Auditory Processing Abilities Research Articles

Association of auditory processing abilities and employment in young women

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between employment status and auditory processing abilities in women, considering the cognitive impact of work-related demands. The objective was to study the influence of employment on forward -, backward -, operation span, 2n back, and speech perception in noise (SPIN) scores.MethodsFifty-eight women aged 20 to 64 years were categorized into working and non-working groups. Auditory cognitive assessments included forward and backward digit span, auditory 2n-back, operational span, and speech perception in noise. Mental workload, listening effort, and fatigue levels were evaluated for each test using standardized scales. Handedness was assessed using the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Statistical analysis involved Mann–Whitney tests and effect size calculations.ResultsWorking women scored significantly higher in 2n-back task compared to non-working counterparts, emphasizing the positive impact of employment on working memory and cognitive control processes. The working women group perceptually rated greater mental load on the operational span task than non-working group, indicating the task-specific manifestation of group differences. When the tasks are easier (2n back) or difficult (operation span), employed women exhibited an advantage in auditory processing over their counterparts. ConclusionThis study reveals nuanced cognitive differences influenced by employment status in women. Working women demonstrated superior auditory processing abilities, specifically in working memory tasks, suggesting potential cognitive benefits associated with engagement in the workforce. The elevated mental workload for dual task working memory paradigms underscores the complexity of simultaneous processing and storage, highlighting cognitive challenges in specific occupational contexts.

Aging affects auditory contributions to focus perception in Jianghuai Mandarina).

Speakers can place their prosodic prominence on any locations within a sentence, generating focus prosody for listeners to perceive new information. This study aimed to investigate age-related changes in the bottom-up processing of focus perception in Jianghuai Mandarin by clarifying the perceptual cues and the auditory processing abilities involved in the identification of focus locations. Young, middle-aged, and older speakers of Jianghuai Mandarin completed a focus identification task and an auditory perception task. The results showed that increasing age led to a decrease in listeners' accuracy rate in identifying focus locations, with all participants performing the worst when dynamic pitch cues were inaccessible. Auditory processing abilities did not predict focus perception performance in young and middle-aged listeners but accounted significantly for the variance in older adults' performance. These findings suggest that age-related deteriorations in focus perception can be largely attributed to declined auditory processing of perceptual cues. Poor ability to extract frequency modulation cues may be the most important underlying psychoacoustic factor for older adults' difficulties in perceiving focus prosody in Jianghuai Mandarin. The results contribute to our understanding of the bottom-up mechanisms involved in linguistic prosody processing in aging adults, particularly in tonal languages.

Age-related differences in auditory spatial processing revealed by acoustic change complex.

The auditory spatial processing abilities mature throughout childhood and degenerate in older adults. This study aimed to compare the differences in onset cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) and location-evoked acoustic change complex (ACC) responses among children, adults, and the elderly and to investigate the impact of aging and development on ACC responses. One hundred and seventeen people were recruited in the study, including 57 typically-developed children, 30 adults, and 30 elderlies. The onset-CAEP evoked by white noise and ACC by sequential changes in azimuths were recorded. Latencies and amplitudes as a function of azimuths were analyzed using the analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression model. The ACC N1'-P2' amplitudes and latencies in adults, P1'-N1' amplitudes in children, and N1' amplitudes and latencies in the elderly were correlated with angles of shifts. The N1'-P2' and P2' amplitudes decreased in the elderly compared to adults. In Children, the ACC P1'-N1' responses gradually differentiated into the P1'-N1'-P2' complex. Multiple regression analysis showed that N1'-P2' amplitudes (R2 = 0.33) and P2' latencies (R2 = 0.18) were the two most variable predictors in adults, while in the elderly, N1' latencies (R2 = 0.26) explained most variances. Although the amplitudes of onset-CAEP differed at some angles, it could not predict angle changes as effectively as ACC responses. The location-evoked ACC responses varied among children, adults, and the elderly. The N1'-P2' amplitudes and P2' latencies in adults and N1' latencies in the elderly explained most variances of changes in spatial position. The differentiation of the N1' waveform was observed in children. Further research should be conducted across all age groups, along with behavioral assessments, to confirm the relationship between aging and immaturity in objective ACC responses and poorer subjective spatial performance. ACCs evoked by location changes were assessed in adults, children, and the elderly to explore the impact of aging and development on these differences.

