What does phonemic regression refer to?

Phonemic regression specifically refers to the phenomenon where an individual experiences a significant decrease in speech understanding despite relatively preserved hearing sensitivity, particularly in cases associated with presbycusis, which is age-related hearing loss. This issue is particularly pronounced when the auditory input remains intact, but the brain's ability to process and interpret speech sounds diminishes.

As individuals age, neural processing related to sound may deteriorate, which hampers their ability to comprehend speech even though they can detect sound. This is why the correct answer identifies the loss of understanding as the key aspect of phonemic regression, distinguishing it from other options that focus more on physical hearing loss or environmental challenges faced in specific auditory situations.

Loss of hearing sensitivity refers to a general decline in the ability to hear sounds without necessarily affecting comprehension. Difficulty in sound localization pertains to challenges in determining the direction of sound sources, and hearing in noisy environments refers to the struggle to understand speech amid background noise, both of which are not inherently connected to the concept of phonemic regression.