[The relationship between minimal pair reproduction and writing skills].
OBJECTIVE
It is generally accepted that dyslexia arises due to deficits in phonological processing. However, whether these deficits are based on impaired auditory processing is still subject to debate. Here we tested whether low level auditory processing is correlated with a simple phonological processing task, thus indicating a close relationship between higher sensory and lower cognitive processing.


METHODS
We carried out a prospective study with 200 school children attending the third and fourth grades. The dependent variables used were just noticeable differences in intensity and frequency (JNDI, JNDF), gap detection (GD), monaural and binaural temporal order judgment (TOJ(b) and TOJ(m)), minimal pair perception and reproduction skills for real words and nonsense words.


RESULTS
No relevant correlation was found between any auditory low level processing variable and minimal pair representation and reproduction skills.


CONCLUSIONS
These data do not support the auditory processing deficit theory.
Ptok
M
M
Klinik und Poliklinik für Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie (OE 6510), Medizinische Hochschule Hannover. ptok.martin@mh-hannover.de
Meisen
R
R
D001307:Auditory Perception; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013067:Speech Perception; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014956:Writing