Eliane Schochat

The gaps-in-noise test: Gap detection thresholds in normal-hearing young adults

The aim of this study was to establish parameters for the gaps-in-noise test in normal-hearing young adults. One hundred subjects (50 males and 50 females) received an audiological evaluation to rule out hearing loss and auditory processing disorder. The gaps-in-noise test was then conducted on all subjects. The mean gap detection threshold was 4.19 ms. A psychometric function by gap duration was constructed, revealing that the percentage of correct responses was less than or equal to 5% for a gap duration of 2 ms, 10–30% for a gap duration of 3 ms, 60–70% for a gap duration of 4 ms, and over 96% for gap durations of 5 ms or longer. The results suggest that the data obtained can be applied as reference values for future testing. In the subjects evaluated, the gaps-in-noise test proved to be consistent with low variability.

Maturação do processamento auditivo em crianças com e sem dificuldades escolares

BACKGROUND: auditory processing maturation in school children with and without learning difficulties. AIM: to verify response improvement with the increase in age of the auditory processing skills in school children with ages ranging from eight to ten years, with and without learning difficulties and to perform a comparative study. METHOD: eighty-nine children without learning complaints (Group I) and 60 children with learning difficulties (Group II) were assessed. The used auditory processing tests were: Pediatric Speech Intelligibility (PSI), Speech in Noise, Dichotic Non-Verbal (DNV) and Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW). RESULTS: a better performance was observed for Group I between the ages of eight and ten in all of the used tests. However, the observed differences were statistically significant only for PSI and SSW. For Group II, a better performance was also observed with the increase in age, with statistically significant differences for all of the used tests. Comparing the results between Groups I and II, a better performance was verified for children with no learning difficulties, in the three age groups, in PSI, DNV and SSW. CONCLUSION: a statistically significant improvement was verified in the responses of the auditory processing with the increase in age, for the ages between eight and ten years, in children with and without learning difficulties. In the comparative study, it was verified that children with learning difficulties presented a lower performance in all of the used tests in the three age groups. This suggests, for this group, a delay in the maturation of the auditory processing skills.BACKGROUND Auditory processing maturation in school children with and without learning difficulties. AIM To verify response improvement with the increase in age of the auditory processing skills in school children with ages ranging from eight to ten years, with and without learning difficulties and to perform a comparative study. METHOD Eighty-nine children without learning complaints (Group 1) and 60 children with learning difficulties (Group II) were assessed. The used auditory processing tests were: Pediatric Speech Intelligibility (PSI), Speech in Noise, Dichotic Non-Verbal (DNV) and Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW). RESULTS A better performance was observed for Group I between the ages of eight and ten in all of the used tests. However, the observed differences were statistically significant only for PSI and SSW. For Group II, a better performance was also observed with the increase in age, with statistically significant differences for all of the used tests. Comparing the results between Groups I and II, a better performance was verified for children with no learning difficulties, in the three age groups, in PSI, DNV and SSW. CONCLUSION A statistically significant improvement was verified in the responses of the auditory processing with the increase in age, for the ages between eight and ten years, in children with and without learning difficulties. In the comparative study, it was verified that children with learning difficulties presented a lower performance in all of the used tests in the three age groups. This suggests, for this group, a delay in the maturation of the auditory processing skills.

A eficácia do treinamento auditivo formal em indivíduos com transtorno de processamento auditivo

PURPOSE: To assess the effectiveness of the Auditory Training comparing the performance in the behavioral tests before and after auditory training in individuals with Auditory Processing Disorders. METHODS: Thirty individuals with ages ranging from eight to 16 years were submitted to an auditory processing evaluation, which consisted of two monotic and two dichotic tests. After that, the individuals were enrolled in an auditory training program composed by 8 sessions, to rehabilitate the auditory abilities and afterwards were submitted to a re-evaluation of the auditory processing. RESULTS: After the Auditory Training we observed an improvement in the results of all behavioral tests. On the PSI test the performance before auditory training was 66,8% and after, 86,2%. On the speech in noise test, before auditory training, the results were 69,3% and after auditory training, 80,5%. On the Nonverbal Dichotic test, before auditory training, the performance of the individuals was 72,6% and after training the performance was 91,4%. Finally, in the SSW test before auditory training, the results were 42,2% and after auditory training, 88,9%. CONCLUSION: Auditory training program was considered effective for rehabilitation of auditory abilities in individuals with auditory processing disorders.

