Search

In research on the psychological development of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children, there is a wealth of studies focused on aspects such as speech and language, communication, and social-emotional development, but some other spheres have been disregarded. This study looks more generally at the developmental outcomes of DHH children who use cochlear implants (CIs). The participants were one group of DHH children 3 and 4 years old who used a CI and another age-matched control group with normal hearing and typical development (the TD group). The "Psychomotor Development Evaluation Cards" were used to evaluate the groups. Additionally, information about deafness, the CI, and health of the child and mother was obtained from medical records. For 3-year-olds, DHH children had lower scores than TD children in motor development, communication and speech, behavioural development, and knowledge and learning. However, 4-year-old DHH children had lower scores than TD children only in the social-emotional domain. In the 4-year-olds, positive correlations were also found between speech and communication development and knowledge and learning. Our results show that it is essential to offer early holistic support to DHH children who use a CI in terms of their global development, including social-emotional development.

There are discrepancies in the literature regarding the course of central auditory processes (CAP) maturation in typically developing children and adolescents. The purpose of the study was to provide an overview of age - related improvement in CAP in Polish primary and secondary school students aged 7-16 years. 180 children/adolescents, subdivided into 9 age categories, and 20 adults (aged 18-24 years) performed the Dichotic Digit Test (DDT), Duration Pattern Test (DPT), Frequency Pattern Test (FPT), Gap Detection Test (GDT) and adaptive Speech-in-Noise (aSpN). The 12-year-olds was retested after w week. We found the age effects only for the DDT, DPT and FPT. In the right ear DDT the 7-year-olds performed more poorly than all groups [greater than or equal to]12. In the left ear DDT both 7- and 8-year-olds achieved less correct responses compared with the 13-, 14-, 15-year-olds and with the adults. The right ear advantage was greater in the 7-year-olds than in the 15-year-olds and adult group. At the age of 7 there was lower DPT and FPT scores than in all participants [greater than or equal to]13 whereas the 8-year-olds obtained less correct responses in the FPT than all age categories [greater than or equal to]12. Almost all groups (except for the 7-year-olds) performed better in the DPT than FPT. The test-retest reliability for all tests was satisfactory. The study demonstrated that different CAP have their own patterns of improvement with age and some of them are specific for the Polish population. The psychoacoustic battery may be useful in screening for CAP disorders in Poland., Author(s): Monika Lewandowska [sup.1] [sup.2] , Rafal Milner [sup.2] [sup.3] , Malgorzata Ganc [sup.3] , Elzbieta Wlodarczyk [sup.4] , Joanna Dolzycka [sup.5] , Henryk Skarzynski [sup.6] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.418932.5, [...]

Objectives: This study aims to measure, at two time points, the relationship between self-perceived global stress and the personality traits of the mothers of children who have central auditory processing disorder (APD) and compare it with the results from mothers of typically developing (TD) children. The comparisons were made before the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as late in the pandemic. Methods: The level of stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), while the Short Big Five Markers (IPIP-BFM-20) were used to assess Big Five personality traits. The study used two independent samples: one evaluated before the COVID-19 pandemic and the other late in the pandemic. Each sample consisted of 108 mothers of children with APD and 79 mothers whose children did not have APD (TD children) as controls. Results: The average global stress levels were similar in mothers of children with APD and in mothers of TD children, both before and in the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the late stage, both sets of mothers scored similarly on all personality dimensions, but significantly, mothers of TD children exhibited lower emotional stability compared to during the pre-pandemic period. In both groups, emotional stability predicted global stress level at both time points; however, during the pandemic, conscientiousness also became a predictor of global stress level but only in the group of mothers of TD children. Conclusions: Mothers of APD children might be more resistant to additional stressors. It would be prudent to watch mothers of APD and TD children for signs of needing psychological intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study looked at the possible effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals who came to our clinic seeking relief from tinnitus. The performance of the subjects during the COVID-19 pandemic was compared with similar individuals who came to our clinic before the pandemic began. The study involved 50 adults with chronic tinnitus, made up of a study group (24 subjects tested during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–2021) and a control group before the pandemic began (26 subjects tested from 2013 to 2017). None of the 24 reported having contracted COVID-19. Data collection involved the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaire, audiological tests, and quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG). In terms of THI scores, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. However, with regard to qEEG, some changes were observed, with significant decreases in alpha and beta band activity in the study group compared to the control group, particularly over the auditory cortex. We conclude that COVID-19 did not have a discernible impact on the general well-being of individuals with tinnitus. However, it did appear to alter brain activity, specifically in the alpha and beta bands over the auditory cortex, and these reults warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Objective behavioral tests suggest that central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) are not only a dysfunction of higher auditory mechanisms but can also be related to malfunctioning of general cognitive processes, 'lfie aim of the study was objective assessment of cognitive functioning of children with central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) based on changes in the event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded in the Visual Continuous Performance Test (VCPT). Material and methods: 'Ihe study involved 13 CAPD and 16 healthy children. Auditory processing was assessed on the basis of 5 behavioral central auditory tests (CAT), while cognitive processing by measuring amplitude and latency of ERPs acquired in the VCPT test. Results: CAPD children had lower scores than healthy children in 3 from 5 CAT. They also revealed increased amplitudes of N1 and P2 waves in passive, Go and NoGo trials, and longer N2, P3 latencies and a lower P3 amplitude in NoGo trials of the VCPT test. Conclusions: The results indicate more effective visual processing and cognitive (inhibitory control) deficits in children with CAPD. 'Tire cognitive functions impairment could be important in CAPD etiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]