OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between auditory processing and problem behaviors in preschool children, as well as the mediating role of executive function.
METHODS: A total of 2 342 preschool children were selected from 7 kindergartens in Nanjing, China from June to August 2021. They were evaluated using Preschool Auditory Processing Assessment Scale, Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire, and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning-Preschool version. Children with different demographic features were compared in the scores and the abnormality rates of auditory processing, problem behaviors, and executive function. The influencing factors of the total scores of auditory processing, problem behaviors, and executive function were evaluated using multiple linear regression analysis. Whether executive function was a mediating factor between auditory processing and executive function was examined.
RESULTS: Sex and grade were the main influencing factors for the total score of auditory processing (P<0.05), and sex, grade, parental education level, and family economic status were the main influencing factors for the total scores of problem behaviors and executive function (P<0.05). The auditory processing score (rs=0.458, P<0.05) and problem behavior score (rs=0.185, P<0.05) were significantly positively correlated with the executive function score, and the auditory processing score was significantly positively correlated with the problem behavior score (rs=0.423, P<0.05). Executive function played a partial mediating role between auditory processing and problem behaviors, and the mediating effect accounted for 33.44% of the total effect.
CONCLUSIONS: Auditory processing can directly affect the problem behaviors of preschool children and indirectly affect problem behaviors through executive function.
目的: 探讨学龄前儿童听处理与问题行为的关系，并探究执行功能在其中的中介作用。方法: 于2021年6—8月抽取南京2 342名7所幼儿园学龄前儿童，用《学龄前儿童听处理评估量表》《Conners父母问卷》《学龄前儿童执行功能行为评定问卷》对学龄前儿童进行评估，分析不同人口学特征儿童听处理、问题行为、执行功能的得分以及异常检出率的差异，同时采用多元线性回归分析影响儿童听处理总分、问题行为总分、执行功能总分的影响因素，并探究执行功能是否是听处理和执行功能的中介因素。结果: 性别、年级是听处理总分的影响因素（P<0.05）；性别、年级、父母受教育程度及家庭经济状况是问题行为总分、执行功能总分的影响因素（P<0.05）。听处理总分（rs=0.458，P<0.05）、问题行为总分（rs=0.185，P<0.05）与执行功能总分呈显著正相关，听处理总分与问题行为总分呈显著正相关（rs=0.423，P<0.05）。执行功能在听处理与问题行为间起部分中介作用，中介效应占总效应的33.44%。结论: 学龄前儿童听处理可能直接影响其问题行为，也可能通过间接影响执行功能影响问题行为。.

According to the language-of-thought hypothesis, regular sequences are compressed in human memory using recursive loops akin to a mental program that predicts future items. We tested this theory by probing memory for 16-item sequences made of two sounds. We recorded brain activity with functional MRI and magneto-encephalography (MEG) while participants listened to a hierarchy of sequences of variable complexity, whose minimal description required transition probabilities, chunking, or nested structures. Occasional deviant sounds probed the participants\' knowledge of the sequence. We predicted that task difficulty and brain activity would be proportional to the complexity derived from the minimal description length in our formal language. Furthermore, activity should increase with complexity for learned sequences, and decrease with complexity for deviants. These predictions were upheld in both fMRI and MEG, indicating that sequence predictions are highly dependent on sequence structure and become weaker and delayed as complexity increases. The proposed language recruited bilateral superior temporal, precentral, anterior intraparietal, and cerebellar cortices. These regions overlapped extensively with a localizer for mathematical calculation, and much less with spoken or written language processing. We propose that these areas collectively encode regular sequences as repetitions with variations and their recursive composition into nested structures.

