Sensitivity, specificity and efficiency of speech-evoked ABR

We determined the sensitivity, specificity and efficiency of speech-evoked Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) as a diagnostic support for Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) and specific language impairment (SLI). Speech-evoked ABRs were elicited using the five-formant syllable/da/. The waveforms V, A, C, D, E, F, and O of all groups were analyzed. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed to determine the optimum cut-off. Seventy-five children who were native speakers of Brazilian-Portuguese participated. The participants included 25 children with APD, 25 children with SLI and 25 with typical development. Statistical analysis demonstrated a cut-off for latency values of 6.48, 7.51, 17.82, 22.33, 30.79, 39.54 and 48.00 for V, A, C, D, E, F, and O waves, respectively. The A wave exhibited superior balance for the APD group. For the SLI group, the A, D and O waves exhibited the best balance. Furthermore, when analyzing the APD and SLI groups separately, better sensitivity values were observed for the SLI group than the APD group. Speech-evoked ABR is a useful test to identify auditory processing disorders and language impairment. Furthermore, this study represented an important step forward in establishing the clinical utility of speech-evoked ABR in Brazilian Portuguese-speaking children.