title: Auditory brainstem measures predict reading and speech-in-noise perception in school-aged children.
abstract: Reading and speech-in-noise perception, fundamental aspects of human communication, have been linked to neural indices of auditory brainstem function. However, how these factors interact is currently unclear. Multivariate analysis methods (structural equation modeling) were employed to delineate and quantify the relationships among factors that relate to successful reading and speech in noise perception in children. Neural measures of subcortical speech encoding that reflect the utilization of stimulus regularities, differentiation of stop consonants, and robustness of neural synchrony predicted 73% of the variance in reading scores. A different combination of neural measures, specifically, utilization of stimulus regularities, strength of encoding of lower harmonics, and the extent of noise-induced timing delays uniquely predicted 56% of the variance in speech-in-noise perception measures. The neural measures relating to reading and speech-in-noise perception were substantially non-overlapping and resulted in poor fitting models when substituted for each other, thereby suggesting distinct neural signatures for the two skills. When phonological processing and working memory measures were added to the models, brainstem measures still uniquely predicted variance in reading ability and speech-in-noise perception, highlighting the robustness of the relationship between subcortical auditory function and these skills. The current study suggests that objective neural markers may prove valuable in the assessment of reading or speech-in-noise abilities in children.
authors.affiliation: The Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences, Auditory Neuroscience Lab, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. j-hornickel@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hornickel
authors.forename: Bharath
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chandrasekaran
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zecker
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kraus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009622:Noise; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D010700:Phonetics; D011932:Reading; D012016:Reference Values; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013998:Time Perception / Q000502:physiology
references.citation: J Exp Child Psychol. 2006 Mar;93(3):265-81
references.pmid: 16293261
references.citation: J Speech Hear Res. 1977 Sep;20(3):543-54
references.pmid: 904315
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2004 May 1;55(9):926-33
references.pmid: 15110736
references.citation: J Acoust Soc Am. 1999 Oct;106(4 Pt 1):2086-96
references.pmid: 10530031
references.citation: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2006 Oct;47(10):1041-50
references.pmid: 17073983
references.citation: Ear Hear. 2010 Dec;31(6):761-8
references.pmid: 20562623
references.citation: Brain Lang. 2008 Jul;106(1):29-40
references.pmid: 18207564
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2010 Aug;126(2):e382-90
references.pmid: 20660546
references.citation: Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2000;6(3):207-13
references.pmid: 10982498
references.citation: Hear Res. 2010 Dec 1;270(1-2):151-7
references.pmid: 20708671
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Aug 4;106(31):13022-7
references.pmid: 19617560
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2005 Jul;8(7):862-3
references.pmid: 15924138
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2005 Dec;8(12):1684-9
references.pmid: 16286934
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 2005 Jan 6;156(1):95-103
references.pmid: 15474654
references.citation: J Acoust Soc Am. 1977 Aug;62(2):435-48
references.pmid: 886081
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 May 25;96(11):6483-8
references.pmid: 10339614
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2005 Oct 26;25(43):9850-7
references.pmid: 16251432
references.citation: Audiol Neurootol. 2004 Mar-Apr;9(2):107-14
references.pmid: 14981358
references.citation: Neuropsychologia. 1974 Jan;12(1):83-93
references.pmid: 4821193
references.citation: J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2003 Feb;46(1):80-97
references.pmid: 12647890
references.citation: Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1999;8 Suppl 3:28-34
references.pmid: 10638366
references.citation: Dev Sci. 2010 Jan 1;13(1):77-91
references.pmid: 20121865
references.citation: J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2008 Aug;51(4):1026-41
references.pmid: 18658069
references.citation: Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2003 Apr;16(2):185-91
references.pmid: 12668226
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2008 May 7;28(19):4929-37
references.pmid: 18463246
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 2002 Oct 17;136(1):31-49
references.pmid: 12385788
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2009 Jun 17;29(24):7686-93
references.pmid: 19535580
references.citation: J Acoust Soc Am. 1997 Sep;102(3):1811-20
references.pmid: 9301058
references.citation: Brain. 1999 May;122 ( Pt 5):907-13
references.pmid: 10355675
references.citation: Biol Psychol. 2004 Nov;67(3):299-317
references.pmid: 15294388
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2010 Oct;32(8):1407-13
references.pmid: 20950282
references.citation: Neuropsychologia. 1975 Jan;13(1):69-74
references.pmid: 1109463
references.citation: Audiol Neurootol. 2006;11(4):233-41
references.pmid: 16675898
references.citation: Neuron. 2009 Nov 12;64(3):311-9
references.pmid: 19914180
references.citation: Science. 1996 Aug 16;273(5277):971-3
references.pmid: 8688085
references.citation: J Exp Child Psychol. 1983 Apr;35(2):345-67
references.pmid: 6842131
references.citation: J Acoust Soc Am. 2000 Feb;107(2):970-7
references.pmid: 10687706
references.citation: Dev Sci. 2009 Sep;12(5):732-45
references.pmid: 19702766
references.citation: Neurosci Lett. 2002 Feb 15;319(2):111-5
references.pmid: 11825683
references.citation: J Speech Hear Res. 1993 Aug;36(4):850-63
references.pmid: 8377497
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Mar 4;100(5):2860-5
references.pmid: 12604786
references.citation: Ear Hear. 2010 Jun;31(3):302-24
references.pmid: 20084007
references.citation: Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2005 Sep;25(1):161-8
references.pmid: 15935624
references.citation: Cereb Cortex. 2009 Nov;19(11):2699-707
references.pmid: 19293398
references.citation: Trends Cogn Sci. 2007 Nov;11(11):458-65
references.pmid: 17983834
references.citation: Trends Amplif. 2008 Dec;12(4):283-99
references.pmid: 18974202
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2006 Nov;24(10):2945-53
references.pmid: 17116164
references.citation: Neuron. 2009 Feb 12;61(3):467-80
references.pmid: 19217382
references.citation: Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2007;25(3-4):295-310
references.pmid: 17943007
references.citation: Dyslexia. 2004 Aug;10(3):215-33
references.pmid: 15341199
references.citation: J Cogn Neurosci. 2008 Oct;20(10):1892-902
references.pmid: 18370594
references.citation: Ear Hear. 2004 Apr;25(2):142-6
references.pmid: 15064659
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2010 Apr 7;30(14):4922-6
references.pmid: 20371812
references.citation: Ear Hear. 2009 Dec;30(6):653-61
references.pmid: 19734788
references.citation: Curr Biol. 2008 Aug 5;18(15):1124-8
references.pmid: 18656355
references.citation: J Learn Disabil. 2000 Mar-Apr;33(2):179-91
references.pmid: 15505947
references.citation: J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2001 Dec;44(6):1321-37
references.pmid: 11776368
references.citation: J Cogn Neurosci. 2011 Sep;23(9):2268-79
references.pmid: 20681749
references.citation: Trends Neurosci. 2005 Apr;28(4):176-81
references.pmid: 15808351
references.citation: J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2009 Apr;52(2):321-35
references.pmid: 19339700
references.citation: PLoS Biol. 2008 May 20;6(5):e126
references.pmid: 18494561
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2009 Nov 11;29(45):14100-7
references.pmid: 19906958
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2002 Jul 15;52(2):101-10
references.pmid: 12114001
references.citation: Brain Lang. 2007 Apr;101(1):19-30
references.pmid: 16887179
references.citation: Q J Exp Psychol (Hove). 2008 Jan;61(1):129-41
references.pmid: 18038344