Brainstem evoked response auditory and long-latency auditory evoked potential in children with autism spectrum disorder

Author(s)

Mariana Keiko Kamita

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina (FM/SBD)
• Defense date: 2017-08-31

Examining board members

Carla Gentile Matas; Ivone Ferreira Neves Lobo; Alessandra Giannella Samelli; Maria Francisca Colella dos Santos

• Advisor: Carla Gentile Matas

Abstract

Introduction: Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), showed issues in social interactions, communication and behavior, and it is also possible to present impaired cognitive and language skills. Taking into account the knowledge about the peripheral and central hearing, it highlights importance of the complete audiological evaluation, in particular, the evaluation of the Central Auditory Nervous System in this population, in diagnosis and during the therapeutic process. Aim: To characterize Brainstem Evoked Response Auditory (BERA) with click and speech stimuli and Long-Latency Auditory Evoked Potential (LLAEP) with tone burst and speech stimuli, in individuals with ASD. Methods: 30 children aged between seven and 12 years, of both sexes participated in this study, 15 of the study group (SG - children diagnosed with ASD) and 15 of the control group (CG - children with typical development - TD), matched by sex and age. The following tests were accomplished: anamnesis, meatoscopy, basic audiological evaluation (tonal audiometry, logoaudiometry and imitanciometry), and electrophysiological evaluation of hearing (BERA with click and speech stimulus and LLAEP with tone burst and speech stimulus). All the exams were done at the Teaching and Research Center of the Department of Physical Therapy, Speech and Hearing Therapy and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo. Results: In BERA with click stimulus, the average latency value of the wave I was higher for the right ear in all groups (p-value = 0.037), this occurring the ear effect. It was also observed that the III-V interpeak is higher in the TEA group than TD group (p-value = 0.046). In BERA with speech stimulus, an absolute latency of wave V was smaller than the ASD group when compared to the group with TD (p-value = 0.011). In the LLAEP, for the tone burst stimulus as well as for the speech stimulus, the latency of the N1 component was higher in the right ear (p-value = 0.050), between the groups were not being observed meaning differences for the latency values as for the amplitude values of the studied components. Conclusion: In relation to the BERA click, TEA group presented suggestive results of impairment in the auditory pathway, upper brainstem part, indicating possible lesions or dysfunctions of the Central Auditory Nervous System (CANS). With regard to BERA speech, can be concluded that the study population presented faster neural encoding of the initial part in the acoustic stimulus (onset) when compared with the TD group. The results of the LLAEP didn\'t show any changes in a cortical level of TEA group. From the results, we suggest new studies with BERA and LLAEP with a larger number of participants (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/13239-7 - Brainstem evoked response audiometry and long latency auditory evoked potential in children with autistic spectrum disorder
• Grantee: Mariana Keiko Kamita
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master