Auditory and short-term memory abilities in right- and left-hemiparetic children with cerebral palsy

This study aims to explore the auditory abilities and auditory short-term memory of right- and left-hemiplegic children with cerebral palsy.

The study included 26 children aged 8 to 10 years, all native Turkish speakers, divided into three groups: 8 right-hemiparetic, 8 left-hemiparetic, and 10 typically developing children. Hearing thresholds were evaluated before the children were included in the study. The children were assessed with the Test for Auditory Processing Disorders in children (SCAN-C) and the Auditory Digit Span Test.

For the SCAN Test, there was a significant difference only between the right-hemiparetic group and the typically developing group on the Auditory Figure-Ground Test. No significant difference was found between the groups for the Filtering Words Test and for the two dichotic listening tests. Regarding the Auditory Short-Term Memory Span Test, results revealed a significant difference between the right-hemiparetic group and the two other groups for the verbal response condition and between the right-hemiparetic group and the typically developing group for the written condition.

This study provides new insights into how asymmetry in hemiparetic children affects auditory performance during childhood. It emphasizes the importance of individualized auditory-interventions in the rehabilitation of children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy. The distinct characteristics of right and left hemispheric involvement suggest that therapies should be designed with these differences in mind.