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Published on: October 19, 2014
Stroke caused auditory attention deficits in children
Karla Maria Ibraim da Freiria Elias1, Maria Valeriana Leme de Moura-Ribeiro
1Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Insights
Children with stroke exhibit auditory attention deficits, particularly when processing multiple sound sources. This impacts their ability to focus and direct attention effectively.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
- Auditory Processing
Background:
- Auditory selective attention is crucial for development.
- Children with stroke may experience various neurological impairments.
- Understanding auditory processing deficits in pediatric stroke is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate auditory selective attention in children following a stroke.
- To identify specific attention deficits related to stroke-induced brain damage.
Main Methods:
- Utilized dichotic tests for binaural separation and integration.
- Assessed 13 children (7-16 years) with unilateral stroke.
- Employed non-verbal, consonant-vowel, digits, and Staggered Spondaic Words Test (SSW).
Main Results:
- Children with stroke showed significant differences in auditory attention compared to controls.
- Deficits included reduced ear identification, difficulty directing attention, and modified perceptual asymmetry.
- Binaural integration tests revealed ipsilateral, contralateral, and bilateral deficits.
Conclusions:
- Unilateral stroke in children impairs auditory selective attention.
- These deficits are evident when processing simultaneous auditory information.
- Findings highlight the impact of stroke on complex auditory processing.
Objective:
To verify the auditory selective attention in children with stroke.
Methods:
Dichotic tests of binaural separation (non-verbal and consonant-vowel) and binaural integration - digits and Staggered Spondaic Words Test (SSW) - were applied in 13 children (7 boys), from 7 to 16 years, with unilateral stroke confirmed by neurological examination and neuroimaging.
Results:
The attention performance showed significant differences in comparison to the control group in both kinds of tests. In the non-verbal test, identifications the ear opposite the lesion in the free recall stage was diminished and, in the following stages, a difficulty in directing attention was detected. In the consonant- vowel test, a modification in perceptual asymmetry and difficulty in focusing in the attended stages was found. In the digits and SSW tests, ipsilateral, contralateral and bilateral deficits were detected, depending on the characteristics of the lesions and demand of the task.
Conclusion:
Stroke caused auditory attention deficits when dealing with simultaneous sources of auditory information.
