Central auditory processing and word discrimination in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Many multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with normal pure tone threshold suffer from difficulties in their hearing especially speech perception in background noise, which is possibly because of incompetence of central auditory processing in this group. Three audiologic tests including gap in noise test (GIN), duration pattern sequence test (DPST) and word discrimination score (WDS) were used for comparing a number of aspects of central auditory processing between patients with MS and normal subjects. Approximate threshold and percent of correct answers in GIN test, percent of correct answers in DPST test and monosyllabic discrimination in WDS test were obtained through cross-sectional non-invasive study conducted on 26 subjects with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who had mean age of 28.9 (SD 4.1) years, and 26 18-40-year-old ones with normal hearing and mean age of 27.7 (SD 5.2). Results of this study demonstrate increased approximate threshold and reduction of percent of correct answers obtained from GIN test in patients with multiple sclerosis (Pv = 0.0001). Furthermore in patients with MS, the average of correct answers in DPST was lower than normal subjects and finally performance of MS subjects in WDS test in quiet environment was correlated with GIN threshold (r = -/624, Pr = /003). Results of the present study showed that patients with MS had defect in aspects of central auditory processing consisting of temporal resolution, auditory pattern and the memory for auditory task and difficulty in discrimination of speech in noisy environment that are related to the involvement of central nervous system.

Comparing Sound-Field Speech-Auditory Brainstem Response Components between Cochlear Implant Users with Different Speech Recognition in Noise Scores.

Objectives: Many studies have suggested that cochlear implant (CI) users vary in terms of speech recognition in noise. Studies in this field attribute this variety partly to subcortical auditory processing. Studying speech-Auditory Brainstem Response (speech-ABR) provides good information about speech processing; thus, this work was designed to compare speech-ABR components between two groups of CI users with good and poor speech recognition in noise scores. Materials & Methods: The present study was conducted on two groups of CI users aged 8-10 years old. The first group (CI-good) consisted of 15 children with prelingual CI who had good speech recognition in noise performance. The second group (CI-poor) was matched with the first group, but they had poor speech recognition in noise performance. The speech-ABR test in a sound-field presentation was performed for all the participants. Results: The speech-ABR response showed more delay in C, D, E, F, O latencies in CI-poor than CI-good users (P <0.05), meanwhile no significant difference was observed in initial wave (V(t= -0.293, p= 0.771 and A (t= -1.051, p= 0.307). Analysis in spectral-domain showed a weaker representation of fundamental frequency as well as the first formant and high-frequency component of speech stimuli in the CI users with poor auditory performance. Conclusions: Results revealed that CI users who showed poor auditory performance in noise performance had deficits in encoding the periodic portion of speech signals at the brainstem level. Also, this study could be as physiological evidence for poorer pitch processing in CI users with poor speech recognition in noise performance.

Speech-in-noise perception ability can be related to auditory efferent pathway function: a comparative study in reading impaired and normal reading children.

INTRODUCTION: Deficient auditory processing can cause problems with speech perception and affect the development and evolution of reading skills. The efferent auditory pathway has an important role in normal auditory system functions like speech-in-noise perception, but there is still no general agreement on this. OBJECTIVE: To study the performance of the efferent auditory system in a group of children with reading impairment in comparison with normal reading and evaluation of its relationship with speech-in-noise perception. METHODS: A total of 53 children between the ages of 8-12 years were selected for the study of which 27 were with reading impairment and 26 were normal reading children. Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression and auditory recognition of words-in-noise test were performed for all the children. RESULTS: The average amplitude of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression showed a significant difference between the two groups in the right (p=0.004) and in the left ear (p=0.028). Assessment of the relationship between transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression and monaural auditory recognition of words-in-noise scores showed a significant moderate negative relationship only in the right ear (p=0.034, r=-0.41) of the normal reading children. Binaural auditory recognition of words-in-noise scores were significantly correlated with the amplitude of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression in the right ear (p<0.001, r=-0.75) and in the left ear (p<0.001, r=-0.64) of normal reading children. In the reading impaired group, ?a weaker correlation was observed between binaural auditory recognition of words-in-noise scores and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression in the right (p=0.003, r=-0.55) and in the left ear (p=0.012, r=-0.47). CONCLUSIONS: Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression pattern in the reading impaired group was different compared with normal reading children, and this difference could be related to efferent system performance. Words-in-noise scores in children with impaired reading were lower than in normal reading children. In addition, a relationship was found between transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression and words-in-noise scores in both normal and impaired reading children.

