TY - JOUR
T1 - Auditory neurophysiological development in early childhood
T2 - A growth curve modeling approach
AU - Thompson, Elaine C.
AU - Estabrook, Ryne
AU - Krizman, Jennifer
AU - Smith, Spencer
AU - Huang, Stephanie
AU - White-Schwoch, Travis
AU - Nicol, Trent
AU - Kraus, Nina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology
PY - 2021/9
Y1 - 2021/9
N2 - Objective: During early childhood, the development of communication skills, such as language and speech perception, relies in part on auditory system maturation. Because auditory behavioral tests engage cognition, mapping auditory maturation in the absence of cognitive influence remains a challenge. Furthermore, longitudinal investigations that capture auditory maturation within and between individuals in this age group are scarce. The goal of this study is to longitudinally measure auditory system maturation in early childhood using an objective approach. Methods: We collected frequency-following responses (FFR) to speech in 175 children, ages 3–8 years, annually for up to five years. The FFR is an objective measure of sound encoding that predominantly reflects auditory midbrain activity. Eliciting FFRs to speech provides rich details of various aspects of sound processing, namely, neural timing, spectral coding, and response stability. We used growth curve modeling to answer three questions: 1) does sound encoding change across childhood? 2) are there individual differences in sound encoding? and 3) are there individual differences in the development of sound encoding? Results: Subcortical auditory maturation develops linearly from 3-8 years. With age, FFRs became faster, more robust, and more consistent. Individual differences were evident in each aspect of sound processing, while individual differences in rates of change were observed for spectral coding alone. Conclusions: By using an objective measure and a longitudinal approach, these results suggest subcortical auditory development continues throughout childhood, and that different facets of auditory processing follow distinct developmental trajectories. Significance: The present findings improve our understanding of auditory system development in typically-developing children, opening the door for future investigations of disordered sound processing in clinical populations.
AB - Objective: During early childhood, the development of communication skills, such as language and speech perception, relies in part on auditory system maturation. Because auditory behavioral tests engage cognition, mapping auditory maturation in the absence of cognitive influence remains a challenge. Furthermore, longitudinal investigations that capture auditory maturation within and between individuals in this age group are scarce. The goal of this study is to longitudinally measure auditory system maturation in early childhood using an objective approach. Methods: We collected frequency-following responses (FFR) to speech in 175 children, ages 3–8 years, annually for up to five years. The FFR is an objective measure of sound encoding that predominantly reflects auditory midbrain activity. Eliciting FFRs to speech provides rich details of various aspects of sound processing, namely, neural timing, spectral coding, and response stability. We used growth curve modeling to answer three questions: 1) does sound encoding change across childhood? 2) are there individual differences in sound encoding? and 3) are there individual differences in the development of sound encoding? Results: Subcortical auditory maturation develops linearly from 3-8 years. With age, FFRs became faster, more robust, and more consistent. Individual differences were evident in each aspect of sound processing, while individual differences in rates of change were observed for spectral coding alone. Conclusions: By using an objective measure and a longitudinal approach, these results suggest subcortical auditory development continues throughout childhood, and that different facets of auditory processing follow distinct developmental trajectories. Significance: The present findings improve our understanding of auditory system development in typically-developing children, opening the door for future investigations of disordered sound processing in clinical populations.
KW - Auditory processing
KW - Childhood
KW - Development
KW - Growth curve modeling
KW - Longitudinal
KW - Neurophysiology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110259348&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85110259348&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.05.025
DO - 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.05.025
M3 - Article
C2 - 34284246
AN - SCOPUS:85110259348
SN - 1388-2457
VL - 132
SP - 2110
EP - 2122
JO - Clinical Neurophysiology
JF - Clinical Neurophysiology
IS - 9
ER -