Gaps In Noise Test Research Articles

Central auditory processing and cognitive abilities after mild traumatic brain injury in school-aged children

Objective The current study aimed to explore (1) school-aged children’s auditory and cognitive abilities and (2) their perceptions (self-reported and parents) of listening behaviours and symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Design Prospective cohort study. Study Sample Twenty-one children aged 8 to 12 participated in this study. Eleven children with mTBI were diagnosed in the emergency department, and 10 were matched controls. They were assessed twice, in the acute (≤14 days) and chronic (≥3 months) stages post-injury, using six central auditory behavioural tests, a cognitive screening battery, and questionnaires. ANOVA and correlation analysis were performed. Results Group differences were present in three auditory tests as children with mTBI obtained poorer scores than controls (Pitch Pattern Sequence Tests - PPST: p = 0.037; Gap In Noise test - GIN threshold: p = 0.046; Duration Pattern Test - DPT: p = 0.053), but not for perceived listening behaviours and cognitive abilities. Correlations were found only between perceived listening behaviours and reported mTBI symptoms for parents (p =0.014) and children (p =0.002). Conclusions Auditory abilities, mostly those related to temporal processing, were affected following mTBI, independently of cognitive abilities. Better identification of auditory processing difficulties following mTBI will improve treatment and resource allocation for children.

Exploring auditory temporal resolution and dichotic listening skills among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus

The study aimed to explore the auditory temporal resolution and dichotic listening skills in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and identify associated health-related factors. Using a cross-sectional design, 87 adults with T2DM and 48 non-diabetic controls, all with normal hearing, participated. The two central auditory processing (CAP) skills were assessed through the Gaps-In-Noise (GIN) and Dichotic-Digits Listening (DDL) tests. T2DM participants underwent blood tests to measure various health-related factors. In the GIN test, the shortest gap threshold (GapTh) obtained across both ears was significantly higher in the diabetic group (9.1 ± 2.4 ms) compared to the non-diabetic group (7.5 ± 1.5 ms), and the score of correctly identified gaps (GapSc) in the diabetic group (45±11 %) was significantly lower than GapSc in the non-diabetic group (52±9 %), p < 0.001. In the DDL test, the free-recall score (73.8 ± 18.5 %) across both ears and the right-ear advantage (-1.3 ± 20.6 %) in the diabetic group were significantly lower than the free-recall score (85.8 ± 11.9 %) and right-ear advantage (6.9 ± 11.9 %) in the non-diabetic group, p < 0.005. Furthermore, the duration of diabetes, eGFR level, retinopathy, carotid plaque, fasting blood glucose level, and HDL-C (good cholesterol) level were factors significantly associated with performances in the GIN and/or DDL tests for T2DM participants. In conclusion, individuals with T2DM are at risk of reduced auditory processing skills in temporal resolution and dichotic listening, impacting their speech understanding. Six health-related factors were identified as significantly associated with CAP skills in T2DM patients.

Central auditory functions in post-COVID-19 adults; a case control study

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the central auditory abilities in post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) adults by using Central Auditory Tests (CATs). This study included a complaining group (GI), a non-complaining group (GII), and a control healthy group (GIII). All subjects were evaluated using CATsResultsResults demonstrated statistically significant differences across groups as regards Speech Perception in Noise Test (SPIN), Duration Pattern Sequence Test (DPT), Gap in Noise Test (GIN), and Memory Test (ANOVA, p-value ≤ 0.05). The post-hoc test revealed that, except for recognition memory, both study groups showed statistically significant differences from the control group. Also, significant differences were detected between both GI and GII groups regarding SPIN−10 signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), DPT, GIN threshold, memory for content, and memory for sequenceConclusionsCOVID-19 led to central auditory processing disorders (c)APD.

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.

