[Is cochlear processing involved in language disorders?]

Otoacoustic emissions are evidence of the existence of an active process in the cochlea, and the motility of the outer hair cells means that they can change the cochlear mechanical response. We believe that incorrect processing of the sounds of language in the cochlea can result in impaired language processes.

Data were collected from the patient record; neurological, visual and auditory examination; Weschler intelligence scale; initial language test (ILT); brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and transient otoacoustic emissions. The results of the ILT were used to form three groups: controls, pathological and pathological with normal ILT.

All the children presented a response at 20 dB by means of the BAEPs. In the transient otoacoustic emissions, Student's t test was conducted between the right and the left ear for total reproducibility and reproducibility at different band frequencies within each group. No significant differences were observed. The same test was carried out between groups (controls versus pathological, controls versus pathological with normal ILT, and pathological versus pathological with normal ILT) in the right and left ears; no significant differences were found in the total reproducibility for the two ears. No significant differences were found in the reproducibility at different frequency bands for the left ear, but some were found in the case of the right ear.

Laterality from the periphery exists for language processing and if this process fails to perform correctly, due to malfunctioning of the outer hair cells, language may be affected.