In recent years, speech perception research has benefited from low-frequency rhythm entrainment tracking of the speech envelope. However, speech perception is still controversial regarding the role of speech envelope and temporal fine structure, especially in Mandarin. This study aimed to discuss the dependence of Mandarin syllables and tones perception on the speech envelope and the temporal fine structure. We recorded the electroencephalogram (EEG) of the subjects under three acoustic conditions using the sound chimerism analysis, including (i) the original speech, (ii) the speech envelope and the sinusoidal modulation, and (iii) the fine structure of time and the modulation of the non-speech (white noise) sound envelope. We found that syllable perception mainly depended on the speech envelope, while tone perception depended on the temporal fine structure. The delta bands were prominent, and the parietal and prefrontal lobes were the main activated brain areas, regardless of whether syllable or tone perception was involved. Finally, we decoded the spatiotemporal features of Mandarin perception from the microstate sequence. The spatiotemporal feature sequence of the EEG caused by speech material was found to be specific, suggesting a new perspective for the subsequent auditory brain-computer interface. These results provided a new scheme for the coding strategy of new hearing aids for native Mandarin speakers.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of auditory processing (AP) in preschool children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using Preschool Auditory Processing Assessment Scale (hereafter referred to as \"auditory processing scale\").
METHODS: A total of 41 children with ADHD and 41 typically developing (TD) children were assessed using the auditory processing scale, SNAP-IV rating scale, and Conners\' Kiddie Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT). The auditory processing scale score was compared between the TD and ADHD groups. The correlations of the score with SNAP-IV and K-CPT scores were assessed.
RESULTS: Compared with the TD group, the ADHD group had significantly higher total score of the auditory processing scale and scores of all dimensions except visual attention (P<0.05). In the children with ADHD, the attention deficit dimension score of the SNAP-IV rating scale was positively correlated with the total score of the auditory processing scale (rs30=0.531, P<0.05; rs27=0.627, P<0.05) as well as the scores of its subdimensions, including auditory decoding (rs=0.628, P<0.05), auditory attention (rs=0.492, P<0.05), and communication (rs=0.399, P<0.05). The hyperactivity-impulsivity dimension score of the SNAP-IV rating scale was positively correlated with the hyperactivity-impulsivity dimension score of the auditory processing scale (rs=0.429, P<0.05). In the children with ADHD, the attention deficit dimension score of the K-CPT was positively correlated with the total score (rs30=0.574, P<0.05; rs27=0.485, P<0.05) and the hyperactivity-impulsivity dimension score (rs=0.602, P<0.05) of the auditory processing scale.
CONCLUSIONS: Preschool children with ADHD have the risk of AP abnormalities, and the auditory processing scale should be used early for the screening and evaluation of AP abnormalities in children.
目的: 利用学龄前儿童听处理评估量表（以下称“听处理评估量表”）探讨学龄前注意缺陷多动障碍（attention deficit hyperactivity disorder，ADHD）儿童的听处理（auditory processing，AP）特征。方法: 41例ADHD及41例典型发育（typically developing，TD）儿童进行听处理评估量表、SNAP-Ⅳ评定量表及学龄前持续性注意力测试（Conners\' Kiddie Continuous Performance Test，K-CPT）评估，分析比较两组儿童听处理评估量表得分差异及其与SNAP-Ⅳ评定量表和K-CPT结果的相关性。结果: ADHD组儿童听处理评估量表总分及除视觉注意维度外的其他维度得分高于TD组（P<0.05）。ADHD儿童中，SNAP-Ⅳ评定量表的注意缺陷维度得分与听处理评估量表总分（rs30条=0.531；rs27条=0.627）及其听觉解码（rs=0.628）、听觉注意（rs=0.492）、沟通交流（rs=0.399）维度得分呈正相关（P<0.05），SNAP-Ⅳ评定量表的多动冲动维度得分与听处理评估量表的多动冲动维度得分呈正相关（rs=0.429，P<0.05）。ADHD儿童的K-CPT注意力缺陷维度得分与听处理评估量表总分（rs30条=0.574；rs27条=0.485）及多动冲动维度得分（rs=0.602）呈正相关（P<0.05）。结论: 学龄前ADHD儿童存在AP异常风险，应早期利用听处理评估量表对儿童的AP异常进行筛查评估。.

