Abstract
Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a specific deficit in the processing of auditory information along the central auditory nervous system. It is characterized mainly by deficits in speech in noise recognition. APD children may also present with deficits in processing of auditory rhythm. Rhythmic neural entrainment is commonly present in perception of both speech and music, while auditory rhythmic priming of speech in noise has been known to enhance recognition in typical children. Here, we test the hypothesis that the effect of rhythmic priming is compromised in APD children, and further assessed for correlations with verbal and non-verbal auditory processing and cognition. Forty APD children and 33 neurotypical ones were assessed through (a) WRRC, a test measuring the effects of rhythmic priming on speech in noise recognition, (b) a battery of auditory processing tests, commonly used in APD diagnosis, and (c) two cognitive tests, assessing working memory and auditory attention respectively. Findings revealed that (a) the effect of rhythmic priming on speech in noise recognition is absent in APD children, (b) it is linked to non-verbal auditory processing, and (c) it is only weakly dependent on cognition. We discuss these findings in light of Dynamic Attention Theory, neural entrainment and neural oscillations and suggest that these functions may be compromised in APD children. Further research is needed (a) to explore the nature of the mechanics of rhythmic priming on speech in noise perception and why the effect is absent in APD children, (b) which other mechanisms related to both rhythm and language are also affected in this population, and (c) whether music/rhythm training can restore deficits in rhythm effects.
Highlights
Auditory processing disorder (APD) is defined as a specific deficit in the processing of auditory information along the central auditory nervous system, including bottom–up and top–down neural connectivity (Iliadou et al, 2017) and is currently classified in the international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems, 10th edition (ICD-10) as H93.25
APD is linked to functional abnormalities and lesions beyond the cochlea
Word RecognitionRhythm Component test (WRRC) was delivered through a laptop and headphones (Sennheiser, HD PRO 380 pro) in a sound-treated booth and sustained auditory attention test (SAA) was delivered through loudspeakers, both at 60 dB HL, in a sound-treated booth. 60 dB HL was chosen as a comfortable hearing level at which most speech stimuli occur in everyday life
Summary
Auditory processing disorder (APD) is defined as a specific deficit in the processing of auditory information along the central auditory nervous system, including bottom–up and top–down neural connectivity (Iliadou et al, 2017) and is currently classified in the international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems, 10th edition (ICD-10) as H93.25. The central auditory nervous system (CANS) has the ability to detect periodicities in any kind of auditory stimuli, syllabic rate included, a process called neural entrainment (Overath et al, 2015; Zoefel et al, 2018). Neural entrainment does not abruptly stop when the rhythmic stimuli cease, but fades away progressively in terms of its amplitude, phase and rate (Henry and Herrmann, 2014), and modulates auditory perception as long as it is present (Giraud and Poeppel, 2012; Peelle and Davis, 2012; Andreou et al, 2015; Kosem et al, 2018)
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