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Assessing the Interplay Between Basic Auditory Processing and Cognitive Abilities Across Development
Akshay R Maggu1,2, Aaron Seitz3
1Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs.
American Journal of Audiology
|October 15, 2025
Summary
Auditory processing skills, especially temporal fine structure and spatial hearing, mature through adolescence. Basic auditory skills showed limited links to cognitive abilities in children and young adults.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Speech and Hearing Science
Background:
- Auditory processing abilities continue to develop throughout childhood and adolescence.
- Understanding maturational differences is crucial for accurate diagnosis and intervention.
- The Portable Automated Rapid Testing (PART) battery offers a potential tool for assessing pediatric auditory skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate maturational differences in basic auditory processing between children and young adults.
- To determine if auditory processing performance correlates with cognitive abilities across development.
- To evaluate the utility of the PART battery in assessing auditory development.
Main Methods:
- Children (8-13 years) and young adults (18-25 years) completed PART subtests for temporal fine structure (TFS), spectrotemporal sensitivity (STS), and spatial release from masking (SRM).
- Participants also underwent cognitive assessments using the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery.
- Linear mixed-effects models and principal components analysis were used to analyze auditory and cognitive data.
Main Results:
- Children exhibited poorer TFS and SRM compared to adults, indicating developmental maturation in these areas.
- No significant group differences were found for STS.
- Auditory proficiency, as measured by a composite index, differentiated age groups but showed minimal correlation with cognitive measures.
Conclusions:
- Core auditory processing skills, particularly TFS and spatial hearing, mature into adolescence.
- Developmental changes in auditory processing occur even within the 8-13 year age range.
- Basic auditory processing assessed by the PART battery has limited association with cognitive abilities, supporting its use in pediatric evaluations.
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