Impact of Otitis Media With Effusion in Early Age on Auditory Processing Abilities in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Early-onset otitis media with effusion (OME) can affect the development of the auditory nervous system and thus lead to auditory processing abnormalities. This study aims to review the effect of childhood OME on auditory processing abilities in children. Methods: A systematic review of the literature, restricted to the English language from 1990 to 2022 was conducted using search engines like PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar. After selecting the articles following predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, the data were extracted and meta-analysis was performed. Results: A total of 10 articles met the inclusion criteria. Children with a history of OME had poorer performance in most behavioral and electrophysiological tests. Pooled analysis of various tests such as the gap in noise test, frequency pattern test (verbal and nonverbal), and latencies of auditory brainstem response-I, V, I to III, and I to V showed a difference between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Childhood OME can significantly affect auditory processing abilities in children.

Investigation of central auditory processing performance in individuals with and without stuttering

BackgroundDifferences in core auditory processing abilities, such as sound timing, frequency discrimination, auditory perception, and auditory memory, have been suggested in stutterers, despite the fact that the precise origin of stuttering is not entirely understood. It is suggested that these differences may play a role in the development of stuttering. The aim of our study is to assess the temporal central auditory processing performance in individuals with stuttering and compare it to individuals without stuttering to uncover potential differences stuttering and compare it to individuals without stuttering to reveal potential differences. MethodIn current study, a total of 60 right-handed participants between the ages of 8 and 17 were included, divided into two balanced groups based on age, education, and gender: individuals with stuttering (n = 30) and individuals without stuttering (n = 30). All participants underwent the Frequency Pattern Test, Duration Pattern Test, and Gaps-In-Noise test. ResultsIndividuals who stutter showed lower performance in the gap detection threshold and the percentage of total correct gap identification parameters of the Frequency Pattern Test, Duration Pattern Test, and Gaps-In-Noise test compared to fluent speakers. ConclusionsThe findings indicate a potential relationship between stuttering and central auditory processing. In this context, incorporating central auditory processing measures into the assessment and therapy processes for stuttering may enhance the likelihood of obtaining more accurate results.

Effects of Age on the Auditory Cortex During Speech Perception in Noise: Evidence From Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Age-related speech perception difficulties may be related to a decline in central auditory processing abilities, particularly in noisy or challenging environments. However, how the activation patterns related to speech stimulation in different noise situations change with normal aging has yet to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of noisy environments and aging on patterns of auditory cortical activation. We analyzed the functional near-infrared spectroscopy signals of 20 young adults, 21 middle-aged adults, and 21 elderly adults, and evaluated their cortical response patterns to speech stimuli under five different signal to noise ratios (SNRs). In addition, we analyzed the behavior score, activation intensity, oxyhemoglobin variability, and dominant hemisphere, to investigate the effects of aging and noisy environments on auditory cortical activation. Activation intensity and oxyhemoglobin variability both showed a decreasing trend with aging at an SNR of 0 dB; we also identified a strong correlation between activation intensity and age under this condition. However, we observed an inconsistent activation pattern when the SNR was 5 dB. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that the left hemisphere may be more susceptible to aging than the right hemisphere. Activation in the right hemisphere was more evident in older adults than in the left hemisphere; in contrast, younger adults showed leftward lateralization. Our analysis showed that with aging, auditory cortical regions gradually become inflexible in noisy environments. Furthermore, changes in cortical activation patterns with aging may be related to SNR conditions, and that understandable speech with a low SNR ratio but still understandable may induce the highest level of activation. We also found that the left hemisphere was more affected by aging than the right hemisphere in speech perception tasks; the left-sided dominance observed in younger individuals gradually shifted to the right hemisphere with aging.

Assessing the integrity of auditory sensory memory processing in CLN3 disease (Juvenile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (Batten disease)): an auditory evoked potential study of the duration-evoked mismatch negativity (MMN)

