Auditory processing in children with dyslexia: electrophysiological and behavior evaluation

To compare the performances of children with dyslexia and a control group in behavioral tests of (Central) Auditory Processing and Long Latency Auditory Evoked Potentials (P300).

Participants were 22 individuals with dyslexia (study group) and 16 individuals with typical development (control group). All individuals underwent behavioral and electrophysiological assessment of (Central) Auditory Processing (Frequency Pattern Test, Dichotic Digit Test, Speech-in-Noise Test, and P300).

Concerning the behavioral tests, there was difference between groups for the Frequency Pattern Test and for the left ear in the Dichotic Digit Test, with worse performance observed in the study group. Considering the P300, there was difference between groups regarding amplitude and latency absolute values, but this finding was not statistically significant.

The findings suggest that individuals with dyslexia present temporal auditory processing and figure-ground alterations, which was evidenced by behavioral auditory processing tests. There was no difference between the performance of both groups for the P300 test.