Measures Of Auditory Processing Research Articles

EXPRESS: Cross-Linguistic Effects of the Speech-to-Song Illusion in Speakers of Bangla and English.

The speech-to-song illusion is a phenomenon in which the continuous repetition of a spoken utterance induces the listeners to perceive it as more song-like. Thus far, this perceptual transformation has been observed in mostly European languages, such as English; however, it is unclear whether the illusion is experienced by speakers of Bangla (Bengali), an Indo-Aryan language. The current study, therefore, investigates the illusion in 28 Bangla- and 31 English-speaking participants. The experiment consisted of a listening task in which participants were asked to rate their perception of repeating short speech stimuli on a scale from 1-5, where 1 = "sounds like speech" and 5 = "sounds like song". The stimuli were composed of English and Bangla utterances produced by two bilingual speakers. To account for possible group differences in music engagement, participants self-reported musical experience and also performed a rhythm discrimination task as an objective measure of non-verbal auditory sequence processing. Stimulus ratings were analysed with cumulative link mixed modelling. Overall, English- and Bangla-speaking participants rated the stimuli similarly and, in both groups, better performance in the rhythm discrimination task significantly predicted more song-like ratings beyond self-reported musical experience. An exploratory acoustic analysis revealed a role of harmonic ratio in the illusion for both language groups. These results demonstrate that the speech-to-song-illusion occurs for Bangla speakers to a similar extent as English speakers and that, across both groups, sensitivity to non-verbal auditory structure is positively correlated with susceptibility to this perceptual transformation.

Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Basic Auditory Processing in Young Adults.

The current study aimed at investigating the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and basic auditory processing in young adults with normal hearing. Specifically, we sought to determine whether SES metrics, including parental education, parental occupation, and individual education attainment, influenced performance on tasks of basic auditory processing. Secondarily, we also aimed at understanding the interactive effects of SES and working memory on basic auditory processing. A total of 38 young adults were included in the study. Self-reported SES measures were recorded through Likert scales, and auditory processing measures included tests for temporal fine structure (TFS) and spectrotemporal sensitivity (STS). Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to probe the relationships between SES indicators and auditory processing performance. Multiple linear regressions were conducted to understand the interactive effects of SES and working memory on auditory processing performance. The analysis revealed no significant correlation between SES measures and basic auditory processing performance across TFS and STS tasks. Furthermore, analysis investigating the interaction between SES and working memory also yielded nonsignificant results. These findings indicate that, within this specific age cohort, SES information may not be indispensable for assessing basic auditory processing. Our study suggests that SES may not significantly influence basic auditory processing in young adults with normal hearing. However, further research with larger sample sizes and longitudinal designs is warranted to confirm these findings and explore potential age-related differences in the impact of SES on auditory processing across the lifespan.

Auditory and vestibular function in mitochondrial patients harbouring the m.3243A>G variant.

Hearing impairment is a frequent clinical feature in patients with mitochondrial disease harbouring the pathogenic variant, m.3243A>G. However, auditory neural dysfunction, its perceptual consequences and implications for patient management are not established. Similarly, the association with vestibular impairment has not yet been explored. This case-control study investigated in 12 adults with genetically confirmed m.3243A>G adults [9 females; 45.5 ± 16.3 years (range 18-66); 47.1 ± 21.5 hearing level, dB] compared with 12 age, sex and hearing level-matched controls with sensory (cochlear level) hearing loss [9 females; 46.6 ± 11.8 years (range 23-59); 47.7 ± 25.4 hearing level, dB]. Participants underwent a battery of electroacoustic, electrophysiologic and perceptual tests, which included pure tone audiometry, otoacoustic emissions, auditory brainstem responses, auditory temporal processing measures, monaural/binaural speech perception, balance and vestibular testing and self-reported questionnaires (dizziness and hearing disability). Our findings showed evidence of auditory neural abnormality and perceptual deficits greater than expected for cochlear pathology. Compared with matched controls with sensory hearing loss, adults with mitochondrial disease harbouring m.3243A>G had abnormal electrophysiologic responses from the VIII nerve and auditory brainstem (P = 0.005), an impaired capacity to encode rapidly occurring acoustic signal changes (P = 0.005), a reduced ability to localize sound sources (P = 0.028) and impaired speech perception in background noise (P = 0.008). Additionally, vestibular dysfunction (P = 0.011), greater perceived dizziness (P = 0.001) and reduced stance time (balance, P = 0.009) were also seen in participants with m.3243A>G mitochondrial disease when compared with matched counterparts. This pilot study revealed that auditory evaluation including evoked potential responses from the auditory nerve/brainstem and speech perception in noise tests should form an important part of the management for individuals with m.3243A>G-related mitochondrial disease. Those presenting with hearing impairment and symptoms concerning balance and dizziness should undergo vestibular testing and appropriate management.

