Auditory processing in children with language-based learning problems: a magnetencephalography study.
We examined basic auditory temporal processing in children with language-based learning problems (LPs) applying magnetencephalography. Auditory-evoked fields of 43 children (27 LP, 16 controls) were recorded while passively listening to 100-ms white noise bursts with temporal gaps of 3, 6, 10 and 30 ms inserted after 5 or 50 ms. The P1m was evaluated by spatio-temporal source analysis. Psychophysical gap-detection thresholds were obtained for the same participants. Thirty-two percent of the LP children were not able to perform the early gap psychoacoustic task. In addition, LP children displayed a significant delay of the P1m during the early gap task. These findings provide evidence for a diminished neuronal representation of short auditory stimuli in the primary auditory cortex of LP children.
Department of Neurology, Section of Biomagnetism, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. jennifer.diedler@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Jennifer
J
Diedler
Joachim
J
Pietz
Monika
M
Brunner
Cornelia
C
Hornberger
Thomas
T
Bast
André
A
Rupp
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000367:Age Factors; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015225:Magnetoencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011601:Psychophysics / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013017:Sound Localization / Q000502:physiology; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors