Absence of Rhythm Benefit on Speech in Noise Recognition in Children Diagnosed With Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory Processing in Musicians, a Cross-Sectional Study, as a Basis for Auditory Training Optimization

Μusicians are reported to have enhanced auditory processing. This study aimed to assess auditory perception in Greek musicians with respect to their musical specialization and to compare their auditory processing with that of non-musicians. Auditory processing elements evaluated were speech recognition in babble, rhythmic advantage in speech recognition, short-term working memory, temporal resolution, and frequency discrimination threshold detection. All groups were of 12 participants. Three distinct experimental groups tested included western classical musicians, Byzantine chanters, and percussionists. The control group consisted of 12 non-musicians. The results revealed: (i) a rhythmic advantage for word recognition in noise for classical musicians (M = 12.42) compared to Byzantine musicians (M = 9.83), as well as for musicians compared to non-musicians (U = 120.50, p = 0.019), (ii) better frequency discrimination threshold of Byzantine musicians (M = 3.17, p = 0.002) compared to the other two musicians' group for the 2000 Hz region, (iii) statistically significant better working memory for musicians (U = 123.00, p = 0.025) compared to non-musicians. Musical training enhances elements of auditory processing and may be used as an additional rehabilitation approach during auditory training, focusing on specific types of music for specific auditory processing deficits.

Features of Cognitive Ability and Central Auditory Processing of Preschool Children With Minimal and Mild Hearing Loss

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the current status of cognitive development and central auditory processing development of preschool children with minimal and mild hearing loss (MMHL) in Nanjing, China.

METHOD

We recruited 34 children with MMHL and 45 children with normal hearing (NH). They completed a series of tests, including cognitive tests (i.e., Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence and Continuous Performance Test), behavioral auditory tests (speech-in-noise [SIN] test and frequency pattern test), and objective electrophysiological audiometry (speech-evoked auditory brainstem response and cortical auditory evoked potential). In addition, teacher evaluations and demographic information and questionnaires completed by parents were collected.

RESULTS

Regarding cognitive ability, statistical differences in the verbal comprehensive index, full-scale intelligence quotient, and abnormal rate of attention test score were found between the MMHL group and the NH group. The children with MMHL performed poorer on the SIN test than the children with NH. As for the auditory electrophysiology of the two groups, the latency and amplitude of some waves of the speech-evoked auditory brainstem response and cortical auditory evoked potential were statistically different between the two groups. We attempted to explore the relationship between some key indicators of auditory processing and some key indicators of cognitive development.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with MMHL are already at increased developmental risk as early as preschool. They are more likely to have problems with attention and verbal comprehension than children with NH. This condition is not compensated with increasing age during the preschool years. The results suggest a possible relationship between the risk of cognitive deficit and divergence of auditory processing.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22670473.

Effect of speech in noise training in the auditory and cognitive skills in children with auditory processing disorders

OBJECTIVES

Speech perception in the presence of background noise is identified as one of the most affected auditory processes in children with auditory processing disorders (APD). Mechanism of speech-in-noise perception is extensively studied and is reported to involve different auditory and cognitive skills. However previous research has reported mixed results investigating the relationship between the cognitive skills and speech-in-noise perception in children with APD. The present study intended to study the correlation between the speech-in-noise perception and other auditory and cognitive skills, and also to find the efficacy of speech-in-noise training in other auditory and cognitive skills in children with APD.

METHOD

The study imparted words in noise training utilizing monosyllable and trisyllable words in the presence of speech shaped noise and 4-talker babble. Participants included 20 children with APD, 10 of them in the experimental group who underwent the training and the remaining 10 served as controls. Auditory outcome measures included five behavioural APD tests and four digit span tests to assess cognition.

RESULTS

There was a significant improvement in the speech-in-noise perception measures, temporal processing measures (gap detection test and duration pattern test) and the backward, ascending and descending digit span measures after the training in participants in the experimental group. However, Spearman rank order correlation did not reveal a significant correlation between the speech-in-noise perception scores and any of the auditory or cognitive measures.

CONCLUSION

Even though there was no correlation within and between auditory and cognitive measures, speech-in-noise training improved the temporal processing skills as well as the working memory skills in children with APD supporting the relationship between the said processes. These relationships with evidence from further research could be utilized to design more effective treatment strategies for children with APD.