Auditory Processing in Stuttering Children: Behavioral and Electrophysiological Assessments.

Auditory processing is the analysis of sounds' attributions such as localization, lateralization, temporality, frequency, loudness, phase, auditory memory and auditory attention through primer and secondar central auditory paths. This study aims to show that music contributes on auditory processing by applying central auditory tests on two groups who are musicians and nonmusicians. The participants in this study are aged between 20 and 40. The mean age of the musician participants is 24.40±3.811, when the mean age of non-musician participants is 26.07±4.525. Each group has 30 participants. All participants got examined for otorhinolaryngology and they were tested for pure tone audiometry and immitansmetric measurement. For musician participants, this study included people who have professional music career for at least 5 years and for non-musician participants, it has been included those who are capable of normal hearing. All participants tested for Frequency Patterns Test (FPT), Duration Patterns Test (DPT), Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT) and Staggered Spondaic Word Test (SSWT). The results of the FPT, DPT, RGDT and SSWT tests applied to musician and non-musician participants indicate that there is a statistical significance on auditory processing between these two groups (p<0.05). It is founded that there is a considerable difference as a result of statistical significance between the tests from right to left and from left to right (p<0.05). In addition, it is founded that musician participants have much more comprehension ability in the tests from left to right than the tests from right to lefts. This study indicates that people who are interested in music professionally have developed auditory processing skills and senses than people who does not show any professional interest in music.

Purpose: to generate reference values for different behavioral central auditory processing (CAP) tests in normally hearing adults, with age stratification, as well as to compare the results, according to the presence or absence of CAP disorder (CAPD). Methods: the study sample consisted of 94 adults with normal auditory thresholds, with at least 11 years of schooling, who were divided into two groups, according to the performance in the Dichotic Sentences Identification Test (DSI), Masking Level Difference (MLD), Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT), Adapted Time-Compressed Speech (ATCS) and Duration and Frequency Pattern Tests (DPT/FPT).The 64 subjects who presented normality in all the tests formed the G1 group and the 30 subjects who presented alteration in at least one of them, originated the G2 group. To accomplish the analysis it was used the Mann-Whitney U Test. In all analyzes, the significance level was 5% (p≤0.05). Results: the sum of the two standard deviations for the mean performance of G1 yielded reference values for the different tests addressed. When G1 and G2 groups were compared, G1 presented better results, this being significant in the DSI (left ear), MLD, RGDT, DPT and FPT tests, for the group aged between 18 and 29 years and, DSI (right ear), RGDT and ATCS (right ear), for the group from 30 to 58 years. Conclusion: it was possible to generate reference values for different behavioral tests of CAP in normally hearing adults, as well as to verify a better performance for the group with no CAPD.

Evaluation of central auditory processing in children with developmental dyslexia.

Purpose Objective: To analyze auditory information processing responses in young adult subjects with tinnitus disorder. Methods A descriptive and quantitative study was conducted, involving 36 subjects aged between 19 and 35 years. The subjects were divided into two groups: Group 1 (20 subjects with chronic tinnitus) and Group 2 (16 subjects without tinnitus). All participants underwent medical history assessment, Visual Inspection of the External Auditory Canal, Pure-Tone Audiometry, Speech Audiometry, Acoustic Immittance Measures, and used Behavioral Central Auditory Processing Tests as an evaluation tool - Dichotic Digits Test (TDD), Frequency Pattern Test, Speech in Noise, Masking Level Difference, and Gap in Noise (GIN). Results Statistically significant differences were found between the groups for TDD responses in the left ear and for GIN in both ears. Conclusion Young adults with chronic tinnitus exhibit impairments in binaural integration and temporal resolution skills.

Evaluate the effects of therapy with citalopram on the central auditory processing in the elderly measured by central auditory tests. Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Tertiary referral center. Thirty-nine patients older than 60 years with normal hearing thresholds or symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss up to 70 dBHL, word-recognition score equal to or better than 70%, and diagnosed with central auditory processing disorders completed the study. They underwent the mini-mental state examination, as a way to screen those with the possibility of dementia; they also underwent the Beck depression inventory, for screening individuals with depression. Citalopram 20 mg/d or placebo for 6 months. The central auditory tests were applied to the selection of individuals with auditory processing disorders and repeated after 6 months' treatment. The tests were sound localization, speech in noise, dichotic digits test, pitch pattern sequence, duration pattern test, and gaps-in-noise. Comparisons of central auditory tests pre- and posttreatment in groups showed: sound localization (p = 0.022), pitch pattern sequence humming (p = 0.110), pitch pattern sequence nomination (p = 0.355), duration pattern test humming (p = 0.801), duration pattern test nomination (p = 0.614), and gaps-in-noise (p = 0.230). Dichotic tests in right and left ears respectively: speech in noise (p = 0.949; p = 0.722), dichotic digits test (p = 0.943; p = 0.513). There was no clinical effect with the use of citalopram in central auditory processing tests of the subjects.