Mismatch responses of basic auditory temporal processing: early predictive biomarkers of Chinese Reading

ABSTRACT The study aimed to explore whether neurophysiological measures of auditory processing in preschoolers can predict Chinese reading after going to school. Mismatch responses (MMRs) to auditory frequency, duration, and temporal pattern deviants were examined in 24 Chinese preschoolers (6.59 ± 0.25 years old). Reading abilities were tracked in Grades 2 (8.09 ± 0.29 years old) and 4 (9.65 ± 0.28 years old). We found that temporal pattern MMRs in preschoolers continuously contributed to Chinese reading fluency in Grades 2 and 4. However, MMRs to frequency or duration deviants did not predict their reading abilities in Grades 2 or 4. These findings suggest that MMRs of basic auditory temporal processing in preliterate children can serve as predictive biomarkers for future Chinese reading acquisition, thus holding promise for identifying Chinese children at risk of dyslexia before formal school education and further guiding early intervention to support their reading development.

Auditory Processing of Speech and Nonspeech in People Who Stutter.

We investigated speech and nonspeech auditory processing of temporal and spectral cues in people who do and do not stutter. We also asked whether self-reported stuttering severity was predicted by performance on the auditory processing measures. People who stutter (n = 23) and people who do not stutter (n = 28) completed a series of four auditory processing tasks online. These tasks consisted of speech and nonspeech stimuli differing in spectral or temporal cues. We then used independent-samples t-tests to assess differences in phonetic categorization slopes between groups and linear mixed-effects models to test differences in nonspeech auditory processing between stuttering and nonstuttering groups, and stuttering severity as a function of performance on all auditory processing tasks. We found statistically significant differences between people who do and do not stutter in phonetic categorization of a continuum differing in a temporal cue and in discrimination of nonspeech stimuli differing in a spectral cue. A significant proportion of variance in self-reported stuttering severity was predicted by performance on the auditory processing measures. Taken together, these results suggest that people who stutter process both speech and nonspeech auditory information differently than people who do not stutter and may point to subtle differences in auditory processing that could contribute to stuttering. We also note that these patterns could be the consequence of listening to one's own speech, rather than the cause of production differences.

Evaluating Changes in Adult Cochlear Implant Users' Brain and Behavior Following Auditory Training.

To describe the effects of two types of auditory training on both behavioral and physiological measures of auditory function in cochlear implant (CI) users, and to examine whether a relationship exists between the behavioral and objective outcome measures. This study involved two experiments, both of which used a within-subject design. Outcome measures included behavioral and cortical electrophysiological measures of auditory processing. In Experiment I, 8 CI users participated in a music-based auditory training. The training program included both short training sessions completed in the laboratory as well as a set of 12 training sessions that participants completed at home over the course of a month. As part of the training program, study participants listened to a range of different musical stimuli and were asked to discriminate stimuli that differed in pitch or timbre and to identify melodic changes. Performance was assessed before training and at three intervals during and after training was completed. In Experiment II, 20 CI users participated in a more focused auditory training task: the detection of spectral ripple modulation depth. Training consisted of a single 40-minute session that took place in the laboratory under the supervision of the investigators. Behavioral and physiologic measures of spectral ripple modulation depth detection were obtained immediately pre- and post-training. Data from both experiments were analyzed using mixed linear regressions, paired t tests, correlations, and descriptive statistics. In Experiment I, there was a significant improvement in behavioral measures of pitch discrimination after the study participants completed the laboratory and home-based training sessions. There was no significant effect of training on electrophysiologic measures of the auditory N1-P2 onset response and acoustic change complex (ACC). There were no significant relationships between electrophysiologic measures and behavioral outcomes after the month-long training. In Experiment II, there was no significant effect of training on the ACC, although there was a small but significant improvement in behavioral spectral ripple modulation depth thresholds after the short-term training. This study demonstrates that auditory training improves spectral cue perception in CI users, with significant perceptual gains observed despite cortical electrophysiological responses like the ACC not reliably predicting training benefits across short- and long-term interventions. Future research should further explore individual factors that may lead to greater benefit from auditory training, in addition to optimization of training protocols and outcome measures, as well as demonstrate the generalizability of these findings.