Gap in Noise Auditory Brainstem Responses: A Systematic Review

Background and Objectives: The gap in noise auditory brainstem responses (GIN-ABR) is a valuable assessment tool for auditory temporal processing, offering non-invasive and objective measurements encompassing the entire auditory system from the cochlea to the brainstem. This method has been utilized in investigating various factors, including age-related effects, hearing loss, and tinnitus. This systematic review was conducted to present a thorough examination of (GIN-ABR), encompassing its methodology, applications, and inherent limitations. Methods: This study was conducted based on preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Cochrane, PubMed, and Ovid databases were used to extract English articles from 1990 to June 2023. The search terms used were “gap in noise auditory brainstem response”, “ABR gap detection”, “ABR gap duration”, “ABR gap threshold”, and “ABR temporal processing”. Articles were included if gap-evoked ABR was used, investigating the effect of any factor on the responses, and using any gapped stimulus type. Articles whose evoked potentials did not include ABR waves were excluded. The outcome of interest was gap-evoked ABR in different participant groups. Results: A total of 10 studies were deemed suitable for inclusion in the review. The articles were reviewed that including the study population, the methods, and the results. Despite the variability in the results of the studies, in the aged group, longer latency shifts and decreased peak amplitude were reported compared to the young group. Correspondence of behavioral thresholds with GIN-ABR has also been mentioned in studies. Conclusion: The GIN-ABR method has been extensively utilized in investigating various factors, including age-related effects, hearing loss, and tinnitus. Notably, GIN-ABR has several clinical advantages, such as cost-effectiveness, shorter test duration, independence from alertness levels, attention, sleep depth fluctuations, or medication. Additionally, it has shown its compatibility with psychophysical tests. Further research is warranted to explore the impact of various factors on different components of GIN-ABR. Consequently, with its promising findings and growing body of research, the gap in noise test has the potential to be gradually integrated into the set of audiological clinical evaluations.

Effects of cochlear implantation on auditory temporal processing in single-sided deafness: a report of two cases

BackgroundIndividuals with single-sided deafness have difficulty understanding speech in noise and determining sound direction in their daily lives. Cochlear implantation, a globally accepted rehabilitation method, has recently become used in Turkey in patients with single-sided deafness. In this study, the effects of cochlear implants on auditory temporal processing skills, speech-in-noise perception performance, tinnitus, and subjective benefit were reported in two patients with single-sided deafness.Case presentationThe cochlear implant was applied to two children with single-sided deafness with and without inner ear malformation. Speech in noise score, gaps in noise test, duration, and frequency pattern test were used. Also, cochlear implant benefits and the presence of tinnitus were questioned by questionnaires. Speech-in-noise perception performance and auditory temporal processing skills improved in the postoperative period compared to the preoperative period. It was also observed that although the cochlear implant improved the quality of life, motivation for device use decreased in the first 6 months of the postoperative period.ConclusionsCochlear implantation in individuals with single-sided deafness with and without inner ear malformation is useful in increasing auditory temporal processing skills and understanding speech in noise ability. In addition, cochlear implantation is a useful method to improve quality of life, especially regarding spatial perception, and it did not cause tinnitus in our patients. Selecting an implant model that enables data logging provides an advantage in determining the motivation to use the implants.

Behavioral Assessment of Central Auditory Processing in Turner Syndrome.

Introduction Turner syndrome (TS) affects ∼ 1 in 2,500 live births. The presence of hearing alterations is one of the comorbidities found in this syndrome. Objective The present study aimed to evaluate the central auditory abilities in TS and to associate the alterations found with the cytogenetic pattern of the syndrome. Methods We included children and adults aged 9 to 39 years old, diagnosed with TS, with numerical or structural alterations of sex chromosomes in their karyotype. A battery of behavioral tests of central auditory processing (CAP) was performed, including a test within the modalities: monoaural low-redundancy, dichotic listening, binaural interaction, and temporal processing (resolution and ordering). We studied auditory skills in the total sample and in the sample stratified by age, divided into groups: G1 (9 to 13 years old), G2 (14 to 19 years old), and G3 (20 to 31 years old). For the association of the cytogenetic pattern, the division was T1 (chromosome monosomy X), and T2 (other TS cytogenetic patterns). Statistical analysis presented data expressed as median and interquartile range for numerical data and as frequency and percentage for categorical data. Results We found alterations in four auditory skills in the three age groups, but there was a statistically significant difference between the age groups only in the Gaps in Noise Test (GIN) ( p -value = 0.009). Regarding karyotype, a greater number of alterations in the T1 cytogenetic pattern (chromosome monosomy X) was observed in four auditory skills, but without a statistically significant difference. Conclusion The alterations found point to an impairment in CAP in TS.

Retracted: Software Application toward Accessible Hearing Care Assessment: Gap in Noise Test

Retracted: Software Application toward Accessible Hearing Care Assessment: Gap in Noise Test

Treinamento auditivo cognitivo em sujeitos após COVID-19: uma análise dos efeitos da intervenção em adultos

