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Auditory temporal processing deficits in children with periventricular brain injury
Andrea L S Downie1, Lorna S Jakobson, Virginia Frisk
1Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. andrea.downie@sickkids.ca
Brain and Language
|February 6, 2002
Summary
Extremely low birthweight (ELBW) children with brain injuries show auditory temporal processing deficits, impacting reading skills. These deficits may directly affect speech and phonological abilities, contributing to reading difficulties in ELBW individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Extremely low birthweight (ELBW) children face increased risks for neurodevelopmental challenges.
- Periventricular brain injury is a common complication in ELBW infants, potentially affecting cognitive functions.
- Reading difficulties are prevalent among ELBW survivors, but underlying mechanisms require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between periventricular brain injury and auditory temporal processing deficits in ELBW children.
- To examine the association between auditory temporal processing, speech sound discrimination, phonological processing, and reading abilities in ELBW children.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of auditory temporal order judgment scores between ELBW children with and without periventricular brain injury, and full-term controls.
- Utilized structural equation modeling to test competing models explaining the link between auditory temporal processing and reading difficulties.
Main Results:
- ELBW children with mild or severe brain lesions performed significantly worse on auditory temporal order judgments compared to ELBW children without brain injury and full-term peers.
- A model where auditory temporal processing deficits directly predict speech sound discrimination and phonological processing showed a better fit than a model involving working memory deficits.
Conclusions:
- Auditory temporal processing impairments are associated with periventricular brain injury in ELBW children.
- These auditory processing deficits may be a key factor contributing to the reading difficulties observed in ELBW individuals, potentially by affecting foundational speech and language skills.