Validation of the pediatric speech intelligibility test in children with central nervous system lesions.

The pediatric speech intelligibility (PSI) test was administered to 21 children with a variety of documented central nervous system (CNS) lesions. Ages ranged from 3 to 8 years. PSI test results demonstrated both high sensitivity and high specificity. Results were consistently (1) abnormal in children with lesions in areas of the brain important for auditory function (CNS auditory disorders) and (2) normal in children with lesions in areas anatomically remote from auditory nuclei and pathways (nonauditory CNS disorders).