ORIGINAL ARTICLE
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIC ASSESSMENT OF AUDITORY FUNCTION IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND ATTENTIONDEFICIT AND HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
 
More details
Hide details
1
Department of Otolaryngology, Audiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
 
2
National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
 
 
Publication date: 2014-09-30
 
 
Corresponding author
Amira M. El Shennawy   

Amira M. El Shennawy, Department of Otolaryngology, Audiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, e-mail: amira.doc75@outlook.com
 
 
J Hear Sci 2014;4(3):26-34
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Background:
Autism and attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are neurodevelopmental disorders sharing some developmental deficits and differing in others. The aim of this study was to specify the auditory phenotype in terms of peripheral and central hearing abilities through the use of objective and subjective assessment methods. The goal was to identify alterations in the central and peripheral auditory systems, especially those involving language and cognitive alterations, since hearing impairment can compromise language acquisition and the rehabilitation process.

Material and Methods:
Exactly 60 subjects were included in this study. They were divided into 30 subjects and 30 controls, and the study group was subdivided into 15 subjects with ADHD and 15 suffering with autism. All cases were given pure tone audiometry, speech tests, and click-evoked ABR and P300 tests.

Results:
Both study groups showed impaired subcortical encoding of speech, which was highly disrupted in the autistic group. The ADHD group showed delayed offset responses. Both groups had delayed P300 latencies and diminished amplitudes, which were most marked in the autistic group.

Conclusions:
ADHD and autism involve impaired subcortical encoding of speech and impaired cognition, conditions that are more severe in autistic children.

REFERENCES (39)
1.
van de Vondervoort II, Gordebeke PM, Khoshab N, Tiesinga PH, Buitelaar JK et al. Long non-coding RNAs in neurodevelopmental disorders. Front Mol Neurosci, 2013; 30(6): 53.
 
2.
Brooks-Kayal A. Epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders: are there common developmental mechanisms? Brain Dev, 2010; 32(9): 731–8.
 
3.
Hattier MA, Matson JL, Belva BC, Horovitz M. The occurrence of challenging behaviours in children with autism spectrum disorders and atypical development. Dev Neurorehabil, 2011; 14(4): 221–9.
 
4.
Boddaert N, Belin P, Chabane N, Poline JB, Barthelemy C, Mouren-Simeoni MC. Perception of complex sounds: abnormal pattern of cortical activation in autism. Am J Psychiatry, 2003; 160(11): 2057–60.
 
5.
Russo N, Zecker S, Trommer B, Chen J, Kraus N. Effects of background noise on cortical encoding of speech in autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord, 2009; 39(8): 1185–96.
 
6.
Lo-Castro A, D’Agati E, Curatolo P. ADHD and genetic syndromes. Brain Dev, 2011; 33(6): 456–61.
 
7.
Lee DO, Ousley OY. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in a clinic sample of children and adolescents with pervasive developmental disorders. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol, 2006; 16: 737–46.
 
8.
Musiek F, Chermak G. Three commonly asked questions about central auditory processing disorders: Management. American Journal of Audiology, 1995; 4(1): 15–8.
 
9.
American Psychiatric Association (APA) Diagnostic and manual of mental disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). Washington, (DC): American Psychiatric Association, 1994.
 
10.
Conners CK, Sitarenios G, Parker JD, Epstein JN. The revised Conners’ Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-R): factor structure, reliability, and criterion validity. J Abnorm Child Psychol, 1998; 26(4): 257–68.
 
11.
Lord C, Rutter M, Le Couteur A. Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised: a revised version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders. J Autism Dev Disord, 1994; 24(5): 659–85.
 
12.
Schopler E, Reichler RJ, DeVellis RF, Daly K. Toward objective classification of childhood autism: Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). J Autism Dev Disord, 1980; 10: 91–103.
 
13.
Akhoun I, Moulin A, Jeanvoine A. Speech auditory brainstem response (speech abr) characteristics depending on recording conditions, and hearing status: An experimental parametric study. J Neurosci Methods, 2008; 175: 196–205.
 
14.
Schochat E, Scheuer CI, Andrade ER. ABR and auditory P300 findings in children with ADHD. Arq Neuropsiquiatr, 2002; 60: 742–7.
 
15.
Vaney N, Anjana Y, Khaliq F. No auditory conduction abnormality in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Funct Neurol, 2011; 26(3): 159–63.
 
16.
Azzam H, Hassan D. Auditory brainstem timing and cortical processing in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Current Psychiatry, 2010; 17(1): 15–21.
 
17.
Puente A, Ysunza A, Pamplona M, Silva-Rojas A, Lara C. Short latency and long latency auditory evoked responses in children with attention deficit disorder. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol, 2002; 62: 45–51.
 
18.
Johnson KL, Nicol T, Kraus N. The brainstem response to speech: a biological marker of auditory processing. Ear Hear, 2005; 26: 424–34.
 
