Auditory processing disorders with and without central auditory discrimination deficits

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Audiology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Auditory processing disorder (APD) diagnosis relies heavily on speech tests.
• A lack of non-speech tests hinders differentiation between APD and other disorders like language impairments.
• Accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective intervention in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of current APD diagnostic procedures.
• To introduce and assess novel auditory discrimination tests for central auditory processing.
• To differentiate between central auditory processing deficits and higher-order cognitive/language deficits.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated 84 children (6-17 years) diagnosed or suspected with APD using standard audiological tests.
• Administered novel auditory discrimination tests assessing brainstem and diencephalic/telencephalic processing.
• Compared clinical group data against normative data from over 300 healthy children.

Main Results:

• Significant divergence observed between audiological clinic diagnoses and discrimination test results.
• 30 out of 39 children diagnosed with APD showed auditory performance deficits.
• 32 out of 45 children with negative APD diagnoses exhibited clear central auditory deficits.

Conclusions:

• Current APD diagnostic procedures may not accurately differentiate central auditory processing deficits.
• Revised diagnostic protocols are needed to better distinguish APD from language or cognitive impairments.
• Novel auditory discrimination tests show promise for more precise diagnosis of auditory processing issues.