A Characterization of Central Auditory Processing in Parkinson's Disease.

Research indicates that people with Parkinson's disease (PwPs) may experience challenges in both peripheral and central auditory processing, although findings are inconsistent across studies. Due to the diversity of auditory measures used, there is a need for standardized, replicable hearing assessments to clarify which aspects of audition are impacted in PWPs and whether they are linked to motor and non-motor symptoms. To characterize auditory processes and their possible alteration in PwPs. To address this, we collected a comprehensive set of standardized measures of audition using PART, a digital testing platform designed to facilitate replication. Additionally, we examined the relationship between auditory, cognitive, and clinical variables in PwPs. We included 44 PwPs and 54 age and education matched healthy controls. Assessments included detection of diotic and dichotic frequency modulation, temporal gaps, spectro-temporal broad-band modulation, and speech-on-speech masking. We found no statistically significant differences in auditory processing measures between PwPs and the comparison group (ps > 0.07). In PwPs, an auditory processing composite score showed significant medium size correlations with cognitive measures (0.39 < r<0.41, ps < 0.02) and clinical variables of motor symptom severity, quality of life, depression, and caretaker burden (0.33 < r<0.52, ps < 0.03). While larger datasets are needed to clarify whether PwPs experience more auditory difficulties than healthy controls, our results underscore the importance of considering auditory processing on the symptomatic spectrum of Parkinson's disease using standardized replicable methodologies.

Interventions for School-Aged Children with Auditory Processing Disorder: A Scoping Review.

(1) Background: Auditory processing (AP) disorder is associated with learning difficulties and poses challenges to school-aged children in their daily activities. This scoping review identifies interventions and provides audiologists with protocol insights and outcome measures. (2) Methods: A systematic search of both peer-reviewed and grey literature (January 2006 to August 2023) covered ten databases. Studies included had the following characteristics: (i) published in French or English; (ii) participants were school-aged, and had a normal audiogram, AP difficulties or disorder, and no cognitive, developmental, congenital or neurological disorder (with the exception of learning, attention, and language disabilities); (iii) were intervention studies or systematic reviews. (3) Results: Forty-two studies were included, and they predominantly featured auditory training (AT), addressing spatial processing, dichotic listening, temporal processing and listening to speech in noise. Some interventions included cognitive or language training, assistive devices or hearing aids. Outcome measures listed included electrophysiological, AP, cognitive and language measures and questionnaires addressed to parents, teachers or the participants. (4) Conclusions: Most interventions focused on bottom-up approaches, particularly AT. A limited number of top-down approaches were observed. The compiled tools underscore the need for research on metric responsiveness and point to the inadequate consideration given to understanding how children perceive change.

Auditory Processing but Not Peripheral Hearing Differs Between Older Adults With and Without Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Impairments of hearing and auditory processing (AP) have been indicated as risk factors for dementia, but it remains unclear if persons with clinically diagnosed mild cognitive impairment (MCI) show such impairments. The objective of these analyses was to compare AP between those with and without a clinical diagnosis of MCI using a battery of AP measures. Data from 274 older adults from the Keys to Staying Sharp randomized clinical trial (NCT03528486) were analyzed. A battery of AP measures in which three domains (temporal processing, binaural processing, and degraded speech understanding) were addressed by six tests was administered. Analyses were registered at https://osf.io/nga4v. Those with and without a clinical diagnosis of MCI differed significantly in age, p = .002; pure-tone hearing in the left ear, p = .007; sex, p = .015; and race, p < .001. These covariates were included in multivariate analysis of covariance, which indicated significant differences between persons with and without MCI on measures of binaural processing (ps ≤ .006), but not on measures of temporal processing or degraded speech (ps ≥ .093). Pure-tone hearing averages did not significantly differ among those with or without MCI after adjusting for age, sex, and race (ps ≥ .292). AP in the binaural domain is impaired in MCI, but peripheral hearing did not significantly differ between those with and without MCI. Poor performance on AP measures of binaural processing may reflect problems dividing attention and may be indicative of dementia risk. Results have clinical implications for early detection of and intervention for cognitive impairment.

