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Case Reports
. 2007 Jul-Aug;40(4):284-94.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2007.03.007. Epub 2007 Mar 14.

Central auditory development: evidence from CAEP measurements in children fit with cochlear implants

Michael F Dorman  1 , Anu Sharma, Phillip Gilley, Kathryn Martin, Peter Roland
Affiliations
Case Reports

Central auditory development: evidence from CAEP measurements in children fit with cochlear implants

Michael F Dorman et al. J Commun Disord. 2007 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

In normal-hearing children the latency of the P1 component of the cortical evoked response to sound varies as a function of age and, thus, can be used as a biomarker for maturation of central auditory pathways. We assessed P1 latency in 245 congenitally deaf children fit with cochlear implants following various periods of auditory deprivation. If children experience less than 3.5 years of auditory deprivation before implantation, P1 latencies fall into the range of normal following 3-6 months of electrical stimulation. Children who experience greater than 7 years of deprivation, however, generally do not develop normal P1 latencies even after years of stimulation. Moreover, the waveforms for these patients can be markedly abnormal. Cortical reorganization stimulated by deprivation is likely to be a significant factor in both variation in the latency and morphology of the cortical evoked response to sound for children fit with a cochlear implant and variation in the development of oral speech and language function.

Learning outcomes: The reader will be introduced to research using cortical evoked responses (CAEPs), positron emission tomography (PET) scans and in-depth recording from the auditory cortex of congenitally deaf cats that converges on the existence of a sensitive period for the development of central auditory pathways in children. The reader will also be provided with two case studies that illustrate the use of the P1 response as biomarker for development of central auditory pathways. Finally, suggestions for future research will be provided.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Sentence recognition as a function of age at implantation (figure redrawn from Lee et al., 2004.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
P1 latency as a function of age for 190 normal-hearing children. The upper and lower solid lines indicate the 95% confidence limits for the data. The middle solid line is the line of best fit. The inset is a CAEP from a 3-year-old normal hearing child.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
P1 latency as a function of age at implantation for 245 children fit with a cochlear implant. Diamonds indicate latencies for children implanted at age 7 years and greater. Triangles indicate latencies for children implanted between ages 3.5 years and 6.5 years. Circles indicate latencies for children implanted at less than 3.5 years.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Case 1: P1 latency as a function of age. The parameter is the time since device hookup.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Case 2: P1 latency as a function of age. The parameter is time since device hookup.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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