Linguistic information may compensate for age-related decline in attentional filtering.

Increased reliance on higher-level linguistic processing compensates for age-related decline in attentional filtering during multitalker speech comprehension, especially in older adults.

• Why it matters: Understanding how aging affects speech comprehension in social settings is crucial as age-related auditory and attentional declines can impair communication. Addressing this gap can inform strategies to support older adults’ social interactions and quality of life.
• What they did: The study analyzed EEG signals from 63 participants aged 19 to 71 performing a multitalker speech task, using multivariate temporal response function modeling and behavioral responses to examine neural and behavioral mechanisms.
• The result: Findings reveal that older adults show increased distractor representation and rely more on linguistic cues, which may serve as adaptive mechanisms to mitigate age-related impairments in attentional filtering.