The Relationship between Speech Sound Disorder and Cortical Auditory Evoked Potential

Abstract

Plain Language SummarySpeech sound disorders (SSDs) are a language disorder prevalent in children and are featured by difficulties in the perception, production, and organization of speech sounds. This disorder can be associated with some deficits in the sound process. Thus, this study used a speech stimulus to measure the relationship between age and SSD severity, measured by the percentage of correct consonants, with cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs). The latency of P1, N1, P2, N2, and P3 components and P1-N1, P2-N2, and P3 amplitudes were analyzed in both ears. No interference of severity, age, and ear was found in the latency of P1 and N1 components. The P2 latency was longer than the one proposed in the literature, and younger children with more severe SSD had lower mean latency values for this component. No interaction was found between the N2 latency and SSD severity. As for P3 latency, all children in this study had values within the normal limits for the age group. No SSD severity, age, and ear interference were observed in the P1-N1 amplitude. However, it was observed that the amplitude of this complex increases with age and decreases with SSD severity in the right ear. Finally, there was no SSD severity, age, and ear interference in P2-N2 and P3 amplitudes. CAEP analysis showed important aspects of the auditory path of children with SSD, suggesting difficulty in directing attention and discriminating the stimuli used, which can interfere with the phonological representation of speech sounds.