Speech in noise listening correlates identified in resting state and DTI MRI images.

Abstract

This study presents an examination of the neural connectivity associated with processing speech in noisy environments, an ability that declines with age. We correlated subjects' speech-in-noise (SIN) ability with resting-state MRI scans and Fractional Anisotropy (FA) values from the auditory section of the corpus callosum, both with and without correcting for age. The results revealed that subjects who performed poorly on the right ear SIN test (QuickSIN, MedRx) had higher correlations between the primary auditory cortex and regions of the brain that process language. Subjects who performed well on the QuickSIN test had stronger correlations bilaterally between the primary auditory cortices, however, this finding was due to age. Likewise, FA values seem best explained by age not SIN. The Ig2 region of the insula showed significant correlation with right ear SIN when correcting for age.