Timing abilities help organizing the temporal structure of events but are known to change systematically with age. Yet, how the neuronal signature of temporal predictability changes across the age span remains unclear. Younger (n = 21; 23.1 years) and older adults (n = 21; 68.5 years) performed an auditory oddball task, consisting of isochronous and random sound sequences. Results confirm an altered P50 response in the older compared to younger participants. P50 amplitudes differed between the isochronous and random temporal structures in younger, and for P200 in the older group. These results suggest less efficient sensory gating in older adults in both isochronous and random auditory sequences. N100 amplitudes were more negative for deviant tones. P300 amplitudes were parietally enhanced in younger, but not in older adults. In younger participants, the P50 results confirm that this component marks temporal predictability, indicating sensitive gating of temporally regular sound sequences.

计时能力有助于组织事件的时间结构，但众所周知，它会随着年龄而系统地改变。然而，时间可预测性的神经元特征如何随年龄变化而变化仍不清楚。年轻人（n = 21；23.1 岁）和老年人（n= 21; 68.5 岁）执行了一项听觉古怪任务，包括等时和随机的声音序列。结果证实，与年轻参与者相比，老年人的 P50 反应发生了改变。年轻组的等时和随机时间结构之间的 P50 振幅不同，而年长组的 P200 则不同。这些结果表明，在同步和随机听觉序列中，老年人的感觉门控效率较低。对于异常音调，N100 振幅更负。P300 振幅在年轻人中增强，但在老年人中没有增强。在年轻参与者中，P50 结果证实该分量标志着时间可预测性，表明时间规则声音序列的敏感门控。