ABSTRACT Purpose To analyze the effectiveness of a therapeutic intervention plan through an existing cognitive auditory training program, adapted for adults, after one year of COVID-19 infection. Methods 13 subjects, between 18 and 59 years old, four males and nine females participated in the study. All underwent anamnesis, visual inspection of the external acoustic meatus, pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry and acoustic immitance measurements as selection procedures. For the research, the following procedures were carried out in the evaluation and reassessment: evaluation of central auditory processing, brief neuropsychological evaluation - NEUPSILIN, Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale and the Cognitive Potential - P300 with speech stimulus. Cognitive auditory training was carried out in six consecutive sessions, in an open field, lasting approximately 50 minutes. In all analyses, a significance level of 5% (p≤0.05) was considered. Results When comparing the variables between the periods, pre and post intervention, there was a statistically significant difference in the Dichotic Digit Test (p = 0.009), in the Frequency Pattern Test (p = 0.020) and in Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (p = 0.001). And a tendency to significance (p &lt; 0.10) in the Gap in Noise test and Total Attention. Conclusion Cognitive auditory training proved to be an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of adults with speech comprehension and cognition complaints after COVID-19 infection.

A utilização de testes comportamentais na avaliação do processamento auditivo central em crianças - revisão integrativa da literatura

ABSTRACT Purpose: to analyze the Brazilian bibliographic production, in the last decade, regarding the most used behavioral tests to assess central auditory processing in children. Methods: an integrative literature review, whose research question was, “Which behavioral tests are most used to assess children’s central auditory processing?”. The following search strategy “(auditory processing) AND (behavioral tests) AND (children)”, was used to consult the Oasisbr, VHL, and SciELO databases. Free-access studies, published in full text in national and international journals, in Brazilian Portuguese or English, with replicable methods, and whose descriptors and topics answered the research question, were selected. Reviews, opinion articles, administration reports, websites, policies with indicators, information systems, and repeated or duplicate publications, were excluded. Two researchers conducted the analysis, and the studies were classified as either feasible or unfeasible. Data were collected between September and November 2021 and organized in tables and spreadsheets developed in Microsoft Excel. Literature Review: initially, 64 studies were located, but after applying the eligibility criteria, 28 publications remained, which were read in full text. Conclusion: the Frequency Pattern Test, Dichotic Digits Test, Gaps in Noise Test, Speech-in-Noise Test, and Pediatric Speech Intelligibility were the most used behavioral tests to assess children’s auditory processing.

Software Application toward Accessible Hearing Care Assessment: Gap in Noise Test.

Currently, several methods are being applied to assess auditory temporal resolution in a controlled clinical environment via the measurements of gap detection thresholds (GDTs). However, these methods face two issues: the relatively long time required to perform the gap detection test in such settings and the potential of inaccessibility to such facilities. This article proposes a fast, affordable, and reliable application-based method for the determination of GDT either inside or outside the soundproof booth. The proposed test and the acoustic stimuli were both developed using the MATLAB® programming platform. GDT is determined when the subject is able to distinguish the shortest silent gap inserted randomly in one of two segments of white noise. GDTs were obtained from 42 normal-hearing subjects inside and outside the soundproof booth. The results of this study indicated that average GDTs measured inside the booth (5.12 ± 1.02 ms) and outside (4.78 ± 1.16 ms) were not significantly different. The measured GDTs were also comparable to that reported in the literature. In addition, the GDT screening time of the proposed method was approximately 5 minutes, a screening time that is much less than that reported by the literature. Data show that the proposed application was fast and reliable to screen GDT compared to the standard method currently used in clinical settings.

Auditory temporal processinzg in children with history of recurrent otitis media with effusion

Objective Several studies report that a history of recurrent otitis media with effusion (OME) can affect the development of the central auditory system and its processing. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of recurrent OME on the auditory temporal processing using the Gap-In-Noise (GIN) test in children with a positive history in their first five years. Materials and methods In this study, 12 children between 8 and 10 years old were selected. The control group was matched according to the age of study cohort. The GIN test was conducted to assess temporal processing and the approximate threshold and percentage of correct responses were calculated for all participants. Nonparametric test was used to analyze the data. Result Results of the GIN test showed significant differences between the OME and control group (p < .001). Children with recurrent OME performed worse than the control group in this test. No significant difference was observed between the right and left ear performance in both groups (p > .05). Conclusion The study results indicate that, children with recurrent OME suffer from auditory temporal processing to some degree.

Processamento auditivo temporal e os traços distintivos de crianças com transtorno fonológico

ABSTRACT Purpose: to assess whether there is a relationship between temporal auditory processing skills and altered distinctive features in cases of phonological disorder. Methods: 18 children aged between 6 and 8 years, diagnosed with phonological disorders participated in the research. All children underwent speech-language screening, phonological assessment and the assessment of temporal processing skills through the GIN - Gap in Noise Test, TPF - Frequency Pattern Test and TPD - Duration Pattern Test. The numbers of altered phonemes and distinctive features and the level at which they were in the Implicational Model of Features Complexity were compared with those of the GIN, TPF and TPD tests. The significance level adopted for all statistical tests was 5% (p&lt;0.05). Results: in no comparison and correlation was there statistical significance, but the subjects evaluated showed low performance in temporal auditory processing tasks, according to normative testing standards. Conclusion: in the general analysis, there was no relationship between temporal auditory skills and distinctive traits in the population assessed, even though they had difficulties in temporal auditory processing tasks.