BackgroundWe interrogated auditory sensory memory capabilities in individuals with CLN3 disease (juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis), specifically for the feature of “duration” processing. Given decrements in auditory processing abilities associated with later-stage CLN3 disease, we hypothesized that the duration-evoked mismatch negativity (MMN) of the event related potential (ERP) would be a marker of progressively atypical cortical processing in this population, with potential applicability as a brain-based biomarker in clinical trials.MethodsWe employed three stimulation rates (fast: 450 ms, medium: 900 ms, slow: 1800 ms), allowing for assessment of the sustainability of the auditory sensory memory trace. The robustness of MMN directly relates to the rate at which the regularly occurring stimulus stream is presented. As presentation rate slows, robustness of the sensory memory trace diminishes. By manipulating presentation rate, the strength of the sensory memory trace is parametrically varied, providing greater sensitivity to detect auditory cortical dysfunction. A secondary hypothesis was that duration-evoked MMN abnormalities in CLN3 disease would be more severe at slower presentation rates, resulting from greater demand on the sensory memory system.ResultsData from individuals with CLN3 disease (N = 21; range 6–28 years of age) showed robust MMN responses (i.e., intact auditory sensory memory processes) at the medium stimulation rate. However, at the fastest rate, MMN was significantly reduced, and at the slowest rate, MMN was not detectable in CLN3 disease relative to neurotypical controls (N = 41; ages 6–26 years).ConclusionsResults reveal emerging insufficiencies in this critical auditory perceptual system in individuals with CLN3 disease.

Comparative Study of the Effect of Experience on Auditory Processing Abilities in Voice Therapists and Other Speech-Language Pathologist in Auditory Perceptual Judgment of Voice

This study aimed to compare the effect of experience on central auditory processing skills in voice therapists and other Speech-Language Pathologists in the auditory perceptual evaluation of voice. This research is a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional observational study. Our study population includes three groups; first-year speech-language pathology students who have not undergone any training or education in the evaluation of auditory samples (group 1; n=10), Speech-Language Pathologists who do not have any activity in the field of voice disorders (group 2; n=10), and therapists who have at least 2years of experience in auditory-perceptual judgment (group 3; n=10). Initially, the participants underwent a basic audiological evaluation (Pure Tone Audiometry, Speech Recognition Threshold, Speech Discrimination Score, tympanometry, and acoustic reflex) to assess peripheral hearing. In the next step, the auditory processing skills of the participants were evaluated with the Buffalo model (staggered spondaic word (SSW) test, phonemic synthesis test (PST), speech in noise (SPN) test). In the third step, four recorded voice samples of patients with voice disorders and healthy individuals were randomly selected for auditory perceptual judgment. These samples were the same for all participants. All the voices were previously subjected to auditory perceptual analysis by two Speech-Language Pathologist who had at least 6years of experience in the evaluation and treatment of voice disorders; the voices were played for participants to assess auditory perception using the grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain (GRBAS) scale. All subjects had normal hearing and auditory processing abilities but there were some differences among the groups in processing skills. A difference was found in the SSW-qualifier and SPN-R components between the three groups. The third group had significant differences with the other two groups in the evaluation of auditory perception in the components of R, B, and S (from the GRBAS scale) in voice number one, and the components of G, R, and A in voice number three. In voice number two, there was a correlation between the SSW order effect component and the G component, as well as between the PST component and the A component. In voice number three, there was a correlation between the SPN-L component and the G component, and between the SSW condition, SSW qualifier, and SSW All errors components with the S component. In voice number four, there was a correlation between the SSW-RC, SSW-LC, SSW condition, SSW competing, and SSW order effect components with the A component. Lastly, there was a correlation between the SSW order effect and SSW type A components with the R component in voice number three in group three. The results of the present study indicate that experience has an impact on auditory processing skills and the participants of the third group, who had more experience in the evaluation of voice disorders obtained better scores than the other two groups in the auditory processing skills. Additionally, the level of experience is related to the accuracy of auditory perceptual judgment of voice. The participants of the third group performed better than the other two groups, and the performance of the first and second groups was almost the same.

