Cited by 179Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchLanguage Development and DisordersNeuroscience and Music Perception

Brainstem transcription of speech is disrupted in children with autism spectrum disorders

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Russo, Nicole, Nicol, Trent, Trommer, Barbara, Zecker, Steve, Kraus, Nina·2009·Developmental Science

Abstract

Language impairment is a hallmark of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The origin of the deficit is poorly understood although deficiencies in auditory processing have been detected in both perception and cortical encoding of speech sounds. Little is known about the processing and transcription of speech sounds at earlier (brainstem) levels or about how background noise may impact this transcription process. Unlike cortical encoding of sounds, brainstem representation preserves stimulus features with a degree of fidelity that enables a direct link between acoustic components of the speech syllable (e.g. onsets) to specific aspects of neural encoding (e.g. waves V and A). We measured brainstem responses to the syllable /da/, in quiet and background noise, in children with and without ASD. Children with ASD exhibited deficits in both the neural synchrony (timing) and phase locking (frequency encoding) of speech sounds, despite normal click-evoked brainstem responses. They also exhibited reduced magnitude and fidelity of speech-evoked responses and inordinate degradation of responses by background noise in comparison to typically developing controls. Neural synchrony in noise was significantly related to measures of core and receptive language ability. These data support the idea that abnormalities in the brainstem processing of speech contribute to the language impairment in ASD. Because it is both passively elicited and malleable, the speech-evoked brainstem response may serve as a clinical tool to assess auditory processing as well as the effects of auditory training in the ASD population.

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Moller A Jannetta P Jacobson JT Neural generators of the auditory brainstem response The auditory brainstem response 1985 13 31 College-Hill Press San Diego
  2. Titze IR Fluctuations and perturbations in vocal output Principles of voice production 1994 Prentice Hall Englewood Cliffs

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Authors
Russo, N., Nicol, T., Trommer, B., Zecker, S., & Kraus, N.
Affiliations
Northwestern University (US)
Corresponding author
Kraus, Nina
Venue
Developmental Science
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2009-06-08
Volume
12
Issue
4
Pages
557-567
ISSN
  • 1363-755X (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-7687
OpenAlex
W2121243300
Cited by
179
References
69
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 5
FWCI
5.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Developmental Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01-DC01510, R01DC001510)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Music Perception
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, auditory processing, neuronal synchronization, phase locking, background noise, language impairment, children, auditory training
MeSH terms
Acoustic Stimulation, Adolescent, Autistic Disorder, Brain Stem, Child, Female, Humans, Language Development Disorders, Male, Phonetics, Speech, Speech Perception

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