19.
Russo N, Zecker S, Trommer B, Chen J, Kraus N. Effects of background noise on cortical encoding of speech in autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord, 2009; 39: 1185–96.
 
20.
Tas A, Yagiz R, Tas M, Esme M, Uzun C, Karasalihoglu A. Evaluation of hearing children with autism by using TEOAE and ABR. Autism, 2007; 11(1): 73–9.
 
21.
Jansson-Verkasalo E, Ceponiene R, Kielinen M, Suominen K, Jantti V, Linna SL. Deficient auditory processing in children with Asperger syndrome, as indexed by event-related potentials. Neurosci Lett, 2003; 338(3): 197–200.
 
22.
Boddaert N, Chabane N, Belin P, Bourgeois M, Royer V, Barthelemy C. Perception of complex sounds in autism: abnormal auditory cortical processing in children. Am J Psychiatry, 2004; 161(11): 2117–20.
 
23.
Kasai K, Hashimoto O, Kawakubo Y, Yumoto M, Kamio S, Itoh K. Delayed automatic detection of change in speech sounds in adults with autism: a magnetoencephalographic study. Clin Neurophysiol, 2005; 116(7): 1655–64.
 
24.
Lepistö T, Silokallio S, Nieminen-von Wendt T, Alku P, Näätänen R, Kujala A. Auditory perception and attention as reflected by the brain event-related potentials in children with Asperger syndrome. Clin Neurophysiol, 2006; 117: 2161–71.
 
25.
Lazzaro I, Gordon E, Whitmont S, Meares R, Clarke S. The modulation of late component event related potentials by prestimulus EEG theta activity in ADHD. Int J Neurosci, 2001; 107: 247–64.
 
26.
Ozdag MF, Yorbik O, Ulas UH, Hamamcioglu K, Vural O. Effect of methylphenidate on auditory event related potential in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol, 2004; 68: 1267–72.
 
27.
Tsai ML, Hung KL, Lu HH. Auditory event-related potentials in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Pediatr Neonatol, 2012; 53(2): 118–24.
 
28.
Barry RJ, Clarke AR, McCarthy R, Selikowitz M, Brown CR, Heaven PC. Event-related potentials in adults with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder: an investigation using an intermodal auditory/visual oddball task. Int J Psychophysiol, 2009; 71(2): 124–31.
 
29.
Anjana Y, Khaliq F, Vaney N. Event-related potentials study in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Funct Neurol, 2010; 25: 87–92.
 
30.
Groom MJ, Bates AT, Jackson GM, Calton TG, Liddle PF, Hollis C. Event-related potentials in adolescents with schizophrenia and their siblings: a comparison with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Biol Psychiatry, 2008; 63(8): 784–92.
 
31.
Roca P, Mulas F, Presentación-Herrero MJ, Ortiz-Sánchez P, Idiazábal-Alecha MA, Miranda-Casas A. Cognitive evoked potentials and executive functions in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Rev Neurol, 2012; 54(1): S95–103.
 
32.
Idiazábal Alecha M, Palencia Taboada AB, Sangorrín J, Espadaler-Gamissans JM. Cognitive evoked potentials in the hyperactivity attention deficit disorder. Rev Neurol, 2002; 34: 301–5.
 
33.
Senderecka M, Grabowska A, Gerc K, Szewczyk J, Chmylak R. Event-related potentials in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an investigation using an auditory oddball task. Int J Psychophysiol, 2012; 85(1): 106–15.
 
34.
Hoeksma MR, Kemner C, Kenemans JL, van Engeland H. Abnormal selective attention normalizes P3 amplitudes in PDD. J Autism Dev Disord, 2006; 36(5): 643–54.
 
35.
Salmond CH, Vargha-Khadem F, Gadian DG, de Haan M, Baldeweg T. Heterogeneity in the patterns of neural abnormality in autistic spectrum disorders: evidence from ERP and MRI. Cortex, 2007; 43(6): 686–99.
 
36.
Sokhadze E, Baruth J, Tasman A, Sears L, Mathai G, El-Baz A, Casanova MF. Event-related potential study of novelty processing abnormalities in autism. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback, 2009; 34(1): 37–51.
 
37.
Lincoln AJ, Courchesne E, Harms L, Allen M. Contextual probability evaluation in autistic, receptive developmental language disorder, and control children: event-related brain potential evidence. J Autism Dev Disord, 1993; 23(1): 37–58.
 
38.
Kuhl PK, Coffey-Corina S, Padden D, Dawson G. Links between social and linguistic processing of speech in preschool children with autism: behavioral and electrophysiological measures. Dev Sci, 2005; 8(1): F1–F12.
 
39.
O’Connor K. Auditory processing in autism spectrum disorder: a review. Neurosci Biobeh Rev, 2012; 36(2): 836–54.
 
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top