Speech-in-noise perception ability can be related to auditory efferent pathway function: a comparative study in reading impaired and normal reading children

Abstract Introduction: Deficient auditory processing can cause problems with speech perception and affect the development and evolution of reading skills. The efferent auditory pathway has an important role in normal auditory system functions like speech-in-noise perception, but there is still no general agreement on this. Objective: To study the performance of the efferent auditory system in a group of children with reading impairment in comparison with normal reading and evaluation of its relationship with speech-in-noise perception. Methods: A total of 53 children between the ages of 8-12 years were selected for the study of which 27 were with reading impairment and 26 were normal reading children. Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression and auditory recognition of words-in-noise test were performed for all the children. Results: The average amplitude of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression showed a significant difference between the two groups in the right (p = 0.004) and in the left ear (p = 0.028). Assessment of the relationship between transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression and monaural auditory recognition of words-in-noise scores showed a significant moderate negative relationship only in the right ear (p = 0.034, r = −0.41) of the normal reading children. Binaural auditory recognition of words-in-noise scores were significantly correlated with the amplitude of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression in the right ear (p < 0.001, r = −0.75) and in the left ear (p < 0.001, r = −0.64) of normal reading children. In the reading impaired group, ?a weaker correlation was observed between binaural auditory recognition of words-in-noise scores and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression in the right (p = 0.003, r = −0.55) and in the left ear (p = 0.012, r = −0.47). Conclusions: Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression pattern in the reading impaired group was different compared with normal reading children, and this difference could be related to efferent system performance. Words-in-noise scores in children with impaired reading were lower than in normal reading children. In addition, a relationship was found between transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression and words-in-noise scores in both normal and impaired reading children.

摘要·引言：听觉处理功能缺损可引发言语感知障碍，并对阅读能力的发展与形成产生不良影响。传出听觉通路（efferent auditory pathway）在噪声下言语感知（speech-in-noise perception）等正常听觉系统功能中发挥重要作用，但目前学界对此尚未形成广泛共识。
研究目的：探究阅读障碍儿童群体的传出听觉系统功能表现，并与正常阅读儿童进行对比，同时评估其与噪声下言语感知能力的相关性。
研究方法：本研究共纳入53名年龄介于8~12岁的儿童，其中27名患有阅读障碍，26名为正常阅读儿童。对所有受试者均开展了瞬态诱发耳声发射抑制（transient evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression）试验以及噪声下词语听觉识别测试。
研究结果：两组受试者的瞬态诱发耳声发射抑制平均幅值在右耳（p=0.004）与左耳（p=0.028）中均存在显著差异。对瞬态诱发耳声发射抑制与单耳噪声下词语听觉识别得分的相关性分析显示，仅在正常阅读儿童的右耳中存在显著的中等程度负相关（p=0.034，r=-0.41）。正常阅读儿童的双耳噪声下词语听觉识别得分与右耳（p<0.001，r=-0.75）、左耳（p<0.001，r=-0.64）的瞬态诱发耳声发射抑制幅值均呈显著相关。在阅读障碍组中，双耳噪声下词语听觉识别得分与右耳（p=0.003，r=-0.55）、左耳（p=0.012，r=-0.47）的瞬态诱发耳声发射抑制之间的相关性较弱。
研究结论：阅读障碍组的瞬态诱发耳声发射抑制模式与正常阅读儿童存在显著差异，该差异或与传出听觉系统功能表现相关。阅读障碍儿童的噪声下词语识别得分低于正常阅读儿童。此外，无论正常阅读儿童还是阅读障碍儿童，其瞬态诱发耳声发射抑制与噪声下词语识别得分均存在相关性。