Assessment of children with suspected auditory processing disorder: a factor analysis study

Area of Science:

• Auditory Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Audiology

Background:

• Children with listening difficulties despite normal hearing may have auditory processing disorder (APD).
• Defining APD is challenging due to a lack of universal consensus.
• This study investigates children with suspected APD (susAPD) to clarify underlying factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors contributing to listening deficits in children with suspected APD (susAPD).
• To explore the roles of attention, cognition, memory, processing speed, and auditory processing in susAPD.
• To understand how non-auditory and supramodal factors relate to auditory measures in susAPD.

Main Methods:

• Factor analysis was applied to data from 110 children (aged 6-11) with susAPD.
• Children were assessed using the SCAN-C and the MRC Institute of Hearing Research Multi-center Auditory Processing (IMAP) test batteries.
• Tests included auditory processing, cognitive functions (working memory, nonverbal intelligence), and sensorimotor processing speed.

Main Results:

• Three primary factors emerged: 'general auditory processing,' 'working memory and executive attention,' and 'processing speed and alerting attention.'
• Specific tests loaded onto these factors, indicating distinct but related cognitive and auditory domains.
• Impairments solely in general auditory processing were uncommon, suggesting a multifactorial basis for susAPD.

Conclusions:

• Deficits in children with susAPD are underpinned by general auditory processing, working memory, executive attention, processing speed, and alerting attention.
• These cognitive and auditory factors may explain the overlap between susAPD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Further research and consensus on diagnostic criteria and reliable testing are needed for APD.