To analyze and compare outcomes of clinical tests assessing auditory processing (AP) in adults with normal hearing across age groups and to propose reference values. A total of 116 adults aged 18 to 59 years, all with normal hearing, no auditory complaints, and native speakers of Brazilian Portuguese, were evaluated. The following verbal and nonverbal tests were administered: Masking Level Difference (MLD), Gaps-In-Noise (GIN), Pitch Pattern Sequence (PPS), Duration Pattern Sequence (DPS), and Dichotic Digits Test (DDT). The GIN, PPS, and DDT showed significant differences beginning at 40 years of age. For the DPS, significant differences were observed between individuals aged 18-29 years and those aged 50-59 years. In the DDT, significant differences were found in the right ear beginning at 50 years and in the left ear beginning at 40 years. The MLD was the only test that did not show age-related differences. A decline in auditory processing test performance was observed with increasing age, even before senescence. The age at which significant changes occurred varied across tests, highlighting the need to establish age-specific reference values. The MLD was the only test that remained stable throughout adulthood. The proposed reference values are as follows: MLD, 8-14 dB (18-59 years); GIN, ≤ 6 ms (18-39 years) and ≤ 8 ms (40-59 years); PPS, ≥ 76.6% (18-39 years) and ≥ 63.0% (40-59 years); DPS, ≥ 90.3% (18-29 years), ≥ 80.0% (30-49 years), and ≥ 70.0% (50-59 years); DDT-RE, ≥ 98.5% (18-49 years) and ≥ 93.2% (50-59 years); DDT-LE, ≥ 97.5% (18-39 years) and ≥ 95.0% (40-59 years).

Background This study was conducted to comprehensively examine the central auditory processing (CAP) abilities of patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) as well as to compare the results with cognitively normal elderly controls. Methods A total of 78 participants were screened through pure-tone audiometry and word recognition score in order to exclude peripheral auditory dysfunction. Forty-five people passed screening tests, and 33 people failed. Finally, 25 aMCI (mean age = 71.52 ± 4.8; male : female = 24 : 76) and 20 controls (mean age = 73.45 ± 4.32; male : female = 45 : 55) were enrolled in the study. Seven CAP tests (frequency pattern test, duration pattern test, Gap-In-Noise© test, dichotic digits test, low-pass filtered word test, speech perception in noise test, and binaural fusion test) were conducted only after the two groups passed the screening. A linear mixed model was applied to analyze CAP tests except for the binaural fusion test. For the binaural fusion test, the independent t-test was used to compare the means of test score between two groups. Results The aMCI group had a decrease in the mean score of the frequency pattern test, duration pattern test, Gaps-In-Noise© test, dichotic digits test, and speech perception in noise test compared with the control group. Conclusion The aMCI group's CAP abilities were significantly lower than those of the control group. Thus, if the cognitive assessment and hearing evaluation are conducted in combination, the sensitivity of the diagnostic process for aMCI will be increased.

Auditory and language skills in children with cleft lip and palate

central auditory processing and exposure to metallic mercury. to evaluate the performance on tests of central auditory processing in adolescents exposed to metallic mercury. participants were 52 adolescents, of both genders, who presented hearing thresholds within normal limits. The study group (SG) was composed by 21 adolescents who worked on the burning of gold-mercury amalgams, on the re-burning of gold in stores that sell this metal or who lived next to gold mines or gold shops. The control group (CG) was composed by 31 adolescents who had no history of exposure to mercury. Investigation procedures included the application of a clinical, occupational and mercury exposure history questionnaire, basic audiometric assessment as well as central auditory processing tests. Statistical significant differences in the auditory processing tests of non-verbal sound sequence memory test (p = 0,001), frequency pattern test (p = 0,000), duration pattern test (p = 0,000) and SSW test in Portuguese (p = 0,006) were observed between SG and CG. adolescents exposed to metallic mercury presented a lower performance on most of the auditory processing tests when compared to those who had no history of exposure to mercury. The main deficit found in the study was related to difficulty in distinguishing successive brief sounds.

