Near - infrared spectroscopy and auditory sensory processing in infants

ABSTRACT Purpose: to systematically review, through the search in the Medline and Lilacs database, the use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a tool to evaluate the auditory function at the cortical level in infants. Methods: integrative review based on the criteria established by the Cochrane Handbook including the definition of the guiding question (theme to be researched), definition of the database to locate the articles, and selection and critical analysis of the articles. The bibliographic search was performed from September to December 2014. The inclusion criteria were: articles published in English, Portuguese and Spanish related to the child population (infants aged from 0 to 24 months) and type of study (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional). Results: 1674 articles were identified and 12 met the inclusion criteria of this study. In all articles, the auditory stimulation was used to measure brain hemodynamic changes, but in different areas of interest of the brain. They were grouped into three categories according to the type of stimulus: only vocal sounds, vocal sounds and other auditory stimuli and non-vocal sounds. Conclusion: NIRS is an effective tool for the evaluation of the auditory function at the cortical level in the child population.