title: [Exploration of the auditory system in humans: From click to speech auditory brainstem responses].
abstract: There is a growing and unprecedented interest in the objective evaluation of the subcortical processes that are involved in speech perception, with potential clinical applications in speech and language impairments. Here, we review the studies illustrating the development of electrophysiological methods for assessing speech encoding in the human brainstem: from the pioneer recordings of click-evoked auditory brainstem responses (ABR), via studies of frequency-following responses (FFR) to the most recent measurements of speech ABR (SABR) or ABR in response to speech sounds. Recent research on SABR has provided new insights in the understanding of subcortical auditory processing mechanisms. The SABR test is an objective and non-invasive tool for assessing individual capacity of speech encoding in the brainstem. SABR characteristics are potentially useful both as a diagnosis tool of speech encoding deficits and as an assessment tool of the efficacy of rehabilitation programs in patients with learning and/or auditory processing disorders.
authors.affiliation: UMR CNRS 5020, laboratoire neurosciences sensorielles, comportement, cognition, hôpital Édouard-Herriot, université de Lyon, université Lyon 1, 5, place d'Arsonval, 69437 Lyon cedex 03, France. celine.richard@chu-st-etienne.fr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jeanvoine
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Veuillet
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moulin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thai-Van
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001304:Auditory Diseases, Central / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013060:Speech; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*