significantly better than the 31–40 and 41–50 years of age groups. However, no significant differences were observed at 750 Hz and 1 kHz. Conclusions: The findings suggest that auditory stream segregation abilities decline with age, while gender does not significantly influence performance. The superior performance of the 21–30 years of age group may be attributed to better neural efficiency in younger individuals.