PNAS一項研究發現，聽覺訓練可以部分逆轉與年齡相關的神經減速和在嘈雜環境下感知語音的困難。Nina Kraus及其同事研究了基于聽覺的認知訓練對55歲到70歲的兩組成年人的神經計時(neural timing)和聽覺感知的作用。其中一個組完成了一個適應性計算機聽覺訓練程序，設計該程序的目的是為了改善聽覺信息處理的速度和準確性；而另一組被要求觀看一系列的教育DVD并根據這些DVD的內容回答一些多選題。在8個星期的時間里共進行了40個小時的訓練后，接受聽覺訓練的組表現出了比沒有進行聽覺訓練的組更快的神經計時(neural timing)能力，并且顯示出了記憶、處理速度和在背景噪音中感受語音的能力的改善。這組作者說，短期聽覺訓練誘導出現了神經可塑性并且帶來了老年人與年齡相關的神經計時衰退的部分逆轉。老年人對感覺輸入信息的反應時間通常會增加，這常常導致感受語音的困難，特別是在嘈雜環境中難以感受語音，而這組作者提出聽力訓練可能幫助逆轉這類聽力困難。
Reversal of age-related neural timing delays with training
Samira Andersona, Travis White-Schwocha, Alexandra Parbery-Clarka, and Nina Krausa,b,c,d,1
Neural slowing is commonly noted in older adults, with consequences
for sensory, motor, and cognitive domains. One of the deleterious
effects of neural slowing is impairment of temporal resolution; older
adults, therefore, have reduced ability to process the rapid events that
characterize speech, especially in noisy environments. Although hearing
aids provide increased audibility, they cannot compensate for deficits
in auditory temporal processing. Auditory training may provide a
strategy to address these deficits. To that end, we evaluated the
effects of auditory-based cognitive training on the temporal precision
of subcortical processing of speech in noise. After training, older
adults exhibited faster neural timing and experienced gains in memory,
speed of processing, and speech-in-noise perception, whereas a matched
control group showed no changes. Training was also associated with
decreased variability of brainstem response peaks, suggesting a decrease
in temporal jitter in response to a speech signal. These results
demonstrate that auditory-based cognitive training can partially restore
age-related deficits in temporal processing in the brain; this
plasticity in turn promotes better cognitive and perceptual skills.