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Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
Published on: January 29, 2014
Development of fMRI tests for children with central auditory processing disorders
Sylva Bartel-Friedrich1, Yvette Broecker, Manfred Knoergen
1Department of Phoniatrics and Pedaudiology, Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, D-06097 Halle (Saale), Germany. sylva.bartel-friedrich@medizin.uni-halle.de
In Vivo (Athens, Greece)
|April 6, 2010
Summary
This study developed functional MRI (fMRI) tests for diagnosing central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). The fMRI paradigms showed typical brain activation patterns for auditory functions in healthy children and adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), also known as auditive Verarbeitungs- und Wahrnehmungsstörung (AVWS), encompasses complex disorders affecting central auditory function.
- Current diagnostic methods for CAPD may benefit from advanced imaging techniques to improve accuracy and treatment monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) test set for diagnosing CAPD.
- To establish imaging-based diagnostic tools for CAPD.
- To potentially enhance diagnostic performance and treatment outcome monitoring for CAPD.
Main Methods:
- fMRI was conducted on 11 healthy children (7-10 years) and 11 healthy adults (23-31 years).
- fMRI paradigms were based on three established CAPD diagnostic tests: Hannover phoneme discrimination test (HPDT), auditory memory span test (MST), and dichotic listening test (DLT).
Main Results:
- HPDT demonstrated activations in the superior temporal gyrus (STG), Broca area, and left middle temporal gyrus.
- MST revealed bilateral STG and hippocampal activations, with no clear activity in the left supramarginal gyrus.
- DLT showed bilateral STG and left inferior frontal gyrus activations.
- The developed fMRI paradigms generally exhibited typical activation patterns for the assessed central auditory functions.
Conclusions:
- The fMRI test set provides a foundation for future neuroimaging studies in individuals with AVWS/CAPD.
- These findings establish reference brain activation patterns for central auditory processing in healthy subjects.
- This approach may offer a more objective method for diagnosing and managing CAPD.
