Auditory pathway encoding and neural plasticity in children with learning problems

An inability to process auditory information, especially speech, characteri zes many children with learning and attention problems. Our working hypothe sis is that these speech-sound perception problems arise, at least in some cases, from faulty representation of the speech signal in central auditory centers. Preconscious neurophysiologic representation of sound structure by central auditory pathway neurons can be reflected by subcortical and corti cal aggregate neural responses. These neurophysiologic responses can be mod ified by perceptual learning. Our research has shown that some children wit h learning problems demonstrate abnormal perception and neural representati on of certain speech sounds. Differences between normal and learning-impair ed groups can be attributable to aspects of neural synchrony that are refle cted in aggregate neural responses. Deficiencies in neural synchrony in the se children are apparent in subcortical (as well as cortical) representatio ns of speech-sound structure, and these timing deficits are related to perf ormance on speech-sound perception and learning measures. Moreover, impaire d perception and neurophysiologic encoding of speech sounds can be improved with cue enhancement and can be modified by perceptual learning associated with auditory training. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.