A case study of the changes in the speech-evoked auditory brainstem response associated with auditory training in children with auditory processing disorders

Abstract

Background: Studies related to plasticity and learning-related phenomena have primarily focused on higher-order processes of the auditory system, such as those in the auditory cortex and limited information is available on learning- and plasticity-related processes in the auditory brainstem.

Design and method: A clinical electrophysiological test of speech-evoked ABR known as BioMARK has been developed to evaluate brainstem responses to speech sounds in children with language learning disorders. Fast ForWord (FFW) was used as an auditory intervention program in the current study and pre- intervention and post-intervention speech-evoked ABR (BioMARK) measures were compared in 2 school-aged children with auditory processing disorders (APD).

Results and conclusions: Significant changes were noted from pre-intervention to post-intervention and reflect plasticity in the auditory brainstem's neural activity to speech stimuli.