Predicting self-reported hearing problems using suprathreshold auditory processing and cognitive measures

Measures typically included in standard audiometric test batteries often fail to correlate with self-reported auditory complaints. This is especially common for patients with normal- or near-normal-hearing sensitivity, like those who are aging or have a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This discrepancy likely stems from the use of measures that are not sensitive to auditory or cognitive processing deficits underlying patient complaints, which limits effective clinical assessment and management. Recent work has focused on making common laboratory-based measures more clinically accessible using a tablet-based app called PART. The goal of the current study was to identify PART measures that better reflect patient complaints. Data was collected from adults with (n = 37) or without (n = 36) a history of TBI that were matched in age and hearing sensitivity. Regression modeling was used to determine relationships between self-reported auditory difficulties and measures of auditory processing and cognition, including spectrotemporal modulation detection, frequency modulation detection, spatial release from masking, and the Auditory Visual Divided Attention Task (AVDAT). Items from the Concussion Symptom Subtype Inventory were used to measure self-reported auditory complaints. Results contribute to a better understanding of processing difficulties that underly auditory complaints in those with and without TBI.

Portable automated rapid testing: Validation of automated testing on older listeners from India

Portable automated rapid testing (PART) is an iPad application (https://braingamecenter.ucr.edu/games/p-a-r-t/) capable of measuring various psychoacoustic thresholds in an automated and rapid format using commercially available headphones. The app has been validated previously in native speakers of English and an adapted version of the app has been validated in young normal hearing listeners from Mexico. Previous research from our labs indicated that the thresholds obtained using non-speech tasks did not differ significantly between the native and the non-native speakers of English while the native speakers of English had significantly better thresholds in the speech task. However, there was no significant difference in the amount of spatial release from masking between the groups. Here, we present psychoacoustic threshold data for a large cohort of older listeners from India with various English proficiencies. The thresholds obtained from this group will be compared against previously published thresholds based on native speakers of English. It is hypothesized that the results would be similar to what was found earlier with younger listeners from India. These results will give us the evidence to start using this app to measure thresholds of various central auditory processing measures in non-native speakers of English.

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.

Clarifying directional dependence among measures of early auditory processing and cognition in schizophrenia: leveraging Gaussian graphical models and Bayesian networks.

Research using latent variable models demonstrates that pre-attentive measures of early auditory processing (EAP) and cognition may initiate a cascading effect on daily functioning in schizophrenia. However, such models fail to account for relationships among individual measures of cognition and EAP, thereby limiting their utility. Hence, EAP and cognition may function as complementary and interacting measures of brain function rather than independent stages of information processing. Here, we apply a data-driven approach to identifying directional relationships among neurophysiologic and cognitive variables. Using data from the Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia 2, we estimated Gaussian Graphical Models and Bayesian networks to examine undirected and directed connections between measures of EAP, including mismatch negativity and P3a, and cognition in 663 outpatients with schizophrenia and 630 control participants. Chain structures emerged among EAP and attention/vigilance measures in schizophrenia and control groups. Concerning differences between the groups, object memory was an influential variable in schizophrenia upon which other cognitive domains depended, and working memory was an influential variable in controls. Measures of EAP and attention/vigilance are conditionally independent of other cognitive domains that were used in this study. Findings also revealed additional causal assumptions among measures of cognition that could help guide statistical control and ultimately help identify early-stage targets or surrogate endpoints in schizophrenia.

Speech intelligibility and its relation to auditory temporal processing in Czech and Swiss German subjects with and without tinnitus.

