Drosos Konstantinos, Vogazianos Paris, Tafiadis Dionysios, Voniati Louiza, Papanicolaou Alexandra, Panayidou Klea, Thodi Chryssoula
School of Sciences, Speech and Language Therapy, European University Cyprus, 2404 Nicosia, Cyprus.
School of Humanities, Social and Education Sciences, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, European University Cyprus, 2404 Nicosia, Cyprus.
Audiol Res. 2025 Sep 19;15(5):119. doi: 10.3390/audiolres15050119.
Children diagnosed with Speech Sound Disorders (SSDs) encounter difficulties in speech perception, especially when listening in the presence of background noise. Recommended protocols for auditory processing evaluation include behavioral linguistic and speech processing tests, as well as objective electrophysiological measures. The present study compared the auditory processing profiles of children with SSD and typically developing (TD) children using a battery of behavioral language and auditory tests combined with auditory evoked responses. Forty (40) parents of 7-10 years old Greek Cypriot children completed parent questionnaires related to their children's listening; their children completed an assessment comprising language, phonology, auditory processing, and auditory evoked responses. The experimental group included 24 children with a history of SSDs; the control group consisted of 16 TD children. Three factors significantly differentiated SSD from TD children: Factor 1 (auditory processing screening), Factor 5 (phonological awareness), and Factor 13 (Auditory Brainstem Response-ABR wave V latency). Among these, Factor 1 consistently predicted SSD classification both independently and in combined models, indicating strong ecological and diagnostic relevance. This predictive power suggests real-world listening behaviors are central to SSD differentiation. The significant correlation between Factor 5 and Factor 13 may suggest an interaction between auditory processing at the brainstem level and higher-order phonological manipulation. This research underscores the diagnostic significance of integrating behavioral and physiological metrics through dimensional and predictive methodologies. Factor 1, which focuses on authentic listening environments, was identified as the strongest predictor. These results advocate for the inclusion of ecologically valid listening items in the screening for APD. Poor discrimination of speech in noise imposes discrepancies between incoming auditory information and retained phonological representations, which disrupts the implicit processing mechanisms that align auditory input with phonological representations stored in memory. Speech and language pathologists can incorporate pertinent auditory processing assessment findings to identify potential language-processing challenges and formulate more effective therapeutic intervention strategies.
被诊断为语音障碍（SSDs）的儿童在语音感知方面存在困难，尤其是在有背景噪音的情况下聆听时。推荐的听觉处理评估方案包括行为语言和语音处理测试，以及客观的电生理测量。本研究使用一系列行为语言和听觉测试以及听觉诱发反应，比较了患有语音障碍的儿童和发育正常（TD）儿童的听觉处理特征。40名7至10岁的希族塞浦路斯儿童的家长完成了与他们孩子听力相关的家长问卷；他们的孩子完成了一项包括语言、语音学、听觉处理和听觉诱发反应的评估。实验组包括24名有语音障碍病史的儿童；对照组由16名发育正常的儿童组成。有三个因素显著区分了患有语音障碍的儿童和发育正常的儿童：因素1（听觉处理筛查）、因素5（语音意识）和因素13（听觉脑干反应-ABR波V潜伏期）。其中，因素1在独立模型和组合模型中都始终能够预测语音障碍的分类，表明其具有很强的生态学和诊断相关性。这种预测能力表明现实世界中的聆听行为是区分语音障碍的核心。因素5和因素13之间的显著相关性可能表明脑干水平的听觉处理与高阶语音操作之间存在相互作用。本研究强调了通过维度和预测方法整合行为和生理指标的诊断意义。专注于真实聆听环境的因素1被确定为最强的预测因素。这些结果主张在听觉处理障碍（APD）的筛查中纳入生态有效聆听项目。在噪音环境中对语音的辨别能力差会导致传入的听觉信息与保留的语音表征之间出现差异，从而扰乱将听觉输入与存储在记忆中的语音表征对齐的内隐处理机制。言语和语言病理学家可以纳入相关的听觉处理评估结果，以识别潜在的语言处理挑战，并制定更有效的治疗干预策略。
