Long latency auditory evoked potentials in children with phonological disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Speech and Hearing Sciences
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Phonological disorder impacts speech sound development in children.
• Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) assess the auditory pathway's function.
• Long-latency AEPs (LLAEPs) offer insights into central auditory processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• Characterize LLAEPs (N1, P2, N2, P300) in children with phonological disorder.
• Evaluate the efficacy of speech therapy in improving LLAEPs.
• Investigate potential correlations between LLAEP changes and clinical factors.

Main Methods:

• Compared LLAEPs in 41 children with phonological disorder and 25 controls.
• Assessed two subgroups of children with phonological disorder: one receiving speech therapy (n=22), the other a control (n=19).
• Utilized basic audiological evaluation and LLAEP testing before and after intervention/time interval.

Main Results:

• Children with phonological disorder exhibited significant differences in P2 and P300 latencies and P300 amplitude compared to controls.
• P300 alterations were most common in the phonological disorder group, often presenting as increased latency.
• Speech therapy led to improvements across all LLAEP components, particularly P300 amplitude in one subgroup.

Conclusions:

• Altered P300 in children with phonological disorder suggests central auditory pathway involvement and auditory processing deficits.
• Speech therapy demonstrates a positive impact on auditory processing, as reflected by LLAEP improvements.
• LLAEPs serve as a valuable tool for assessing auditory processing in phonological disorder and treatment outcomes.