Central Auditory Skills Research Articles

Auditory perception in adult hearing aid users with and without auditory training - A comparative study

Background: Individuals with sensorineural hearing loss can regain some lost auditory function with the help of hearing aids, but it may be insufficient under non – optimal condition. Future research aspect lies in processing strategy and training to enhance effects of auditory training and rehabilitation of patients using hearing aids. So research is done to supplement the rehabilitation process with patient centric education, counseling and auditory training to help the listener compensate for loss of auditory signal and improve communication. Whether age-related hearing loss can be decreased by auditory training along with hearing aid is to be researched as it is not clear from previous scientific works whether the outcome is significantly better than those with hearing aid who have not received training. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the role of auditory training for improvement of auditory perception in aged patients with age-related sensorineural hearing loss using binaural hearing aid. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in Otorhinolaryngology department of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, a rural based tertiary care hospital in Burdwan for 2 months from June 2022 to July 2022 and 50 aged patients with audiologically proven age related sensorineural hearing loss using hearing aid were included in this study after through history taking and meticulous clinical examination after getting institutional ethics committee clearance. Patients were divided in two groups, 25 in experimental group (with auditory training) and 25 in control group (without auditory training) and result was analyzed. Results: Formal auditory training was able to improve the central auditory skills of hearing aid users. Improvement was noted in an objective neurophysiologic correlate and perceived by patients, as revealed in a self-assessment questionnaire. Conclusion: Formal auditory training in adult hearing aid users promotes: Improvement in auditory skills for sound localization, memory for nonverbal sounds in sequence, auditory closure, and figure-to-ground for verbal sounds. Greater benefits with hearing aids in reverberant and noisy environments.

Treinamento para análise perceptivo-auditiva da voz: revisão de escopo

ABSTRACT Purpose To synthesize the state of scientific knowledge about training for auditory-perceptual voice analysis. Research strategy Question, Concept and Context and combinations of descriptors were formulated for searching in PubMed/Medline, LILACS and SciELO databases. Selection criteria Studies were included with a population composed of listeners with or without experience in auditory-perceptual analysis, which included auditory-perceptual voice analysis, in the context of vocal clinic, using human and/or synthesized voices, with individual or group training. Training method, voices used, training time and whether there was training in central auditory skills were observed. Results It is common to use auditory anchors, feedback, breathy and rough natural voices and training time with a maximum duration of two hours. No study applied the training of central auditory processing skills in training for auditory-perceptual voice assessment. Conclusion There is still no consensus on what is the best training program for auditory-perceptual voice analysis.

Could speech disorders in children with cleft lip and palate be justified by impaired central auditory skills?

Could speech disorders in children with cleft lip and palate be justified by impaired central auditory skills?

Testes para a avaliação comportamental das habilidades auditivas centrais em indivíduos com perdas auditivas neurossensorial: uma revisão integrativa

ABSTRACT Purpose: to identify the most used tests and the changed hearing skills in the central auditory processing of individuals with sensorineural hearing loss. Methods: an integrative literature review conducted between March and August 2021 in PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, IBECS, and Index Psi Scientific Journals. The review included studies addressing central hearing skills with central auditory processing behavioral tests in subjects with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Two independent reviewers made the study selection, data extraction, and qualitative synthesis. The selection aimed at verifying whether the studies answered the research question. Literature Review: 39 studies were found for full-text reading; after applying the eligibility criteria, 13 studies were included in the review. Participants diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss predominantly had hearing changes in verbal tests, in comparison with normal standards for individuals without hearing loss. Thus, the most changed skills are the ones that depend on speech sound discrimination. Conclusion: the Staggered Spondaic Word Test predominated among the most used behavioral tests, while the most researched central auditory skills were binaural integration and binaural separation.

Central Auditory Processing and Cognitive Functions in Children.

Introduction Nowadays, there is no consensus on whether central auditory processing disorder is a primary or a secondary deficit to other cognitive deficits. A better understanding of the association between cognitive functions and central auditory skills may help elucidate this dilemma. Objective To investigate possible associations between auditory abilities and cognitive functions in schoolchildren. Methods Fifty-eight schoolchildren, aged between 8 years and 0 months old and 11 years and 11 months old, who underwent the following tests: masking level difference, gaps in noise, pitch pattern sequence test, dichotic digits test, sustained auditory attention ability test, Wechsler intelligence scale for children – IV, junior Hayling test, five digits test, and behavior rating inventory of executive function. Results Significant correlations were found between the hearing ability of temporal resolution and executive functions, temporal ordering/sequencing, binaural integration and separation, and sustained auditory attention, operational memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility; binaural integration was also associated with intelligence. The statistically significant positive correlation found between the ability of binaural interaction and the components of emotional control and behavior regulation of the behavior rating inventory of executive function was unexpected. Conclusion The associations identified reinforce the complexity of the tasks involved in the evaluation of central auditory processing and the need for multidisciplinary evaluation for the differential diagnosis of auditory processing disorder. Confirmation of the presence or absence of comorbidities between different disorders allows directing the therapeutic behaviors and reducing the impact of possible auditory and/or cognitive deficits in the different daily life situations of children.

