AGE-RELATED ALTERATIONS IN AUDIOVISUAL INTEGRATION: A BRIEF OVERVIEW

Abstract

Population ageing—a global social issue—is one of the principal challenges of the future, at least in the next few decades. Because dysfunctions arise in auditory sensory processing and visual sensory processing during healthy ageing, the function of audiovisual integration (AVI), the process of integrating auditory and visual information to correctly perceive the external environment, is also considerably altered throughout one’s lifespan. Some studies have suggested the application of multisensory perception in developing rehabilitation methods for elderly adults. Therefore, it is crucial to understand what changes occur and how the ageing brain compensates for these changes. However, because of the inherent complexity of unisensory perceptions and multisensory integration, thus far, there have been no systematic investigations on this matter. To shed light on the basic mechanisms involved in the influence of age on AVI, this comprehensive literature review summarizes the current behavioural and neural studies on AVI in ageing and discusses directions for future investigation.