ABR and auditory P300 findings inchildren with ADHD

Auditory processing disorders (APD), also referred as central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) have become popular diagnostic entities for school age children. It has been demonstrated a high incidence of comorbid ADHD with communication disorders and auditory processing disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate ABR and P300 auditory evoked potentials in children with ADHD, in a double-blind study. Twenty-one children, ages between 7 and 10 years, with a primary diagnosis of ADHD, participated in this experiment. Results showed that all children had normal ABR with normal latency for wave V. Results also showed that among 42 ears combined 52.38% did not have P300. For the medicated subjects we observed that among 28 ears, 42.85% did not have P300 and for the non-medicated 71.43% (N = 14 ears) did not have P300. Our results suggest that the medicated subjects had more presence of P300 (57.15%) than the non-medicated group (28.57%), though the absence of these potentials were high among the group--52.38%.

Correlações entre leitura, consciência fonológica e processamento temporal auditivo

BACKGROUND: auditory temporal processing and reading. AIM: to analyse the potential correlations between reading acquisition, phonological awareness, and auditory temporal processing in Brazilian children with dyslexia. METHOD: this study evaluated sixty children, nine to twelve years of age, divided into two groups: a control group of twenty seven children without dyslexia and a study group of thirty three children with dyslexia. The children in both groups were submitted to tests designed to assess reading skills, phonological awareness, and auditory temporal processing. RESULTS: in the results of all three tests, significant differences were found between the dyslexic children and those in the control group, with poorer results for the dyslexic group. However, for both groups, correlations were found only between the performance on the reading test and the performance on the phonological awareness test. CONCLUSION: dyslexic children demonstrated poorer results in all tests when compared to their controls. However, there was no definitive evidence that their poor performance on the auditory temporal processing tests was directly related to their phonological awareness skills, or even to their reading skills.

Effect of auditory training on the middle latency response in children with (central) auditory processing disorder

The purpose of this study was to determine the middle latency response (MLR) characteristics (latency and amplitude) in children with (central) auditory processing disorder [(C)APD], categorized as such by their performance on the central auditory test battery, and the effects of these characteristics after auditory training. Thirty children with (C)APD, 8 to 14 years of age, were tested using the MLR-evoked potential. This group was then enrolled in an 8-week auditory training program and then retested at the completion of the program. A control group of 22 children without (C)APD, composed of relatives and acquaintances of those involved in the research, underwent the same testing at equal time intervals, but were not enrolled in the auditory training program. Before auditory training, MLR results for the (C)APD group exhibited lower C3-A1 and C3-A2 wave amplitudes in comparison to the control group [C3-A1, 0.84 microV (mean), 0.39 (SD--standard deviation) for the (C)APD group and 1.18 microV (mean), 0.65 (SD) for the control group; C3-A2, 0.69 microV (mean), 0.31 (SD) for the (C)APD group and 1.00 microV (mean), 0.46 (SD) for the control group]. After training, the MLR C3-A1 [1.59 microV (mean), 0.82 (SD)] and C3-A2 [1.24 microV (mean), 0.73 (SD)] wave amplitudes of the (C)APD group significantly increased, so that there was no longer a significant difference in MLR amplitude between (C)APD and control groups. These findings suggest progress in the use of electrophysiological measurements for the diagnosis and treatment of (C)APD.

