Cochlear delay and medial olivocochlear functioning in children with suspected auditory processing disorder

Sriram Boothalingam*, Chris Allan, Prudence Allen, David Purcell

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)
38 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Behavioral manifestations of processing deficits associated with auditory processing disorder (APD) have been well documented. However, little is known about their anatomical underpinnings, especially cochlear processing. Cochlear delays, a proxy for cochlear tuning, measured using stimulus frequency otoacoustic emission (SFOAE) group delay, and the influence of the medial olivocochlear (MOC) system activation at the auditory periphery was studied in 23 children suspected with APD (sAPD) and 22 typically developing (TD) children. Results suggest that children suspected with APD have longer SFOAE group delays (possibly due to sharper cochlear tuning) and reduced MOC function compared to TD children. Other differences between the groups include correlation between MOC function and SFOAE delay in quiet in the TD group, and lack thereof in the sAPD group. MOCmediated changes in SFOAE delay were in opposite directions between groups: increase in delay in TD vs. reduction in delay in the sAPD group. Longer SFOAE group delays in the sAPD group may lead to longer cochlear filter ringing, and potential increase in forward masking. These results indicate differences in cochlear and MOC function between sAPD and TD groups. Further studies are warranted to explore the possibility of cochlea as a potential site for processing deficits in APD.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere0136906
Pages (from-to)1-18
Number of pages18
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume10
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Aug 2015
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2015. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Cochlear delay and medial olivocochlear functioning in children with suspected auditory processing disorder'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this