Two-year Prevalence of Central Auditory Processing Disorders in Children

Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) refers to difficulties in processing audible signals not attributable to impaired hearing sensitivity or mental impairment. The demographic characteristics of pediatric CAPD and its prevalence are still debatable. Due to varied definitions and differences in the diagnostic criteria for CAPD, the approximate prevalence measure varies from 0.5 to 7% of the population. Thus, a retrospective study on prevalence in individuals with CAPD was conducted.

A total of 3537 cases with ear-related problems were reported to Audiology OPD at All India Institute of Speech and Hearing from June 2017 to July 2019 between the age range of 6-18 years. Of these, 32 cases were diagnosed with CAPD, and this data was available for review.

The prevalence of individuals with CAPD reported in this duration was 0.7%. The results also revealed that the prevalence was higher among males and individuals of lower socio-economic status. Their significant symptoms were poor academic performance and difficulty following commands or instructions. The data also revealed that speech perception in noise was the most affected process, followed by binaural integration in these individuals.

The study provides insight into the vulnerable population who can get CAPD (e.g., children and males or people from lower socio-economic backgrounds).