Avaliação da habilidade de resolução temporal, com uso do tom puro, em crianças com e sem desvio fonológico

PURPOSE: to check the performance of temporal processes ability in children with phonological disorders. METHODS: the study took place in a private university of Recife and the participants were 36 volunteers, with ages varying from 6 to 9, of both genders and divided into two groups, with phonological disorders (experimental) and a control one. The data was collected using the RGDT (Keith) and the analysis made with the SPSS 13 by descriptive statistical techniques. RESULTS: the results show higher levels of Gaps detection on the experimental; the difference between the groups was statistically significant for each frequency tested; there was no influence of the variables: periodicity, gender, age, school level; the speech therapy was not a determinant factor; the main referred learning difficulties were reading and comprehension problems. CONCLUSION: children with phonological disorders can present temporal processes disorders and need more time for intervals detection between auditory stimulations. In a generalized manner, in both groups, there was no difference as for the variable periodicity, gender, age, pertaining to school series or occurrence of speech treatment. The learning complaints can be found in children who have phonological and temporal processes disorders at the same time.

Habilidades auditivas em crianças com dislexia e transtorno do déficit de atenção e hiperatividade

BACKGROUND: auditory processing and co-occurrence of pathologies. AIM: to investigate the performance of children with Dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in behavioral and auditory processing tests, comparing the results to a control group. METHOD: participants of the study were 30 children, with ages between 7 and 12 years, divided into three groups: a control group of 10 children, a study group of 10 children with dyslexia and a study group of 10 children with ADHD. All participants were submitted to the following auditory processing tests: Speech in Noise, Dichotic of Digits and Frequency Pattern. RESULTS: concerning the Speech in Noise Test, there was an interactive effect between the control group and the ADHD group (p < 0.001), with the ADHD group presenting a significantly lower performance; for the Dichotic of Digits test, there was an interactive effect between the three groups (p < 0.001), with the ADHD group presenting a lower performance, followed by the dyslexic and control groups; for the Frequency Pattern, there was a marginal effect (p = 0.056) with the ADHA group presenting a lower performance, followed by the dyslexic and control groups. CONCLUSION: the ADHD group presented a poorer performance in all tests when compared to the dyslexic and control groups. This result suggests a relationship between attention and hearing abilities.

Estudo da vantagem da orelha direita em teste de detecção de gap

A habilidade auditiva de resolucao temporal consiste no tempo minimo requerido para segregar ou resolver eventos acusticos. Esta habilidade e fundamental para a compreensao da fala e pode ser avaliada por testes de deteccao de gap. Alguns estudos apontam uma vantagem da orelha direita sobre a esquerda em tarefas de resolucao temporal, ja que existe um papel preferencial do hemisferio esquerdo na analise dos aspectos temporais do estimulo acustico. OBJETIVO: Determinar se existem diferencas de resposta (limiares de deteccao de gap e porcentagem de acertos) entre as orelhas direita e esquerda para um teste de deteccao de gap. Forma de Estudo: Experimental. MATERIAL E METODO: O teste de deteccao de gap foi aplicado em 100 individuos adultos, apos a realizacao de outros testes audiologicos para descartar possiveis alteracoes auditivas e/ou do processamento auditivo. RESULTADOS: Foram observados limiares de deteccao de gap e porcentagens medias de acertos semelhantes para as orelhas direita e esquerda, independente da orelha de inicio do teste. CONCLUSAO: Nao houve vantagem de uma orelha sobre a outra na tarefa de deteccao de gap.

Processamento auditivo, resolução temporal e teste de detecção de gap: revisão da literatura

BACKGROUND: temporal auditory processing and temporal resolution. PURPOSE: promote a theoretical approach on auditory processing, temporal resolution, and different parameters of markers used at various gap detection tests and how they can interfere in threshold determination. CONCLUSION: auditory processing and temporal resolution are key-factors for language development. The diverse parameters that can be used in the study of gap detection thresholds can result in quite discrepant thresholds.