Noise equally degrades central auditory processing in 2- and 4-year-old children

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate and shortened the N4 latency. The noise-induced amplitude developmental and noise-induced changes in central changes of P1, N2, and N4 were strongest frontally. Furthermore, auditory processing indexed by event-related potentials background noise degraded the MMN. At both ages, MMN in typically developing children. was significantly elicited only by the consonant change, Method: P1, N2, and N4 responses as well as mismatch and at the age of 4 years, also by the vowel duration change negativities (MMNs) were recorded for standard syllables during noise. and consonants, frequency, intensity, vowel, and vowel Conclusions: Developmental changes indexing maturation duration changes in silent and noisy conditions in the same of central auditory processing were found from every 14 children at the ages of 2 and 4 years. response studied. Noise degraded sound encoding and Results: The P1 and N2 latencies decreased and the N2, echoic memory and impaired auditory discrimination at N4, and MMN amplitudes increased with development both ages. The older children were as vulnerable to the of the children. The amplitude changes were strongest impact of noise as the younger children. at frontal electrodes. At both ages, background noise Supplemental materials: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha. decreased the P1 amplitude, increased the N2 amplitude, 5233939