Auditory processing abilities in school-aged children in the region of Vojvodina

Auditory processing is the process of decoding an auditory stimulus along the hearing pathways in the central nervous system. Children with auditory processing difficulties face challenges in the transmission, processing, organisation, and use of auditory information. This affects their spoken language, reading abilities, writing acquisition, and academic achievements. The aim of this study was to assess the auditory processing abilities of school-aged children from the region of Vojvodina using the Battery test for Auditory Processing Disorders PSP1 (Heđever, 2017). This study also aimed to examine the influence of age, gender, and school success on auditory processing abilities in school-aged children. The study sample consisted of 162 children between the ages of 6.7 and 11.6 years. The PSP-1 test battery consists of 4 subtests: filtered words test, speech-in-noise test, dichotic word test, and dichotic sentence test. Results have shown that 8 (4.94%) respondents on the PSP1 test achieved below average results, indicating auditory processing difficulties. Among these respondents, two were female (1.24%) and six were male (3.70%). Four respondents (2.48%) belonged to the second age group (from 7.7 to 8.6 years) and two respondents (1.24%) belonged to the first (from 6.7 to 7.6 years) and the fourth age group (from 9.7 to 10.6 years) each. Statistically significant differences were observed in the auditory processing abilities of the respondents in relation to their age (p < 0.001) and gender (p < 0.05). Girls had significantly better results on the total score of the PSP1 test, as well as in two subtests: the filtered words test and the dichotic word test. In addition, there was a statistically significant correlation between auditory processing abilities and school success.

Test-retest reliability of dichotic listening test in younger adults with normal hearing

BackgroundDichotic listening refers to simultaneously stimulating both ears but with two different stimuli. Dichotic listening tasks were used in the audiological test battery to assess auditory processing abilities in children and adults. Studies have reported the dichotic consonant-vowel syllable test’s test-retest reliability in different attentional manipulation conditions. The objectives are to measure the intra- and inter-test reliability of dichotic consonant vowel tests in young, healthy individuals.MethodsSixty participants aged 18–28 with normal hearing sensitivity were recruited for the study. To measure the intra- and inter-test reliability, the dichotic consonant-vowel test was conducted within and between days. The single correct and double correct scores were calculated.ResultsThe analysis of the study showed good test-retest reliability for the single correct and double correct scores of the dichotic consonant-vowel test based on Cronbach’s alpha values and Friedman’s tests.ConclusionThis study’s findings indicate that the dichotic test is a stable measure that can be clinically used for evaluation and can be used for research studies.

Auditory stimulus reconstruction from ECoG with DNN and self-attention modules

Auditory stimulus reconstruction is a technique that predicts sound from neural activities. Decoding speech from human brains using neuronal networks allows us to understand auditory information processing and study hearing abilities effectively. However, current approaches produce low-quality reconstruction of speech which is problematic for applications of the reconstruction technology to practical uses such as evaluation of hearing characteristics of individuals or functional preservation during neurosurgical procedures. To tackle this issue, we used a self-attention (SA) module which are showing promising advances in deep neural network studies. We investigated the effect of including neural activity from a longer span on the reconstruction accuracy, and the learning behavior of self-attention modules. Our results showed that self-attention modules that focus on the presence or absence of auditory stimuli used relationships between features over a longer period (over 1000 ms) and produced better reconstructions than a convoluted neural network (CNN) model using features over a shorter period (300 ms) and a multilayer perceptron (MLP) model not using the features and reconstructed with attention to presence and absence of auditory stimuli. These findings imply that long and sparse relationships of time-series information on neural activities derived from SA modules improve the reconstruction performance.

Testing central auditory processing abilities in older adults with and without dementia using the consonant-vowel dichotic listening task

BackgroundHearing loss and dementia are linked, although the roles of peripheral and central auditory dysfunction are not well defined. Many behavioral measures of hearing are confounded by the overlapping cognitive functions required to perform the tests.ObjectiveTo collect pilot data to identify how central auditory function, measured using a dichotic listening test that indexes both auditory and cognitive components under different attentional conditions, differs among people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia and controls, and how performance relates to neuropsychological results.MethodFifty-eight participants (17 MCI, 11 dementia and 30 controls) undertook hearing screening, the Bergen consonant-vowel dichotic listening paradigm, and a short battery of neuropsychological tests chosen to index attention and executive control. Dichotic listening was assessed under three attentional conditions (non-forced, forced right ear and forced left) amongst older adults with normal cognitive function, MCI and dementia.ResultsWe report two main findings: (a) The expected right ear advantage under non-forced conditions, was seen in controls and patients with dementia but not in people with MCI, who showed equal numbers of correct responses from both ears (i.e., a lack of asymmetry); (b) Performance under forced attentional conditions was significantly associated with disease progression (i.e., control > MCI > dementia) and performance on the cognitive tasks.ConclusionThe reduction in asymmetry on dichotic listening tasks may be a marker of MCI and reflect underlying compensatory mechanisms. Use of this test could aid stratification of patients with memory disorders. Whether abnormalities could predict dementia onset needs longitudinal investigation in a larger sample.

