[Otoacoustic emissions as cochlear function analyser in children with language disorders]

Speech perception that takes place in the cochlea is involved in the process of language. The objective was to describe the findings in transient otoacoustic emissions in children with language problems before and after 6 months of speech therapy.

There were 17 children with language problems between 3 and 6 years of age diagnosed with anarthric language delay (expressive and mixed language disorder). They underwent medical history, otoscopy, intelligence level testing, initial language test, tympanometry of 226Hz, audiometry and transient otoacoustic emission test.

We evaluated the 17 patients again after 6 months of attending speech therapy. The percentage of overall reproducibility of transient otoacoustic emissions in both ears was adequate to perform frequency analysis. We found a statistically significant difference (P≤0.01) in the frequency of 1kHz reproducibility when comparing results before and after therapy in the right ear. There was a significant difference (P≤0.05) when comparing the results of audiometry at frequencies of 0.5, 1.5, 2, 4 and 8kHz in the right ear and a highly significant difference (P=0.001) in the frequency of 3kHz in the left ear.

The analysis of sound through the cochlea is involved in the process of language acquisition. A poor processing of speech sounds in the peripheral system could result in poor processing at the central level. Consequently, it is important to consider our results when making a diagnosis and carrying out rehabilitation treatment in children with language disorders.