Previous studies have shown that levels for 50% speech intelligibility in quiet and in noise differ for different languages. Here, we aimed to find out whether these differences may relate to different auditory processing of temporal sound features in different languages, and to determine the influence of tinnitus on speech comprehension in different languages. We measured speech intelligibility under various conditions (words in quiet, sentences in babble noise, interrupted sentences) along with tone detection thresholds in quiet [PTA] and in noise [PTAnoise], gap detection thresholds [GDT], and detection thresholds for frequency modulation [FMT], and compared them between Czech and Swiss subjects matched in mean age and PTA. The Swiss subjects exhibited higher speech reception thresholds in quiet, higher threshold speech-to-noise ratio, and shallower slope of performance-intensity function for the words in quiet. Importantly, the intelligibility of temporally gated speech was similar in the Czech and Swiss subjects. The PTAnoise, GDT, and FMT were similar in the two groups. The Czech subjects exhibited correlations of the speech tests with GDT and FMT, which was not the case in the Swiss group. Qualitatively, the results of comparisons between the Swiss and Czech populations were not influenced by presence of subjective tinnitus. The results support the notion of language-specific differences in speech comprehension which persists also in tinnitus subjects, and indicates different associations with the elementary measures of auditory temporal processing.

Testing the Informativeness of Diverse Measures of Auditory Processing for Clinical Audiological Practice in Middle-Aged Adults in Mexico.

Standard clinical audiologic assessment is limited in its ability to capture variance in self-reported hearing difficulty. Additionally, the costs associated with clinical testing in audiology create financial barriers for hearing health care in developing countries like Mexico. This study used an open-source Spanish-language tool called PART (Portable Automated Rapid Testing) to test the hypothesis that a battery of assessments of auditory processing can complement standard clinical audiological assessment to better capture the variance of self-reported hearing difficulty. Forty-three adults between 40 and 69 years of age were tested in Mexico City using a traditional clinical pure-tone audiogram, cognitive screening, and a battery of PART-based auditory processing assessments including a speech-on-speech competition spatial release from masking task. Results were compared to self-reported hearing difficulty, assessed with a Spanish-language adaptation of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening Version (HHIE-S). Several measures from the PART battery exhibited stronger correlations with self-reported hearing difficulties than the pure-tone audiogram. The spatial release from masking task best captured variance in HHIE-S scores and remained significant after controlling for the effects of age, audibility, and cognitive score. The spatial release from masking task can complement traditional clinical measures to better account for patient's self-reported hearing difficulty. Open-source access to this test in PART supports its implementation for Spanish speakers in clinical settings around the world at low cost. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24470140.

In-Person and In-Home Teleneuropsychological Assessments With Youth With Neurodevelopmental Disorders: What’s the Difference?

Psychoeducational assessments provide clinicians with the foundation for diagnostic determinations and meaningful recommendations for youth with neurodevelopmental disorders. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the field shifted from seeing clients face-to-face (FTF) to conducting evaluations virtually via teleneuropsychology (TNP) in the client’s own home. The current study sought to determine the equivalence of cognitive and achievement scores obtained in the context of FTF versus TNP testing. Nineteen youth with diverse neurodevelopmental disorders completed the Woodcock Johnson-Fourth Edition (WJ-IV). Results suggest generally equivalent results, with the caveat that scores from measures of Fluid Reasoning and Auditory Processing were significantly different across testing modalities. Environmental factors, characteristics of the clients, administration challenges, technical considerations, and practice effects may have contributed to differences in scores. These findings have implications for assessment standardization, case conceptualization, and implementation of recommendations in the school setting when psychoeducational assessments are conducted virtually.

Associations between rapid auditory processing of speech sounds and specific verbal communication skills in autism.

The ability to rapidly process speech sounds is integral not only for processing other's speech, but also for auditory processing of one's own speech, which allows for maintenance of speech accuracy. Deficits in rapid auditory processing have been demonstrated in autistic individuals, particularly those with language impairment. We examined rapid auditory processing for speech sounds in relation to performance on a battery of verbal communication measures to determine which aspects of verbal communication were associated with cortical auditory processing in a sample of individuals with autism. Participants were 57 children and adolescents (40 male and 17 female) ages 5-18 who were diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Rapid auditory processing of speech sounds was measured via a magnetoencephalographic (MEG) index of the quality of the auditory evoked response to the second of two differing speech sounds ("Ga" / "Da") presented in rapid succession. Verbal communication abilities were assessed on standardized clinical measures of overall expressive and receptive language, vocabulary, articulation, and phonological processing. Associations between cortical measures of left- and right-hemisphere rapid auditory processing and verbal communication measures were examined. Rapid auditory processing of speech sounds was significantly associated with speech articulation bilaterally (r = 0.463, p = 0.001 for left hemisphere and r = 0.328, p = 0.020 for right hemisphere). In addition, rapid auditory processing in the left hemisphere was significantly associated with overall expressive language abilities (r = 0.354, p = 0.013); expressive (r = 0.384, p = 0.005) vocabulary; and phonological memory (r = 0.325, p = 0.024). Phonological memory was found to mediate the relationship between rapid cortical processing and receptive language. These results demonstrate that impaired rapid auditory processing for speech sounds is associated with dysfunction in verbal communication in ASD. The data also indicate that intact rapid auditory processing may be necessary for even basic communication skills that support speech production, such as phonological memory and articulatory control.