The aim of this study was to examine attention, memory, and auditory processing in children with reported listening difficulty in noise (LDN) despite having clinically normal hearing. Twenty-one children with LDN and 15 children with no listening concerns (controls) participated. The clinically normed auditory processing tests included the Frequency/Pitch Pattern Test (FPT; Musiek, 2002), the Dichotic Digits Test (Musiek, 1983), the Listening in Spatialized Noise-Sentences (LiSN-S) test (Dillon, Cameron, Glyde, Wilson, & Tomlin, 2012), gap detection in noise (Baker, Jayewardene, Sayle, & Saeed, 2008), and masking level difference (MLD; Wilson, Moncrieff, Townsend, & Pillion, 2003). Also included were research-based psychoacoustic tasks, such as auditory stream segregation, localization, sinusoidal amplitude modulation (SAM), and fine structure perception. All were also evaluated on attention and memory test batteries. The LDN group was significantly slower switching their auditory attention and had poorer inhibitory control. Additionally, the group mean results showed significantly poorer performance on FPT, MLD, 4-Hz SAM, and memory tests. Close inspection of the individual data revealed that only 5 participants (out of 21) in the LDN group showed significantly poor performance on FPT compared with clinical norms. Further testing revealed the frequency discrimination of these 5 children to be significantly impaired. Thus, the LDN group showed deficits in attention switching and inhibitory control, whereas only a subset of these participants demonstrated an additional frequency resolution deficit.

Voice Quality and Auditory Processing in Subjects with and Without Musical Experience

We tested the specific hypothesis that the presentation of auditory processing disorder (APD) is related to a sensory processing deficit. Randomly chosen, 6- to 11-year-old children with normal hearing (N = 1469) were tested in schools in 4 regional centers across the United Kingdom. Caregivers completed questionnaires regarding their participating children's listening and communication skills. Children completed a battery of audiometric, auditory processing (AP), speech-in-noise, cognitive (IQ, memory, language, and literacy), and attention (auditory and visual) tests. AP measures separated the sensory and nonsensory contributions to spectral and temporal perception. AP improved with age. Poor-for-age AP was significantly related to poor cognitive, communication, and speech-in-noise performance (P < .001). However, sensory elements of perception were only weakly related to those performance measures (r < 0.1), and correlations between auditory perception and cognitive scores were generally low (r = 0.1-0.3). Multivariate regression analysis showed that response variability in the AP tests, reflecting attention, and cognitive scores were the best predictors of listening, communication, and speech-in-noise skills. Presenting symptoms of APD were largely unrelated to auditory sensory processing. Response variability and cognitive performance were the best predictors of poor communication and listening. We suggest that APD is primarily an attention problem and that clinical diagnosis and management, as well as further research, should be based on that premise.

speech comprehension difficulty is a very common complaint of individuals with tinnitus with and without hearing loss. This study was conducted in order to analyze if tinnitus interferes in auditory processing and speech comprehension in individuals with normal hearing levels. to asses and compare the auditory behavior of temporal resolution and selective attention of adults with normal hearing levels with and without tinnitus. 45 individuals, 15 with continuous tinnitus and 30 without tinnitus were selected and assessed by three auditory processing tests: Speech in Noise Test, Dichotic Digits Test and Gaps in Noise. After that, the results of each group were compared by appropriated statistic's tests; one of them was ANOVA. there were no significant statistical differences between the groups and both ears. tinnitus did not interfere in the auditory abilities of selective attention and temporal resolution.

Auditory processing disorder in patients with language-learning impairment and correlation with malformation of cortical development

The nature of auditory processing deficits is at the heart of understanding auditory processing disorder (APD) in children. This article reviews evidence that confounding nonsensory factors, including maturation, processing efficiency, and cognition, influence auditory processing in children with APD or language learning impairment. Experimental evidence is presented to show that performance thresholds on nonspeech auditory processing (AP) tests, such as tone detection tasks in noise or in quiet, are poorer in children clinically diagnosed with APD or specific language impairment (SLI), compared to typically developing mainstream school (MS) children. However, with the exception of backward masking, these group differences disappeared for all AP tests after accounting for nonverbal IQ. Intrinsic attention, indexed by variability in AP test performance, was examined alongside AP threshold performance. Generally there was no difference in intrinsic attention across the three participant groups (MS, SLI, APD), but frequency discrimination (FD) was an exception. Thus, although reduced intrinsic attention has been shown to be a factor in the presenting symptoms of APD, including poor listening, speech intelligibility, and communication, there is, surprisingly, no robust evidence that intrinsic attention in children identified with APD or SLI is any poorer than that in typically developing children.