Sound-Field Speech Evoked Auditory Brainstem Response in Cochlear-Implant Recipients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Currently limited information is available on speech stimuli processing at the subcortical level in the recipients of cochlear implant (CI). Speech processing in the brainstem level is measured using speech-auditory brainstem response (S-ABR). The purpose of the present study was to measure the S-ABR components in the sound-field presentation in CI recipients, and compare with normal hearing (NH) children. Subjects and. METHODS: In this descriptive-analytical study, participants were divided in two groups: patients with CIs; and NH group. The CI group consisted of 20 prelingual hearing impairment children (mean age=8.90 ± 0.79 years), with ipsilateral CIs (right side). The control group consisted of 20 healthy NH children, with comparable age and sex distribution. The S-ABR was evoked by the 40-ms synthesized /da/ syllable stimulus that was indicated in the sound-field presentation. RESULTS: Sound-field S-ABR measured in the CI recipients indicated statistically significant delayed latencies, than in the NH group. In addition, these results demonstrated that the frequency following response peak amplitude was significantly higher in CI recipients, than in the NH counterparts (p<0.05). Finally, the neural phase locking were significantly lower in CI recipients (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of sound-field S-ABR demonstrated that CI recipients have neural encoding deficits in temporal and spectral domains at the brainstem level; therefore, the sound-field S-ABR can be considered an efficient clinical procedure to assess the speech process in CI recipients.

Central Auditory Processing Tests as Diagnostic Tools for the Early Identification of Elderly Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a disorder that usually occurs in the elderly, leading to dementia in some progressive cases. The purpose of this study is to examine the utility of central auditory processing tests as early diagnostic tools for identifying the elderly with MCI. SUBJECT AND METHODS: This study was conducted on 20 elderly patients with MCI and 20 healthy matched peers. The speech perception ability in a quiet environment and in the presence of background noise and also temporal resolution were assessed by using Speech Perception in Noise (SPIN) and Gap in Noise (GIN) tests, respectively. RESULTS: The results indicated that the ability to understand speech in a quiet environment did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, SPIN at the three signal-tonoise ratios and the temporal resolution scores were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with MCI appear to have poorer speech comprehension in noise and a lower temporal resolution than those of the same age, but without cognitive defects. Considering the utility of these tests in identifying cognitive problems, we propose that since the GIN test seems to be less influenced by intervening factors, this test can therefore, be a useful tool for the early screening of elderly people with cognitive problems.

Speech-in-noise perception ability can be related to auditory efferent pathway function: a comparative study in reading impaired and normal reading children / Capacidade de percepção da fala no ruído pode estar relacionada à função da via auditiva eferente: estudo comparativo de crianças com dificuldade de leitura e com leitura normal

Abstract Introduction: Deficient auditory processing can cause problems with speech perception and affect the development and evolution of reading skills. The efferent auditory pathway has an important role in normal auditory system functions like speech-in-noise perception, but there is still no general agreement on this. Objective: To study the performance of the efferent auditory system in a group of children with reading impairment in comparison with normal reading and evaluation of its relationship with speech-in-noise perception. Methods: A total of 53 children between the ages of 8-12 years were selected for the study of which 27 were with reading impairment and 26 were normal reading children. Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression and auditory recognition of words-in-noise test were performed for all the children. Results: The average amplitude of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression showed a significant difference between the two groups in the right (p = 0.004) and in the left ear (p = 0.028). Assessment of the relationship between transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression and monaural auditory recognition of words-in-noise scores showed a significant moderate negative relationship only in the right ear (p = 0.034, r = −0.41) of the normal reading children. Binaural auditory recognition of words-in-noise scores were significantly correlated with the amplitude of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression in the right ear (p < 0.001, r = −0.75) and in the left ear (p < 0.001, r = −0.64) of normal reading children. In the reading impaired group, ?a weaker correlation was observed between binaural auditory recognition of words-in-noise scores and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression in the right (p = 0.003, r = −0.55) and in the left ear (p = 0.012, r = −0.47). Conclusions: Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression pattern in the reading impaired group was different compared with normal reading children, and this difference could be related to efferent system performance. Words-in-noise scores in children with impaired reading were lower than in normal reading children. In addition, a relationship was found between transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression and words-in-noise scores in both normal and impaired reading children.