Contribution of inter-trial phase coherence at theta, alpha, and beta frequencies in auditory change detection.

Auditory change detection is a pre-attentive cortical auditory processing ability. Many neurological and psychological disorders can lead to defects in this process. Some studies have shown that phase synchronization may be related to auditory discrimination. However, the specific contributions of phase synchronization at different frequencies remain unclear. We analyzed the electroencephalogram (EEG) data of 29 healthy adults using an oddball paradigm consisting of a standard stimulus and five deviant stimuli with varying frequency modulation patterns, including midpoint frequency transitions and linear frequency modulation. We then compared the peak amplitude and latency of inter-trial phase coherence (ITC) at the theta(θ), alpha(α), and beta(β) frequencies, as well as the N1 component, and their relationships with stimulus changes. At the same time, the characteristics of inter-trial phase coherence in response to the pure tone stimulation and chirp sound with a fine time-frequency structure were also assessed. When the stimulus frequency did not change relative to the standard stimulus, the peak latency of phase coherence at β and α frequencies was consistent with that of the N1 component. The inter-trial phase coherence at β frequency (β-ITC)served as a faster indicator for detecting frequency transition when the stimulus frequency was changed relative to the standard stimulus. β-ITC demonstrates temporal stability when detecting pure sinusoidal tones and their frequency changes, and is less susceptible to interference from other neural activities. The phase coherence at θ frequency could integrate the frequency and temporal characteristics of deviant into a single representation, which can be compared with the memory trace formed by the standard stimulus, thus effectively identifying auditory changes. Pure sinusoidal tone stimulation could induce higher inter-trial phase coherence in a smaller time window, but chirp sounds with a fine time-frequency structure required longer latencies to achieve phase coherence. Phase coherence at theta, alpha, and beta frequencies are all involved in auditory change detection, but play different roles in this automatic process. Complex time-frequency modulated stimuli require longer processing time for effective change detection.

Probing the phonological-coding deficit in dyslexia with vowel length perception

There is an established linkage between dyslexia and anomalous processing of speech sounds. We probed this in a Danish language context with vowel length tasks based on “kugle” ball /ku:lə/ and sequential deletions of the vowel portion to yield “kulde” coldness /kulə/. Vowel length continua are methodologically advantageous as they do not involve the perception of a sudden phonetic change that may instead tap other auditory processing abilities. Identification and discrimination tasks were administered to tertiary (n = 28), reading impaired (n = 26), and lower secondary students (n = 20), and the latter were approximately aged matched to the reading-impaired group. Identification functions derived from regression modelling of the responses showed that the dyslexics had significantly flatter curves than the other groups. Moreover, the secondary and dyslexic groups differed at the long vowel extremity of the continuum. Discrimination results showed that mean peak sensitivity of the tertiary students was higher than that of the secondary and dyslexic students. These results indicate that the phonological-coding deficit observed in dyslexics may be indexed by vowel length identification. Furthermore, identification results suggest that the nature of the phonological-coding deficit concomitant with dyslexia may stem from a lack of precision in processing the minimally modified longer vowel stimuli.

The role of suprathreshold auditory processing abilities in children with specific learning disorder.

To assess the suprathreshold auditory processing and speech recognition abilities in noise in children with specific learning disorder (SLD). A group of twenty-five children diagnosed with SLD and a control group of twenty-five neuro-typical children were included in the study. All the participants were between 6-11 years old. To evaluate suprathreshold auditory processing abilities, the participants were given the Temporal Fine Structure (TFS) Sensitivity Test and the Temporal Envelope (TE) Sensitivity Test, as well as the Consonant Identification Test, was administered to evaluate speech recognition ability in noise. In addition, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) intelligence test was applied to children with SLD, and the relationship between WISC-IV intelligence test scores in different skills and suprathreshold auditory processing and speech recognition abilities in noise was investigated. Significant differences were found between children diagnosed with SLD and neuro-typical children in terms of suprathreshold auditory processing tasks and speech recognition in noise. Additionally, no correlation was found between suprathreshold auditory processing tasks, speech recognition in noise, and intelligence tests. Suprathreshold auditory processing and speech recognition abilities in noise were found to be affected in children with SLD. A holistic evaluation including a multidisciplinary approach that includes suprathreshold auditory processing abilities is required for children diagnosed with SLD.

