Modality Specificity of Auditory and Visual Pattern Recognition: Implications for the Assessment of Central Auditory Processing Disorders

Background: Amblyaudia is a weakness in the listener’s binaural processing of auditory information. Subjects with amblyaudia also demonstrate binaural integration deficits and may display similar patterns in their evoked responses in terms of latency and amplitude of these responses. The purpose of this study was to identify the presence of amblyaudia in a population of young children subjects and to measure mismatch negativity (MMN), P300 and cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) for those individuals.Methods: Subjects included in this study were divided into 2 groups control group that consisted of 20 normal hearing subjects with normal developmental milestones and normal speech development. The study group (GII) consisted of 50 subjects with central auditory processing disorders (CAPDs) diagnosed by central auditory screening tests. Results: With using dichotic tests including dichotic digits test (DDT) and competing sentence test (CST), we could classify these cases into normal, dichotic dysaudia, amblyaudia, and amblyaudia plus with percentages (40%, 14%, 38%, 8% respectively). Using event related potentials, we found that P300 and MMN are more specific in detecting neurocognitive dysfunction related to allocation of attentional resources and immediate memory in these cases.Conclusions: The presence of amblyaudia in cases of central auditory processing disorders (CAPDs) and event related potentials is an objective tool for diagnosis, prognosis and follow up after rehabilitation.

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Auditory training in auditory processing disorders (APD)

Postępy Nauk Medycznych ◽

10.25121/pnm.2020.33.3.69 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Magdalena Dunaj ◽

Anna Lobaczuk-Sitnik ◽

Malgorzata Rozanska ◽

Emilia Duchnowska ◽

Bozena Kosztyla-Hojna ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Auditory Processing ◽

Speech Therapy ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Therapeutic Process ◽

Correct Diagnosis ◽

Auditory Training ◽

Diagnostic Code ◽

Central Auditory Processing ◽

Auditory Processing Disorders ◽

Central Auditory Processing Disorders

Auditory processing disorders (APD) are characterized by a reduction in the efficiency of auditory processing, which results in a deficit in identifying and interpreting sounds by the brain. In 2017, auditory processing disorders were awarded an individual diagnostic code. Symptoms that indicate the presence of auditory processing disorders are numerous and non-specific. The primary symptom of impaired auditory processing is difficulty understanding speech in noise. This disorder affects about 5-7% of children. Most often, the result of at least two tests included in the set is considered to be the determinant which constitutes the basis for the diagnosis of disorders. In the diagnostic and therapeutic process of children with auditory processing disorders, the correct diagnosis is of key importance, thanks to which it will be possible to conduct an appropriate treatment. All therapeutic methods, tasks activating auditory perception and language skills should be selected reliably, individually for each participant of the therapy. The use of the so-called auditory training during corrective-compensatory and speech therapy classes in children with central auditory processing disorders should be the standard. It is the main method of treating children with central hearing impairment. Auditory training includes auditory education based on stimulating child’s auditory predispositions and on developing the ability to use them in order to gain better orientation in the environment. At present, therapists in Poland may use various types of therapeutic interactions that have a positive impact on the development of a child’s hearing skills. The aim of the work is to discuss auditory training and to present speech therapy exercises helpful in the therapeutic process of children with auditory processing disorders.

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