Characteristics of Speech Auditory Brainstem Response in Preschool Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Yuying Sun1, Jia Zhou2, Huiqin Zhu3
1Department of Child Healthcare, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital), China.
Insights
Preschool children with ADHD show auditory processing abnormalities in the brainstem, identified by speech auditory brainstem response (speech-ABR). Speech-ABR is a reliable tool for assessing auditory processing in ADHD, unaffected by IQ.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Audiology
Background:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting preschool children.
- Auditory processing (AP) difficulties can impact language and learning in children with ADHD.
- Speech auditory brainstem response (speech-ABR) offers insights into the central auditory nervous system's processing of speech signals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate auditory processing (AP) characteristics in preschool children with ADHD using speech-ABR.
- To determine if speech-ABR can reliably assess AP in children with ADHD, independent of cognitive factors.
Main Methods:
- Speech-ABR testing was conducted on 84 preschool children with ADHD and 84 typically developing (TD) controls (aged 4-6 years).
- Cognitive assessments (WIPPSI-IV/WISC-IV) and continuous performance tests were administered.
- Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify predictors of speech-ABR latencies.
Main Results:
- Children with ADHD exhibited significantly longer speech-ABR latencies (waves V, A, D) compared to TD children.
- ADHD diagnosis, not full-scale intelligence quotient, significantly affected speech-ABR wave latencies.
- Speech-ABR transient responses (V, A) were significant predictors of ADHD.
Conclusions:
- Preschool children with ADHD demonstrate abnormal auditory processing of speech signals in the central auditory nervous system.
- Speech-ABR is a reliable measure for evaluating AP in children with ADHD, unaffected by cognitive or attentional factors.
- Early assessment of AP abnormalities using speech-ABR is recommended for targeted ADHD interventions.
Objective:
This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of auditory processing (AP) in preschool children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using the speech auditory brainstem response (speech-ABR), which provides insights into the AP of speech signals in the central auditory nervous system (CANS).
Method:
A total of 84 preschool children diagnosed with ADHD, aged 4-6 years, were matched with 84 typically developing (TD) children based on gender and age. All children underwent speech-ABR testing, cognitive assessment using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Fourth Edition or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition, and a continuous performance test.
Results:
Children with ADHD exhibited significantly longer latencies of speech-ABR waveforms V, A, and D compared to TD children. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the latencies of speech-ABR waves V, A, and D were affected by the presence of ADHD, but not by the full-scale intelligence quotient.
Conclusions:
This study revealed that preschool children with ADHD exhibited abnormal AP of speech signals in their CANS. The findings suggest that speech-ABR can be utilized as a reliable measure to evaluate AP ability in this population, as it remains unaffected by cognitive or attentional factors. The transient response (V, A) of speech-ABR was found to be a significant predictor of ADHD in a clinical setting. Early assessment of AP abnormalities via speech-ABR is recommended in preschool-age children to develop targeted interventions for ADHD.
Supplemental Material:
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.26376502.
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