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Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
Published on: January 29, 2014
Cortical-evoked potentials reflect speech-in-noise perception in children
Samira Anderson1, Bharath Chandrasekaran, Han-Gyol Yi
1Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA. sba@u.northwestern.edu
The European Journal of Neuroscience
|October 19, 2010
Summary
Noise significantly impacts children's speech-in-noise (SIN) perception. Children with poorer SIN skills show impaired central auditory processing, affecting their ability to understand speech in noisy environments.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Speech Perception
Background:
- Children are vulnerable to noise effects on speech perception.
- Central auditory processing deficits are linked to speech-in-noise (SIN) difficulties.
- The mechanistic link between central processes and SIN perception remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate noise effects on central speech encoding using cortical event-related potentials.
- To correlate cortical processing with behavioral SIN perception measures.
Main Methods:
- Recorded cortical responses to speech syllables in quiet and noise.
- Utilized multi-talker babble noise.
- Assessed 32 children with varying SIN perception abilities.
Main Results:
- Noise disproportionately affected auditory function in lower SIN perceivers.
- Cortical amplitudes remained stable in top SIN perceivers but increased in bottom SIN perceivers.
- Suggests a developmental central processing impairment in children with poor SIN skills.
Conclusions:
- Noise impacts central auditory processing differently based on SIN perception ability.
- Impaired central processing may underlie difficulties in understanding speech in noise for some children.
- Findings highlight the importance of central auditory function for effective speech-in-noise perception in children.
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