Evaluation of temporal processing skills in individuals with normal hearing

Objective: In a cumulative perspective, the aim of this study is to perform Frequency Pattern Test (FPT), Duration Pattern Test (DPT) and Gap In Noise (GIN) Test in order to determine descriptive values of these tests to evaluate central auditory processing on the individuals’ with normal hearing. Material and Methods: A total of 52 participants, as of 28 women and 24 men, with normal hearing, within the age range of 20 to 55 were included in the study. Otoscopic examination, pure tone audiometry and FPT, DPT GIN Test which are central auditory processing tests, were performed on the participants who meet the criteria of the study and voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. Results: Descriptive values were obtained as an average of 78% in FPT, 92.11% in DPT, an average of 61.22% in GIN Test and an average of 6.34 ms in Gap Detection Threshold Conclusions: It is thought that the obtained descriptive values will contribute to the clinics and the literature. Keywords: Auditory temporal tests, central auditory processing, duration pattern test, frequency pattern test, gap in noise test

Deficits in central auditory processing among migraine patients

BackgroundMigraine is a neurological disease associated with abnormal excitability in visual, somatosensory, and motor cortex. This study aimed to verify and compare auditory processing performance in migraine patients with and without dizziness and healthy controls.ResultsSixty subjects were divided into 3 groups: control group, twenty normal healthy subjects, and study group I (twenty subjects diagnosed with migraine) and study group II (twenty subjects diagnosed with vestibular migraine). They were evaluated using the Central Auditory Processing Questionnaire for adults, tympanometry, pure tone audiometry, Psychophysical Central Auditory Tests, including Arabic Speech Intelligibility in Noise Test for adults, Arabic Dichotic Digit Test [version II], Gap in Noise Test, Duration Pattern Test, and Arabic Memory Tests. No significant difference was found between the two study groups I and II, but the significant difference was found between the study groups and the control group in all central auditory test results. Statistically significant difference was found between the control group and study groups I and II regarding all memory tests. The highest percentage of abnormality was present in temporal resolution and selective auditory attention in both study groups. There was no significant statistical correlation between the number of attacks/month and central auditory test results. There was no significant statistical correlation between the frequency of attacks in VM patients and central auditory test results.ConclusionsPatients with migraine and vestibular migraine had an inferior performance in all psychophysical central auditory tests when compared with control. Also, there was no significant difference between the 2 study groups regarding central auditory test results which may support that both migraine with and without dizziness have the same pathophysiology.

Auditory Phenotypic Variability in Friedreich\u2019s Ataxia Patients

Auditory neural impairment is a key clinical feature of Friedreich’s Ataxia (FRDA). We aimed to characterize the phenotypical spectrum of the auditory impairment in FRDA in order to facilitate early identification and timely management of auditory impairment in FRDA patients and to explore the relationship between the severity of auditory impairment with genetic variables (the expansion size of GAA trinucleotide repeats, GAA1 and GAA2), when controlled for variables such as disease duration, severity of the disease and cognitive status. Twenty-seven patients with genetically confirmed FRDA underwent baseline audiological assessment (pure-tone audiometry, otoacoustic emissions, auditory brainstem response). Twenty of these patients had additional psychophysical auditory processing evaluation including an auditory temporal processing test (gaps in noise test) and a binaural speech perception test that assesses spatial processing (Listening in Spatialized Noise-Sentences Test). Auditory spatial and auditory temporal processing ability were significantly associated with the repeat length of GAA1. Patients with GAA1 greater than 500 repeats had more severe auditory temporal and spatial processing deficits, leading to poorer speech perception. Furthermore, the spatial processing ability was strongly correlated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate an association between genotype and auditory spatial processing phenotype in patients with FRDA. Auditory temporal processing, neural sound conduction, spatial processing and speech perception were more severely affected in patients with GAA1 greater than 500 repeats. The results of our study may indicate that auditory deprivation plays a role in the development of mild cognitive impairment in FRDA patients.

