Weerasak Chonchaiya|Twila Tardif|Xiaoqin Mai|Lin Xu|Mingyan Li|Niko Kaciroti|Paul R. Kileny|Jie Shao|Betsy Lozoff
Developmental trends in auditory processing can provide early predictions of language acquisition in young infants
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor|King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital|Chulalongkorn University|University of Michigan–Ann Arbor|University of Michigan–Ann Arbor|Renmin University of China|Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University|Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University|University of Michigan–Ann Arbor|University of Michigan–Ann Arbor|Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University|University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
abstract auditory processing capabilities subcortical level hypothesized impact individuals development language reading abilities present study examined whether auditory processing capabilities relate language development healthy 9monthold infants participants 71 infants 31 boys 40 girls auditory brainstem response abr language assessments 6 weeks andor 9 months age infants underwent abr testing using standard hearing screening protocol 30 db clicks second protocol using click pairs separated 8 16 64ms intervals presented 80 db evaluated effects interval duration abr latency amplitude elicited second click 9 months language development assessed via parent report chinese communicative development inventory putonghua version ccdip wave v latency z scores 64ms condition 6 weeks showed strong direct relationships wave v latency condition 9 months importantly shorter wave v latencies 9 months showed strong relationships ccdip composite consisting phrases understood gestures words produced likewise infants greater decreases wave v latencies 6 weeks 9 months higher ccdip composite scores females higher language development scores shorter wave v latencies ages males interestingly abr wave v latencies ages taken account direct effects gender language disappeared conclusion results support importance lowlevel auditory processing capabilities early language acquisition population typically developing young infants moreover auditory brainstem response paradigm shows promise electrophysiological marker predict individual differences language development young children