Electrophysiological Screening for Children With Suspected Auditory Processing Disorder: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective: This research aimed to provide evidence for the early identification and intervention of children at risk for auditory processing disorder (APD). Electrophysiological studies on children with suspected APDs were systematically reviewed to understand the different electrophysiological characteristics of children with suspected APDs.Methods: Computerized databases such as PubMed, Cochrane, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched for retrieval of articles since the establishment of the database through May 18, 2020. Cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies that evaluated the literature for the electrophysiological assessment of children with suspected APD were independently reviewed by two researchers for literature screening, literature quality assessment, and data extraction. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and 11 entries recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality were used to evaluate the quality of the literature.Results: In accordance with the inclusion criteria, 14 articles were included. These articles involved 7 electrophysiological testing techniques: click-evoked auditory brainstem responses, frequency-following responses, the binaural interaction component of the auditory brainstem responses, the middle-latency response, cortical auditory evoked potential, mismatch negativity, and P300. The literature quality was considered moderate.Conclusions: Auditory electrophysiological testing can be used for the characteristic identification of children with suspected APD; however, the value of various electrophysiological testing methods for screening children with suspected APD requires further study.

Electrophysiological Testing for an Auditory Processing Disorder and Reading Performance in 54 School Students Aged Between 8 and 12 years

“…Electrophysiological assessment is a way of probing the central auditory nervous system and is a sensitive instrument to test the effectiveness of auditory training [ 10 , 24 ]. In this study, ABR click responses were used to ensure the integrity of the auditory pathway [ 37 , 38 ].…”

“…The click ABR can be a helpful electrophysiological tool in the detection of auditory nerve integrity; however, its use for the identification of children with auditory processing disorder has not yet been clearly demonstrated. Thus, it is important to conduct new studies using the ABR click to verify its effectiveness [ 10 ]. However, there are studies that highlight the possibility of evaluating auditory evoked potentials by investigating the binaural interaction component that might be able to determine the presence of auditory processing disorder earlier than behavioral analysis [ 11 ].…”

Incidence of Otolaryngological Manifestations in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Special Focus on Auditory Disorders

“…Liu et al conducted a systematic review and found that there are seven testing modalities that rely on electrophysiology currently, including click-evoked auditory brainstem responses, frequency-following responses, the binaural interaction component of the auditory brainstem responses, middle-latency response, cortical auditory evoked potential, mismatch negativity, and P300 [ 58 ]. They found that all of these tests have the potential to be used for the diagnosis of APD, but more research is warranted to completely understand the results of the tests [ 58 ]. The development and implementation of standardized and objective electrophysiologic techniques for the diagnosis of APD is crucial to better help this population.…”

Brainstem auditory physiology in children with listening difficulties,

“…They have thus been recommended to evaluate auditory pathway involvement in APD ( AAA, 2010 ; Ankmnal-Veeranna, Allan, & Allen, 2019 ; ASHA, 2005 ; Jerger & Musiek, 2000 ). However, studies using these techniques have produced inconsistent findings, probably due to varying definitions of APD, retrospective design, inadequate methodologic control, small group sizes, or lack of a control group ( Liu, Zhu, Chen, Hong, & Chi, 2021 ).…”