Resumo Introdução: O processamento auditivo deficiente pode causar problemas na percepção da fala e afetar o desenvolvimento e a evolução das habilidades de leitura. A via auditiva eferente tem um papel importante nas funções do sistema auditivo normal, como a percepção da fala no ruído, mas ainda não há um consenso sobre isso. Objetivo: Estudar o desempenho do sistema auditivo eferente em um grupo de crianças com dificuldade de leitura em comparação às com leitura normal e avaliação de sua relação com a percepção da fala no ruído. Método: Foram selecionadas para o estudo 53 crianças entre oito e 12 anos, das quais 27 tinham dificuldade de leitura e 26 apresentavam leitura normal. A avaliação por emissões otoacústicas evocadas transientes e o teste auditory recognition of words-in-noise foram feitos em todas as crianças. Resultados: A amplitude média da supressão das emissões otoacústicas evocadas transientes mostrou diferença significante entre os dois grupos na orelha direita (p = 0,004) e esquerda (p = 0,028). A avaliação da relação entre a supressão das emissões otoacústicas evocadas transientes e os escores monoaurais do teste auditory recognition of words-in-noise mostrou uma relação negativa moderadamente significante apenas na orelha direita (p = 0,034, r = -0,41) das crianças com leitura normal. Os escores binaurais do auditory recognition of words-in-noise foram significantemente correlacionados com a amplitude de supressão das emissões otoacústicas evocadas transientes na orelha direita (p < 0,001, r = -0,75) e na orelha esquerda (p < 0,001, r = -0,64) das crianças com leitura normal. No grupo com dificuldade de leitura, uma correlação mais fraca foi observada entre os escores binaurais do auditory recognition of words-in-noise e supressão das emissões otoacústicas evocadas transientes, na orelha direita (p = 0,003, r = -0,55) e na esquerda (p = 0,012, r = -0,47). Conclusões: O padrão de supressão das emissões otoacústicas evocadas transientes no grupo com dificuldade de leitura foi diferente em comparação com as crianças com leitura normal e essa diferença pode estar relacionada ao desempenho do sistema eferente. Os escores de palavras no ruído em crianças com dificuldade de leitura foram menores do que nas crianças com leitura normal. Além disso, foi encontrada uma relação entre a supressão das emissões otoacústicas evocadas transientes e os escores de palavras no ruído tanto em crianças com leitura normal quanto nas com dificuldade de leitura.

Vowel Production in Persian Deaf Children with Cochlear Implant: is the Age of Implantation an Important Factor?

Proper production of vowels has great significance in speech intelligibility. Evidence shows that cochlear implantation has a significant impact on language and reading abilities in some children immediately after the surgery. The aim of the present study is comparing the quality of 6 simple Persian vowels between two groups of cochlear-implanted children under and over 2 years old. This was a cross-sectional analytic study conducted on 70 children who were implanted under the age of 2, 70 children who were implanted over the age of 2 and 238 normal children as control group. For data analysis, the SFS win acoustic analysis was used. Result of this study showed that F2/i/, f1/e/, f2/e/, f2/∞/, f1/a/, F2/a/, f1/o/, F2/o/and F2/u/means had significant difference between three groups (P < 0.05). Children implanted under the age of 2 showed similar performance as normal children in vowel production. Early cochlear implantation (under the age of 2) affects the quality of simple Persian vowel production significantly as well as the increase of speech intelligibility.