Deficient auditory processing in children with Asperger Syndrome, as indexed by event-related potentials.
Asperger Syndrome (AS) is characterized by normal language development but deficient understanding and use of the intonation and prosody of speech. While individuals with AS report difficulties in auditory perception, there are no studies addressing auditory processing at the sensory level. In this study, event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded for syllables and tones in children with AS and in their control counterparts. Children with AS displayed abnormalities in transient sound-feature encoding, as indexed by the obligatory ERPs, and in sound discrimination, as indexed by the mismatch negativity. These deficits were more severe for the tone stimuli than for the syllables. These results indicate that auditory sensory processing is deficient in children with AS, and that these deficits might be implicated in the perceptual problems encountered by children with AS.
Jansson-Verkasalo
Eira
E
Department of Finnish, Saami and Logopedics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. eiro.jansson-verkasalo@oulu.fi
Ceponiene
Rita
R
Kielinen
Marko
M
Suominen
Kalervo
K
Jäntti
Ville
V
Linna
Sirkka Liisa
SL
Moilanen
Irma
I
Näätänen
Risto
R
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male