Development and Standardization of Low-Verbal Material for Assessment of Central Auditory Processing in Arabic Language

Abstract The early years of life represent a critical period with rapid growth of interrelated functioning of cognitive, sensory and socio-emotional abilities. Cognitive abilities and central auditory processing work together especially as everyday listening conditions become increasingly strenuous. Current available tests that assess cognitive and auditory processing abilities in Arabic language utilize verbal load that is non-convenient to most young, cochlear-implanted children and children with delayed language development. Consequently, assessment of these children relies in many instances on the use of non-verbal material. In the current work, we developed a child-friendly computer-based program of low-verbal quality to assess auditory working memory, selective auditory attention, temporal processing and interhemispheric transfer of auditory information. The scores of 90 typically developing Egyptian children (2.3 to 5 yrs old) were obtained. Here we present the results of auditory working memory. Our results demonstrate clear maturation effect in auditory working memory and hold premises to assess and track these abilities in cochlear-implanted and linguisticallyimpaired children with language age as young as 2 yrs. Aims This study aimed to construct and standardize a low verbal test to track the development of auditory working memory in Egyptian preschoolers (2-5 years) using child friendly computer-based program. Material and Methods Mono-syllabic and bi-syllabic nouns of early receptive vocabulary of children aged two to five years (in the Colloquial Egyptian Arabic dialect) were used. All test items (target and distracter items) were reviewed by an expert phoniatrician. Material recording was performed at specialized studio in Cairo by female speaker. Recorded material was digitally averaged then calibrated using Brüel & KjærTM sound level meter. Test items were arranged into trials with increasing number of test items with level progression, using 1 sec. inter-stimulus interval (ISI). A software (game) was developed on a tablet. The game plays the audio of test trials, after 1 second, picture cards are displayed. The pictures of test items and distractor items were arranged into multiple choice format.The software gives positive reinforcement and alerting sound following correct and incorrect responses respectively. Following oral consent by parent/caregiver, 90 normal developing Egyptian preschoolers were assessed. They were recruited from relatives of workers of audiology unit at Ain Shams University and kids attending national nurseries with the following inclusion criteria: No history of hearing complaints, delayed language development, motor disability, neurological disorders, pervasive developmental disorders, behavioral problems nor delayed language development. Normal hearing sensitivity and normal middle ear functions, Arabic as mother tongue, no formal musical training, normal speech and language development evidenced by history and mPLS-4 language test, and average or above average intellectual ability (IQ) by Hiskey Nebraska of Learning Aptitude test or Vineland Social Maturity Scale. Testing was conducted in quiet furnished medium-sized rooms. Child was comfortably seated in kid’s chair and tablet was placed on table in front of him/her. Protective measures against covid-19 were taken. Final score of content for each child was obtained. Results and discussion The Shapiro Wilk test was used to assess parametric versus non-parametric distribution of children scores and showed high value of test coefficient (p < 0.05) indicating that children scores have non-parametric distribution (as commonly observed with ordinal data) (Table 1). Accordingly, data were presented as median and inter-quartile range (IQR).Median= 3, IQR = (3 – 4). Also, percentage of children in each level revealed that most children reached level 3 with no floor nor ceiling effects (Table 2 & Figure 1). Spearman Correlation between newly developed test, age, language, and IQ revealed a positive (strong) linear correlation with age only (p < 0.001) and no correlation to language nor IQ (Table 3 & Figure 2). Test-retest reliability using Mann -Whitney test (2 weeks interval) showed good test-retest reliability (t=-1.000 and 0.000, p = 0.331 and 1.000) for Memory (Mono-syllabic) and Memory (bisyllabic) respectively. To the authors’ best knowledge, no similar methodology was performed in the literature, thus we resort to studies with different methodologies to compare our results. Using a non-word repetition (NWR) task, Radeborg et al. (2006) observed the improvement of children performance with age from the age of 4 till 6 (mean= 4.4, 4.8, 5.1 correct word repetition for each age strata with 2 syllable nonwords arranged in sequences of six Swedish nonwords). Similarly, Lázaro et al. (2017) also used a non-word repetition task but they required children to repeat the nonwords after listening to the stimuli twice. They reported a significant increase in percentage of correctly repeated non-words from ages 4-6. Roman et al.(2014) used The Missing Scan Task (MST) in children from 3-6 yrs of age and reported increasing number of correct responses (means=4 for 3-4 yrs old that increased by roughly 1 for each 1 year age strata). Results of the present research go in agreement with the above studies. This improvement in verbal working memory could be attributed to the increased grey matter thickness in frontal, temporal lobes and hippocampal regions that takes place throughout childhood till adolescence. However, the linkages between changes in brain morphology and memory abilities are still not well understood (Schneider & Ornstei, 2018). Conclusions A tablet game was successfully developed to track the maturation of auditory working memory in Egyptian preschoolers. The low verbal load, closed-set, attractive properties of the test hold premises for future assessment of children with language expressive deficits including those with hearing impairment and delayed language development in addition to children with ADHD.

