Auditive Verarbeitungs- und Wahrnehmungsstörungen (AVWS)

[Phoneme discrimination and dyslexia. Is the correlation gender-specific?]

Amongst pediatric phoniatry patients, the number of boys suspected of having dyslexia and/or an auditory processing disorder dominates over the number of girls. The aim of this study was to analyze whether there are different correlation patterns between phoneme discrimination and spelling ability in male and female children. Data from 253 children aged between 7 and 13 were analyzed retrospectively. Phoneme discrimination was assessed via the Heidelberg phoneme discrimination test and compared to the results of spelling and intelligence tests. We found a highly significant correlation between phoneme discrimination and spelling ability within the whole population (girls: r = 0.337; boys: r = 0.437) at an average IQ of 107. Results of the Heidelberg phoneme discrimination test were below the normal average value and showed no difference between the male and female populations. However, the correlation between phoneme discrimination and spelling ability was higher for the boys than for the girls. We conclude that female children are better able to compensate their deficits in speech processing than male children and perhaps employ other strategies for spelling.

[Auditory verbal learning in children with suspected auditory processing deficits]

BACKGROUND

As unanimously found in several consensus papers, other conditions such as learning disorders need to be ruled out prior to labelling a child as having an auditory processing disorder (APD).

METHODS

In a retrospective study data from 386 children (245 boys, 141 girls) aged 6;0-9;11 years were investigated. All children were referred for behavioural problems suspected to be due to APD. The German auditory verbal learning test (Verbaler Lern- und Merkfähigkeitstest, VLMT) was administered. Results in a range of more than one/two standard deviations from the mean were regarded as deviant/pathological, while a test result under 15.8 was considered below normal.

RESULTS

The VLMT short term component was impaired in 202 children, the long term component (loss after interference) in 83 children and the recognition component in 298 children.

DISCUSSION

Compared with previously published results, our results suggest that approximately half of all children referred for APD diagnosis suffer from short-term memory deficit. We suggest the VLMT, and thus testing of short- and long-term memory skills, be administered routinely for thorough APD assessments.

[Gender-dependent differences in auditory verbal learning and memory skills in children?]

BACKGROUND

Girls tend to acquire language skills faster than boys do. Furthermore, specific language impairment and dyslexia are diagnosed more often in males than in females. We investigated whether auditory verbal learning skills in boys are inferior to those of girls as a possible cause for gender dependency in language acquisition.

METHODS

In a retrospective study, data from 386 children (245 male, 141 female) age 6 years to 9 years 11 months were investigated. The Auditory Verbal Learning Test (Verbaler Lern- und Merkfähigkeitstest) was administered.

RESULTS

After gender, age, and IQ matching, girls showed a small advantage in long-term memory and recognition.

DISCUSSION

Our results are in contrast to findings that suggest superior verbal memory and learning in adult females compared with males.

[Significance of auditory perceptual disorders for pediatric and adolescent psychiatric disorders]

The clinical relevance of central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) is highly controversial. The paper explicates different concepts of CAPD and reviews empirical studies of the relationship between auditory deficits and learning or psychiatric disorders. The overview of the available literature reveals that numerous authors have described subnormal auditory abilities in groups of children with developmental language disorders, dyslexia or ADHD. However, little or no relationship between the severity of clinical impairment and auditory deficits has been found. Thus auditory deficits do not appear to be causally related to learning disorders or conduct disorders. With respect to the diagnostic process the review makes clear that the validity of the diagnosis CAPD is low. There is no agreement about diagnostic criteria, and the reliability of most auditory tests in insufficient. Moreover, while an auditory training can only improve the directly trained auditory functions, there is no transfer effect to learning ability of behavior. Altogether there is little evidence for a significant relevance of CAPD in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.