Linguistic multi-feature paradigm as an eligible measure of central auditory processing and novelty detection in...

This study evaluated whether the linguistic multi-feature paradigm with five types of speech-sound changes and novel sounds is an eligible neurophysiologic measure of central auditory processing in toddlers. Participants were 18 typically developing 2-year-old children. Syllable stimuli elicited significant obligatory responses and syllable changes significant MMN (mismatch negativity) which suggests that toddlers can discriminate auditory features from alternating speech-sound stream. The MMNs were lateralized similarly as found earlier in adults. Furthermore, novel sounds elicited a significant novelty P3 response. Thus, the linguistic multi-feature paradigm with novel sounds is feasible for the concurrent investigation of the different stages of central auditory processing in 2-year-old children, ranging from pre-attentive encoding and discrimination of stimuli to attentional mechanisms in speech-like research compositions. As a conclusion, this time-efficient paradigm can be applied to investigating central auditory development and impairments in toddlers in whom developmental changes of speech-related cortical functions and language are rapid.