The prevalence and developmental course of auditory processing differences in autistic children.

Auditory processing differences, including hyper- or hyposensitivity to sound, aversions to sound, and difficulty listening under noisy, real-world conditions, are commonly reported in autistic individuals. However, the developmental course and functional impact of these auditory processing differences are unclear. In this study, we investigate the prevalence, developmental trajectory, and functional impact of auditory processing differences in autistic children throughout childhood using a longitudinal study design. Auditory processing differences were measured using the Short Sensory Profile, a caregiver questionnaire, in addition to adaptive behaviors and disruptive/concerning behaviors at 3, 6, and 9 years of age. Our results showed that auditory processing differences were reported in greater than 70% of the autistic children in our sample at all three timepoints, maintained a high prevalence through 9 years of age, and were associated with increased disruptive/concerning behaviors and difficulty with adaptive behaviors. Furthermore, in our sample of children, auditory processing differences at age 3 years predicted disruptive/concerning behaviors and difficulty with adaptive behaviors at age 9 years. These findings warrant further investigations of the potential benefit of incorporating measures of auditory processing during routine clinical evaluations as well as interventions targeting auditory processing differences in autistic children.

Subconcussion revealed by sound processing in the brain.

We tested the hypothesis that an objective measure of auditory processing reveals a history of head trauma that does not meet the clinical definition of concussion. Division I collegiate student-athletes (n = 709) across 19 sports were divided into groups, based on their sport, using prevailing classifications of "contact" (317 males, 212 females) and "noncontact" (58 males, 122 females). Participants were evaluated using the frequency-following response (FFR) to speech. The amplitude of FFR activity in a frequency band corresponding to the fundamental frequency (F0)-the voice pitch-of the speech stimulus, an outcome reduced in individuals with concussions, was critically examined. We found main effects of contact level and sex. The FFR-F0 was smaller in contact athletes than noncontact athletes and larger in females than males. There was a contact by sex interaction, with the FFR-F0 of males in the contact group being smaller than the three other groups. Secondary analyses found a correlation between FFR-F0 and length of participation in contact sports in male athletes. These findings suggest that the disruption of sensory processing in the brain can be observed in individuals without a concussion but whose sport features regular physical contact. This evidence identifies sound processing in the brain as an objective marker of subconcussion in athletes.

Neurophysiological measures of auditory sensory processing are associated with adaptive behavior in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

BackgroundAtypical auditory cortical processing is consistently found in scalp electrophysiological and magnetoencephalographic studies of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and may provide a marker of neuropathological brain development. However, the relationship between atypical cortical processing of auditory information and adaptive behavior in ASD is not yet well understood.MethodsWe sought to test the hypothesis that early (100-175 ms) auditory processing in ASD is related to everyday adaptive behavior through the examination of auditory event-related potentials (AEPs) in response to simple tones and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales in a large cohort of children with ASD (N = 84), aged 6–17, and in age- and IQ- matched neurotypically (NT) developing controls (N = 132).ResultsStatistical analyses revealed significant group differences in early AEPs over temporal scalp regions (150-175 ms), and the expected rightward lateralization of the AEP (100-125 ms and 150-175 ms) to tonal stimuli in both groups. Lateralization of the AEP (150-175 ms) was significantly associated with adaptive functioning in the socialization domain.ConclusionsThese results lend support to the hypothesis that atypical processing of sensory information is related to everyday adaptive behavior in autism.