INTRODUCTION When identifying the auditory performance of children with phonological disorders, researchers assume that this population has normal peripheral hearing. However, responses at more central levels might be atypical. OBJECTIVE… Click to show full abstract
INTRODUCTION When identifying the auditory performance of children with phonological disorders, researchers assume that this population has normal peripheral hearing. However, responses at more central levels might be atypical. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of phonological disorders on Frequency-Following Responses (FFRs) in the time domain. METHODS Participants were 60 subjects, aged 5 to 8:11 years, divided into two groups: a control group, composed of 30 subjects with normal language skills; and a study group composed of 30 subjects diagnosed with Phonological Disorder (PD). All subjects were tested for Frequency-Following Responses. RESULTS In the group of children with PD there was an increase in the latency of all FFR components, with a significant statistical difference for components V (p = 0.015); A (<0.001); C (0.022); F (<0.001); and O (0.001). There was also a reduction in the Slope measure in the group with PD (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION The FFR responses are altered in children with PD. This suggests that children with PD present a disorganization in the neural coding of complex sounds. This could compromise specially the development of linguistic/phonological abilities, which can reflect in daily communication.
               
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