The Effect of Hemodialysis on Spectral and Temporal Processing Abilities and Speech Perception in Noise among Individuals with Chronic Kidney Disease

Introduction: The effect of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hearing is well documented in the literature. Several studies have investigated the effect of hemodialysis on the peripheral auditory system among individuals with CKD. However, studies investigating the effect of hemodialysis on speech perception and auditory processing abilities are limited. The present study investigated the effect of hemodialysis on few auditory processing abilities and speech perception in noise among adults with CKD. Methods: A total of 25 adults with CKD undergoing hemodialysis regularly participated in the study. Spectral ripple discrimination threshold (SRDT), gap detection threshold (GDT), amplitude-modulation detection threshold (AMDT), and speech recognition threshold in noise (SRTn) were measured before and after hemodialysis. Paired samples “t” test was carried out to investigate the effect of hemodialysis on thresholds. Results: Results showed a significant improvement for SRDT, GDT, AMDT, and SRTn after hemodialysis among individuals with CKD. Discussion: Hemodialysis showed a positive effect on speech perception in noise and auditory processing abilities among individuals with CKD.

A systematic review of auditory processing abilities in children with speech sound disorders

Children with speech sound disorder (SSD) have incomplete phonological acquisition without organic alteration. These children’s speech exhibits multiple phoneme omission, substitution, and distortion errors. Auditory processing disorders (APD) are associated with speech sound disorders. Since APD prevents the development of a stable representation of phonemes in the brain, it may cause speech issues and make semantics, syntax, and phonology challenging to acquire. The review summarises behavioral findings of auditory processing abilities in children with SSD. The study used a literature search of electronic databases (Google Scholar, Science Direct, Research Gate, PubMed) from 2007 to 2022. The retrieved articles were assessed in two stages: title and abstract screening, followed by a full-length article review. Six articles were selected after the full-length review of 12 shortlisted articles. The review of the articles showed that temporal processing abilities are affected in children with SSD. Thus, temporal processing is critical for developing phonological awareness because it is vital for perceiving and rapidly changing acoustic cues in speech. The close relationship between temporal processing and phonological awareness in children with SSD highlights the importance of including temporal processing assessment in these children. Appropriate auditory training which taps into temporal processing skills may improve phonological awareness in these children. The effect of auditory processing training on phonological skills in SSD children needs further study.

The effect of aging on central auditory processing and cognitive abilities

The effect of aging on central auditory processing and cognitive abilities

Computerized music-based intervention module for auditory processing and working memory in older adults

IntroductionThe contribution of technology to the field of health is vast, both in diagnosis and management. More so, the use of computer-based intervention has become increasingly widespread over the past decade. Human beings experience a decline in auditory processing and cognitive skills as they age, consistent with deterioration of other bodily functions. In addition, speech perception abilities in both quiet and in the presence of noise are impacted by auditory processing abilities and cognitive skills such as working memory. This pilot study explored the use of music as an intervention for improving these skills and employed a computerized delivery of the intervention module.MethodA battery of tests was carried out to assess the baseline auditory processing and working memory skills in eight older adults between the ages of 56 and 79 years, all of whom had normal hearing. Following the assessment, a short-term computerized music-based intervention was administered. The style of music chosen was Carnatic classical music, a genre widely practiced in Southern India. The intervention module involved note and tempo discrimination and was carried out for a maximum of 10 half-hour sessions. The multi-level intervention module was constructed and administered using Apex software. Following the intervention, the auditory processing and cognitive skills of the participants were reassessed to study any changes in their auditory processing and working memory skills.Results and discussionThere were positive changes observed in all the auditory processing and some of the working memory abilities. This paper discusses in detail the systematic structuring of the computerized music-based intervention module and its effects on the auditory processing and cognitive skills in older adults.