Frequency-Following Response (FFR) in Military Pilots.

Introduction Good hearing in pilots, including central auditory skills, is critical for flight safety and the prevention of aircraft accidents. Pure tone audiometry alone may not be enough to assess hearing in the members of this population who, in addition to high noise levels, routinely face speech recognition tasks in non-ideal conditions. Objective To characterize the frequency-following response (FFR) of a group of military pilots compared with a control group. Methods Twenty military pilots in the Study Group and 20 non-pilot military personnel, not exposed to noise in their work, in the Control Group, all with normal hearing, aged between 30 and 40 years old, completed a questionnaire to assess their hearing habits, and their FFRs were measured with a /da/ syllable (duration 40 milliseconds, speed 10.9/s), at 80 dB NA in the right ear. All procedures were approved by the ethical committee of the institution. Statistical analysis was performed using the t-Student or Mann-Whitney tests for quantitative variables, and the Fisher or chi-squared tests for qualitative variables, and a value of p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results There was no significant difference between the groups regarding auditory habits. In the FFR, wave amplitudes A ( p = 0.01) and C ( p = 0.04) were significantly lower in the Study Group. Conclusion Working as a military pilot can be a crucial factor in determining an individual's typical FFR pattern, demonstrated in the present study by statistically significant reductions in the amplitudes of the A and C waves.

The Peripheral Hearing and Central Auditory Processing Skills of Individuals With Subjective Memory Complaints

PurposeThis study examined the central auditory processing (CAP) assessment results of adults between 45 and 85 years of age with probable pre-clinical Alzheimer’s disease – i.e., individuals with subjective memory complaints (SMCs) as compared to those who were not reporting significant levels of memory complaints (non-SMCs). It was hypothesized that the SMC group would perform significantly poorer on tests of central auditory skills compared to participants with non-SMCs (control group).MethodsA total of 95 participants were recruited from the larger Western Australia Memory Study and were classified as SMCs (N = 61; 20 males and 41 females, mean age 71.47 ±7.18 years) and non-SMCs (N = 34; 10 males, 24 females, mean age 68.85 ±7.69 years). All participants completed a peripheral hearing assessment, a CAP assessment battery including Dichotic Digits, Duration Pattern Test, Dichotic Sentence Identification, Synthetic Sentence Identification with Ipsilateral Competing Message (SSI-ICM) and the Quick-Speech-in-Noise, and a cognitive screening assessment.ResultsThe SMCs group performed significantly poorer than the control group on SSI-ICM −10 and −20 dB signal-to-noise conditions. No significant differences were found between the two groups on the peripheral hearing threshold measurements and other CAP assessments.ConclusionsThe results suggest that individuals with SMCs perform poorly on specific CAP assessments in comparison to the controls. The poor CAP in SMC individuals may result in a higher cost to their finite pool of cognitive resources. The CAP results provide yet another biomarker that supports the hypothesis that SMCs may be a primary indication of neuropathological changes in the brain. Longitudinal follow up of individuals with SMCs, and decreased CAP abilities should inform whether this group is at higher risk of developing dementia as compared to non-SMCs and those SMC individuals without CAP difficulties.

Procedures for central auditory processing screening in schoolchildren

IntroductionCentral auditory processing screening in schoolchildren has led to debates in literature, both regarding the protocol to be used and the importance of actions aimed at prevention and promotion of auditory health. Defining effective screening procedures for central auditory processing is a challenge in Audiology. ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze the scientific research on central auditory processing screening and discuss the effectiveness of the procedures utilized. MethodsA search was performed in the SciELO and PUBMed databases by two researchers. The descriptors used in Portuguese and English were: auditory processing, screening, hearing, auditory perception, children, auditory tests and their respective terms in Portuguese. Inclusion criteria: original articles involving schoolchildren, auditory screening of central auditory skills and articles in Portuguese or English. Exclusion criteria: studies with adult and/or neonatal populations, peripheral auditory screening only, and duplicate articles. After applying the described criteria, 11 articles were included. ResultsAt the international level, central auditory processing screening methods used were: screening test for auditory processing disorder and its revised version, screening test for auditory processing, scale of auditory behaviors, children's auditory performance scale and Feather Squadron. In the Brazilian scenario, the procedures used were the simplified auditory processing assessment and Zaidan's battery of tests. ConclusionAt the international level, the screening test for auditory processing and Feather Squadron batteries stand out as the most comprehensive evaluation of hearing skills. At the national level, there is a paucity of studies that use methods evaluating more than four skills, and are normalized by age group. The use of simplified auditory processing assessment and questionnaires can be complementary in the search for an easy access and low-cost alternative in the auditory screening of Brazilian schoolchildren. Interactive tools should be proposed, that allow the selection of as many hearing skills as possible, validated by comparison with the battery of tests used in the diagnosis.