Acute Alcohol Intake Deteriorates Hearing Thresholds and Speech Perception in Noise

Objectives: The hearing process involves complex peripheral and central auditory pathways and could be influenced by various situations or medications. To date, there is very little known about the effects of alcohol on the auditory performances. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate how acute alcohol administration affects various aspects of hearing performance in human subjects, from the auditory perceptive threshold to the speech-in-noise task, which is cognitively demanding. Methods: A total of 43 healthy volunteers were recruited, and each of the participants received calculated amounts of alcohol according to their body weight and sex with a targeted blood alcohol content level of 0.05% using the Widmark formula. Hearing was tested in alcohol-free conditions (no alcohol intake within the previous 24 h) and acute alcohol conditions. A test battery composed of pure-tone audiometry, speech reception threshold (SRT), word recognition score (WRS), distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), gaps-in-noise (GIN) test, and Korean matrix sentence test (testing speech perception in noise) was performed in the 2 conditions. Results: Acute alcohol intake elevated pure-tone hearing thresholds and SRT but did not affect WRS. Both otoacoustic emissions recorded with DPOAE and the temporal resolution measured with the GIN test were not influenced by alcohol intake. The hearing performance in a noisy environment in both easy (−2 dB signal-to-noise ratio [SNR]) and difficult (−8 dB SNR) conditions was decreased by alcohol. Conclusions: Acute alcohol elevated auditory perceptive thresholds and affected performance in complex and difficult auditory tasks rather than simple tasks.

Updates in Gaps in Noise Test

Updates in Gaps in Noise Test

Temporal Processing and Speech Perception Performance in Postlingual Adult Users of Cochlear Implants.

Cochlear implant (CI) listeners had some hearing problems, including catching clues from speech context, persist, particularly in complex listening environments. Among these hearing problems, temporal resolution is considered to be one of the most affected aspects of hearing. The aim of the study is to assess and compare the temporal resolution ability of CI users and individuals with normal hearing using the Gaps-in-Noise (GIN) test. This study also aims to investigate whether there are any differences in speech recognition and temporal resolution performance between groups separated according to the implanted ear, gender, CI type, or sound processor strategies. Case-control study. 18 adults (9 males, 9 females) with normal hearing, ranging in age between 18 and 55 years (mean: 30.64 ± 8.59 years) and 18 postlingual adults (10 males, 8 females) with bilateral CIs ranging in age between 19 and 59 years (mean: 36.64 ± 16.59 years) were included in the current study. Hearing thresholds, word recognition scores (WRS), and GIN test were conducted for each participant. Two parameters of GIN test were determined: the GIN threshold and total percentage score (TPS). Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the significance of the differences between the groups in terms of GIN threshold, WRS, and TPS. CI group showed significantly (p < 0.001) poorer performance in terms of WRS than normal hearing group. However there were no significant differences in WRS between groups which were divided according to the implanted ear, gender, CI type, and sound processor strategies. The mean GIN threshold was 3.33 ± 1.2 msec, whereas it was 9.56 ± 3.49 msec in CI users. Moreover the mean value of TPS was 90.77% in the normal group and 47.22% in the CI group. These differences between the two groups were also found statistically significant (p < 0.001). Our results show that CI users do not discriminate GIN as well as normal-hearing individuals, although their hearing levels with CIs are very close to normal hearing limits at all frequencies.

Gaps-In-Noise Test Performance in Children with Speech Sound Disorder and Cognitive Difficulty.

Background and ObjectivesThe Gaps-In-Noise (GIN) test is a clinically effective measure of the integrity of the central auditory nervous system. The GIN procedure can be applied to a pediatric population above 7 years of age. The present study conducted the GIN test to compare the abilities of auditory temporal resolution among typically developing children, children with speech sound disorder (SSD), and children with cognitive difficulty (CD).Subjects and MethodsChildren aged 8 to 11 years-(total n=30) participated in this study. There were 10 children in each of the following three groups: typically developing children, children with SSD, and children with CD. The Urimal Test of Articulation and Phonology was conducted as a clinical assessment of the children’s articulation and phonology. The Korean version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (K-WISC-III) was administered as a screening test for general cognitive function. According to the procedure of Musiek, the pre-recorded stimuli of the GIN test were presented at 50 dB SL. The results were scored by the approximated threshold and the overall percent correct score (%).ResultsAll the typically developing children had normal auditory temporal resolution based on the clinical cutoff criteria of the GIN test. The children with SSD or CD had significantly reduced gap detection performance compared to age-matched typically developing children. The children’s intelligence score measured by the K-WISC-III test explained 37% of the variance in the percent-correct score.ConclusionsChildren with SSD or CD exhibited poorer ability to resolve rapid temporal acoustic cues over time compared to the age-matched typically developing children. The ability to detect a brief temporal gap embedded in a stimulus may be related to the general cognitive ability or phonological processing.