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Purpose: Specific learning disorder (SLD) refers to a pattern of learning difficulties characterized by problems with reading, writing, or mathematics that are not solely due to intellectual disabilities, sensory deficits, or other neurological or medical conditions. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the processing and organizing of information. Auditory and cognitive processing is affected in most children with SLD, although to a varying degree. However, it is still unclear whether there exists any relationship between auditory and cognitive processing disorders in children with SLD. Method: We tested 1,259 children, of whom 77 were diagnosed as SLD and 30 age- and gender-matched typically developing (TD) children were selected. Auditory processing abilities were assessed for auditory discrimination, pattern perception, closure, temporal processing, binaural integration, and separation using standardized tests and procedures. Cognitive processing was measured using working memory, short-term memory, and attention tasks. Results: The test data of the TD children were taken as the norm. Based on the normative range, children with SLD were divided into those with auditory processing disorder (APD; n = 31) and those without APD (n = 46). A regression model highlighted a robust positive relationship between APD and cognitive processing, particularly pronounced in SLD with APD children. The results are discussed, supporting the information-processing theory of learning disability and highlighting a complex loop between auditory and cognitive deficits in children with SLD. Conclusions: The findings underscore the critical role of both auditory and cognitive abilities in children with SLD. Tailoring the intervention to break the loop is recommended, which may improve learning abilities more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background and Aim: Cognitive and auditory processing deficits are seen in older individuals with normal hearing sensitivity. Studies on older individuals with hearing impairment have assessed the cognitive function and correlated with hearing devices benefit. Since auditory processing can also affect speech perception abilities, and there is a possible relationship between cognition and some of the auditory processing abilities, it is essential to assess the relationship between auditory processing abilities and hearing aid benefit in naïve and experienced hearing aid users in older adults. Methods: Fifty individuals in the age range of 51 to 70 years with mild to moderate hearing loss participated in the study. There were 30 participants without any hearing aid experience and 20 participants with hearing aid experience for at least six weeks. Their auditory processing abilities were tested using gap detection test, duration pattern test, speech perception in noise, dichotic consonant-vowel test, masking level difference, forward and backward span tests. The hearing aid benefit was assessed using aided speech perception in noise measures and International Outcome Inventory-Hearing Aids questionnaire in Kannada. Results: Spearman's correlation showed only correlation between auditory closure ability and binaural integration abilities with hearing aid benefit in experienced users. There was no correlation between any other auditory processing abilities and hearing aid benefit. Conclusion: There is a correlation between a few auditory processes and hearing aid use in elderly individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Traditionally, auditory spatial acuity is assessed using a sound-field localization test that involves the auditory stimuli emitted from array of loudspeakers in a sound-treated room. Although the use of loudspeakers mimics real life environments, its reliability has not been evaluated in children. Thus, the present study examined the test--retest reliability of sound-field localization test in school-aged normal-hearing children. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four typically-developing children in the age range of 7--12 years (Mage: 9.97 ± 0.88) participated in the study. Localization testing was carried out twice on all the participants using an array of 18 loudspeakers (spaced 20° apart) arranged in a circular form. A 500 ms broadband noise was randomly presented at each azimuth. The overall accuracy and quadrant-specific accuracy scores were compared between the two sessions. Results: The Wilcoxon sign rank test results showed no significant difference in overall (P = 0.58) and quadrantwise accuracy scores between the two sessions. The intra-class correlation (ICC) results also demonstrated a high test--retest reliability (0.91) for the overall localization accuracy score. The results also showed low withinsubject variability (5.78%) of overall scores with a minimal response bias of 7.56%. Conclusions: The present study's results show a high test--retest reliability of the sound-field localization test, suggestive of its efficacy in assessing spatial processing abilities in school-aged children. High reliability of the test favors its application in localization assessment in children with spatial hearing disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study evaluated the peripheral hearing and central auditory processing abilities in Indian adolescent girls with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Method: The participants consisted of 75 adolescent girls with IDA, 50 adolescent girls without IDA, and 50 adolescent boys without IDA. Participants underwent a test battery to evaluate auditory processing and peripheral hearing assessment. In this study, central auditory processing abilities were assessed using Speech Perception in Noise test in Kannada (SPIN-K) and quick speech perception in noise tests in Kannada, dichotic consonant--vowel test, gap detection threshold (GDT), and auditory digit sequencing and auditory digit span tests. Results: Results showed that the hearing thresholds at extremely low and high frequencies (250 and 8000 Hz), although within clinically normal limits, were poorer in girls with IDA than in the control groups. Also, girls with IDA performed poorly in SPIN-K of the right ear, GDT, and auditory backward digit span tests. Conclusion: These subtle auditory deficiencies may be attributed to the compromised blood supply to the central auditory nervous system, as observed in the current study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal processing ability contributes to the identification of small phonetic elements that is important for speech perception. Difficulty in these interferes with normal speech perception and phoneme recognition. The present study aimed to assess the temporal and phonological processing abilities in children with speech sound disorders (SSD). Temporal processing and phonological skills were evaluated in 32 participants in the age range of 6–10 years, equally divided into two groups. Group I included typically developing children, and Group II included children with SSD. Gap detection test and duration pattern test were used to assess temporal processing abilities, and phonological sensitivity training kit in Kannada (PhoST-K) assessed phonological processing abilities. The results showed that there was a significant difference in temporal and phonological processing between the two groups of children. A significant correlation between gap detection ability and deletion tasks and between duration pattern ability and oddity tasks was obtained. Based on the results, it is recommended to assess the temporal process pertinent to central auditory processing in children with SSD, as a close relationship between temporal processing abilities and phonological awareness exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) on certain temporal processing abilities and perceptual judgment of tinnitus. A review of literature revealed that TRT reduces the neural activity at the level of limbic and autonomic nervous system. As, the neural generators of temporal perceptual skills also lie in the cortical and sub-cortical areas of the brain, it was hypothesized in the current study that there could be an association between the two. This longitudinal study was carried out with three groups of participants. The groups included 16 participants with bilateral symmetrical tinnitus (experimental group), 10 individuals with tinnitus (placebo group), and 20 individuals with no tinnitus (control group). All the participants had normal hearing sensitivity. TRT was given to the participants of the experimental group. Temporal processing abilities, tinnitus severity, annoyance and loudness were assessed before therapy and 1, 6 and 12 months following therapy. A significant improvement in the temporal processing test scores after 12 months of therapy was noted. Therapy also resulted in reduction of tinnitus severity and tinnitus related annoyance. There was a positive association between improved temporal processing and reduced tinnitus severity and tinnitus related annoyance for the participants in the experimental group. The improvement of temporal processing skills and perceptual judgment of tinnitus after therapy indicate the effectiveness of tinnitus retraining therapy and confirm the cortical and/or sub cortical involvement in tinnitus perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]