Does hearing aid experience alter un-aided auditory perception?

AbstractObjective: The aim of this study was to assess the ability of hearing aid (HA) experience to improve central auditory skills by making use of auditory plasticity. The aim would be achieved through studying the unaided auditory perception of a time compressed sentence test (TCST), patterning tests (pitch pattern test (PPT), duration pattern test (DPT)), and an auditory fusion test (AFT) in children with and without previous hearing aid usage. Study design: This was a cross-sectional study that included a study group of 19 children with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) having HA experience. Their ages ranged from six to 12 years and were compared to a control group of 27 well-matched children without previous hearing aid experience. Results: The children with SNHL having HA experience showed better scores than their controls in the psycho-physical tests, but this was statistically significant only on the PPT and the AFT at 500 Hz; at 4000Hz. The results were not significant for the...

(Central) auditory processing disorders

Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) is defined as “a deficit in the perceptual processing of auditory stimuli and the neurobiological activity underlying that processing.”1 (C)APD likely arises from abnormal neural representation of speech and non-speech sounds in the central auditory nervous system (CANS). This type of disorder may occur in pediatric and adult patients with normal hearing or may co-exist with, or occur secondary to, peripheral hearing loss. (C)APD may lead to difficulties in various auditory functions that are important for listening and comprehending spoken language, especially in noisy backgrounds. As such, (C)APD deficits may include difficulty with lateralization, localization, auditory discrimination, auditory pattern recognition, other temporal processing deficits, and more.1 Generally, patients with (C)APD are children presenting with listening problems in the classroom and difficulty in academic pursuits. (C)APD may be associated with learning disorders, especially in the areas of reading, spelling, articulation problems, difficulty following directions, and significant challenges regarding communicating and comprehending.2,3 (C)APD is more common in boys than girls and even more common in children with a significant history of otitis media.4 Roughly 7% of children are estimated to have (C)APD.5 (C)APD must be diagnosed using tools previously shown to have validity for identification of CANS dysfunction.1 Unfortunately, diagnostic tools currently available do not allow evaluation of (C)APD in children below 7 years of age, secondary to variability in the development of the brain and central nervous system. Other common disorders can mimic or co-exist with (C)APD. For example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, language processing disorder, and various cognitive disorders may lead to listening behaviors similar to those of (C)APD. However, the diagnosis of (C)APD is not appropriate when listening difficulties arise from, or are due to, higher-order, pan-sensory or global disorders, unless concomitant dysfunction in the CANS can be demonstrated.1 Therefore, with respect to pediatric applications, a multidisciplinary team-based approach involving the audiologist, parent(s), physician, speech-language pathologist, teacher, school psychologist, and possibly others is critical to ensure that all behaviors, actions, and observations have been addressed and considered, prior to arriving at a differential diagnosis.1-3

Auditory gap detection in the early blind

For blind individuals, audition provides critical information for interacting with the environment. Individuals blinded early in life (EB) typically show enhanced auditory abilities relative to sighted controls as measured by tasks requiring complex discrimination, attention and memory. In contrast, few deficits have been reported on tasks involving auditory sensory thresholds (e.g., Yates, J.T., Johnson, R.M., Starz, W.J., 1972. Loudness perception of the blind. Audiology 11(5), 368–376; Starlinger, I., Niemeyer, W., 1981. Do the blind hear better? Investigations on auditory processing in congenital or early acquired blindness. I. Peripheral functions. Audiology 20(6), 503–509). A study of gap detection stands at odds with this distinction [Muchnik, C., Efrati, M., Nemeth, E., Malin, M., Hildesheimer, M., 1991. Central auditory skills in blind and sighted subjects. Scand. Audiol. 20(1), 19–23]. In the current investigation we re-examined gap detection abilities in the EB using a single-interval, yes/no method. A group of younger sighted control individuals (SCy) was included in the analysis in addition to EB and sighted age matched control individuals (SCm) in order to examine the effect of age on gap detection performance. Estimates of gap detection thresholds for EB subjects were nearly identical to SCm subjects and slightly poorer relative to the SCy subjects. These results suggest some limits on the extent of auditory temporal advantages in the EB.

Central Auditory Skills in Blind and Sighted Subjects

Three different central auditory skills were compared and evaluated in 56 blind and 40 sighted subjects. The study consisted of three experiments conducted in three subgroups. Experiment A was performed in order to evaluate the localization function; experiment B for the temporal auditory resolution ability of the blind adult, and experiment C to test the ability of the blind person to discriminate speech material in noise. In all three experiments the blind subjects obtained significantly better results than the sighted subjects. From these results it was concluded that there is supporting evidence of a certain superiority of the blind individual with regard to central auditory function.