title: Auditory evoked potentials: predicting speech therapy outcomes in children with phonological disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether neurophysiologic responses (auditory evoked potentials) differ between typically developed children and children with phonological disorders and whether these responses are modified in children with phonological disorders after speech therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants included 24 typically developing children (Control Group, mean age: eight years and ten months) and 23 children clinically diagnosed with phonological disorders (Study Group, mean age: eight years and eleven months). Additionally, 12 study group children were enrolled in speech therapy (Study Group 1), and 11 were not enrolled in speech therapy (Study Group 2). The subjects were submitted to the following procedures: conventional audiological, auditory brainstem response, auditory middle-latency response, and P300 assessments. All participants presented with normal hearing thresholds. The study group 1 subjects were reassessed after 12 speech therapy sessions, and the study group 2 subjects were reassessed 3 months after the initial assessment. Electrophysiological results were compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Latency differences were observed between the groups (the control and study groups) regarding the auditory brainstem response and the P300 tests. Additionally, the P300 responses improved in the study group 1 children after speech therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that children with phonological disorders have impaired auditory brainstem and cortical region pathways that may benefit from speech therapy.
authors.forename: Renata Aparecida
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: Haydée Fiszbein
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Wertzner
authors.forename: Isabela Crivellaro
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Fernanda Cristina Leite
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Magliaro
authors.forename: Carla Gentile
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Matas
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001184:Articulation Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000502:physiology*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome