Computer-based central auditory processing screening for school-age children (audBility): an initial investigation

Amaral, Maria Isabel Ramos do; Carvalho, Nádia Giulian de; Colella-Santos, Maria Francisca

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Original Article • CoDAS 31 (2) • 2019 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-1782/20182018157 copy

Computer-based central auditory processing screening for school-age children (audBility): an initial investigation

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To study an initial version of a new computer-based program for auditory processing screening of school-age children: “audBility.” Specifically, the study aimed to analyze performance in individual tasks, level of difficulty per age group, administration time and data management and propose adjustments for a final version to be validated in future research, based on the administration of “audBility” on children with good school performance.

Methods

Forty-three school-age children with good school performance were selected. The program assesses hearing skills related to sound localization, competitive dichotic listening, binaural integration, auditory figure-ground, auditory closure, temporal resolution and temporal ordering, as well as a self-perception questionnaire answered by the children.

Results

The mean score obtained in the questionnaire was 44.75 ± 6.3. Based on the analysis of performance in the individual tasks, improvements were made in the auditory closure and temporal resolution tests and also the research protocol was reduced and defined to adjust to administration time. It was identified a necessity of two separate modules: one for the age groups of 6 to 8 and other for 9 to 12 years, beyond the inclusion of two new versions of the questionnaire that can be answered by teachers and/or parents.

Conclusion

The development of audBility is an advance in the area of central auditory processing screening in school-age children. New researches for the validation of audBility are underway, with an increased sample and comparison with the diagnostic battery. The initial results enabled the development of the final version of the protocol to be used in the validation study.

Keywords
Child; Hearing; Early Detection; Hearing Tests; Auditory Perception

Tasks (% correct answers)	N	Mean	Median	Standard Deviation	P- value
Questionnaire (Score)	43	44.75	45.5	6.3
Sound localization	43	85.8%	90.0%	9.8
DDT- integration stage RE	43	94.0%	95.0%	6.4	0.524
DDT- integration stage LE	43	94.8%	95.0%	5.2	0.524
Comp. Dichotic Listening RE	43	74.0%	70.0%	16.6	0.323
Comp. Dichotic Listening LE	43	71.9%	70.0%	14.2	0.323
Auditory closure RE	43	74.2%	80.0%	17.4	<0.001
Auditory closure LE	43	84.2%	90.0%	11.8	<0.001
Figure-Ground RE-10	43	94.0%	100.0%	12.8
Figure-Ground RE -15	43	97.7%	100.0%	7.8
Figure-Ground LE -10	43	91.2%	100.0%	18.2
Figure-Ground LE -15	43	96.7%	100.0%	7.5
Figure-Ground Total RE	43	95.8%	100.0%	9.1	0.175
Figure-Ground Total LE	43	93.3%	100.0%	11.7	0.175
Temporal resolution	43	82.3%	90.0%	17.3
Temporal ordering (pitch)RE	43	72.6%	80.0%	24.3	0.594
Temporal ordering (pitch)LE	43	70.2%	80.0%	26.3	0.594
Temporal ordering (duration) RE	43	68.8%	80.0%	25.9	0.003
Temporal ordering (duration) LE	43	78.6%	80.0%	21.1	0.003

Ages 9 to 12		Ages 6 to 8
audBility task	Parameters	audBility task	Parameters
Sound localization	10 target situations: right, left, or above/behind	Sound localization	10 target situations: right, left, or above/behind
Binaural integration	4 numbers presented concomitantly (two in the right ear and two in the left ear).	Binaural integration	4 numbers presented concomitantly (two in the right ear and two in the left ear).
Figure-ground (monoaural)	10 sequences per ear: the child hears a story and concomitantly a sentence referring to the image. He or she must indicate the sentence.	Figure-ground (monoaural)	10 sequences per ear: the child hears a story and concomitantly a sentence referring to the image. He or she must indicate the image.
Auditory closure (monoaural)	10 sequences per ear: the child hears an acoustically modified word and must recognize the written word in the options displayed on the screen.	Auditory closure	10 sequences per ear: the child hears an acoustically modified word and must recognize the word in the images displayed on the screen.
Temporal resolution	Single 1000Hz stimuli (whistle) with varying gaps between them of 20ms, 15ms, 10ms, 6ms, 4ms and 0ms. In each presentation the child listens to a sequence of six sounds and is asked to count how many he or she can perceive/hear.	Temporal resolution	Single 1000Hz stimuli (whistle) with varying gaps between them of 20ms, 15ms, 10ms, 6ms, 4ms and 0ms. In each presentation the child listens to a sequence of six sounds and is asked to count how many he or she can perceive/hear.
Temporal ordering – duration	10 sequences of three combinations of pure tones of 900Hz/500ms (LONG-L) and 900Hz/200ms (SHORT-S). Time gaps between the sequences of 250ms (LLS, SSL, LSL, SLS, SLL and LSS).	Temporal ordering - duration	10 sequences of three combinations of pure tones of 800Hz/400ms (LONG-L) and 800Hz/200ms (SHORT-S). Time gaps between the sequences of 350ms (LLS, SSL, LSL, SLS, SLL and LSS).
Temporal ordering - pitch	10 sequences of three combinations of pure tones, either a low-pitch (LOW-L) stimulus of 800Hz or a high-pitch (HIGH-H) stimulus of 1300Hz lasting 250ms, such as LLH, HHL, HLH, LHL, LHH and HLL.	Temporal ordering - pitch	10 sequences of three combinations of pure tones, either a low-pitch (LOW-L) stimulus of 700Hz or a high-pitch (HIGH-H) stimulus of 1500Hz lasting 350ms, such as LLH, HHL, HLH, LHL, LHH and HLL.

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[1] Conflict of interests: nothing to declare.