Binaural sensitivity to temporal fine structure and lateralization ability in children with suspected (central)...

Area of Science:

• Auditory Neuroscience
• Pediatric Audiology

Background:

• Children with suspected (central) auditory processing disorder (SusCAPD) often face difficulties understanding speech in noisy environments.
• Binaural temporal fine structure (TFS) is crucial for segregating sound and perceiving speech in noise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of binaural TFS processing in children with SusCAPD experiencing listening difficulties in noise.
• To compare binaural TFS sensitivity and lateralization abilities in children with and without SusCAPD.

Main Methods:

• Assessed binaural TFS sensitivity (TFS-LF test) at 250, 500, and 750 Hz in 91 normal-hearing children and 41 children with SusCAPD (ages 9-12).
• Examined the binaural performance of 16 SusCAPD children with TFS-LF deficits using a lateralization test in noise.

Main Results:

• 39% of SusCAPD children (16 out of 41) exhibited poor binaural TFS sensitivity across all tested frequencies (p<0.05).
• SusCAPD children with TFS coding deficits showed significantly poorer lateralization performance in noise compared to normal-hearing children (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Reduced binaural TFS processing is a key factor contributing to speech-in-noise difficulties in a subgroup of children with SusCAPD.
• Deficits in binaural TFS are associated with impaired binaural processing, indicating temporal processing deficits in these children.