Both enhanced discrimination of low-level features of auditory stimuli and mutations of SHANK3 (a gene that encodes a synaptic scaffolding protein) have been identified in autism spectrum disorder patients. However, experimental evidence regarding whether SHANK3 mutations lead to enhanced neural processing of low-level features of auditory stimuli is lacking. The present study investigated this possibility by examining effects of Shank3 mutations on early neural processing of pitch (tone frequency) in dogs. We recorded electrocorticograms from wild-type and Shank3 mutant dogs using an oddball paradigm in which deviant tones of different frequencies or probabilities were presented along with other tones in a repetitive stream (standards). We found that, relative to wild-type dogs, Shank3 mutant dogs exhibited larger amplitudes of early neural responses to deviant tones and greater sensitivity to variations of deviant frequencies within 100 ms after tone onsets. In addition, the enhanced early neural responses to deviant tones in Shank3 mutant dogs were observed independently of the probability of deviant tones. Our findings highlight an essential functional role of Shank3 in modulations of early neural detection of novel sounds and offer new insights into the genetic basis of the atypical auditory information processing in autism patients.

Empirical evidence and theoretical models suggest that phonetic category perception involves two stages of auditory and phonetic processing. However, few studies examined the time course of these two processing stages. With brief stop consonant segments as context stimuli, this study examined the temporal dynamics of stop consonant perception by varying the inter-stimulus interval between context and target stimuli. The results suggest that phonetic category activation of stop consonants may appear before 100 ms of processing time. Furthermore, the activation of phonetic categories resulted in contrast context effects on identifying the target stop continuum; the auditory processing of stop consonants resulted in a different context effect from those caused by phonetic category activation. The findings provide further evidence for the two-stage model of speech perception and reveal the time course of auditory and phonetic processing.

The Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is an mRNA binding protein that is essential for neural circuit assembly and synaptic plasticity. Loss of functional FMRP leads to Fragile X syndrome (FXS), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by sensory dysfunction including abnormal auditory processing. While the central mechanisms of FMRP regulation have been studied in the brain, whether FMRP is expressed in the auditory periphery and how it develops and functions remains unknown. In this study, we characterized the spatiotemporal distribution pattern of FMRP immunoreactivity in the inner ear of mice, rats, gerbils, and chickens. Across species, FMRP was expressed in hair cells and supporting cells, with a particularly high level in immature hair cells during the prehearing period. Interestingly, the distribution of cytoplasmic FMRP displayed an age-dependent translocation in hair cells, and this feature was conserved across species. In the auditory ganglion (AG), FMRP immunoreactivity was detected in neuronal cell bodies as well as their peripheral and central processes. Distinct from hair cells, FMRP intensity in AG neurons was high both during development and after maturation. Additionally, FMRP was evident in mature glial cells surrounding AG neurons. Together, these observations demonstrate distinct developmental trajectories across cell types in the auditory periphery. Given the importance of peripheral inputs to the maturation of auditory circuits, these findings implicate involvement of FMRP in inner ear development as well as a potential contribution of periphery FMRP to the generation of auditory dysfunction in FXS.

It has been well documented that the auditory system in the superior temporal cortex is responsible for processing basic auditory sound features, such as sound frequency and intensity, while the prefrontal cortex is involved in higher-order auditory functions, such as language processing and auditory episodic memory. The temporal auditory cortex has vast forward anatomical projections to the prefrontal auditory cortex, connecting with the lateral, medial, and orbital parts of the prefrontal cortex. The connections between the auditory cortex and the prefrontal cortex thus help in localizing, recognizing, and comprehending external auditory inputs. In addition, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is believed to be a core region of episodic memory retrieval and is one of the most important regions in the default mode network (DMN). However, previous neural evidence with regard to the comparison between basic auditory processing and auditory episodic memory retrieval mainly comes from fMRI studies. The specific neural networks and the corresponding critical frequency bands of neuronal oscillations underlying the two auditory functions remain unclear. In the present study, we reported results of direct cortical stimulations during stereo-electro-encephalography (SEEG) recording in a patient with drug-resistant epilepsy. Electrodes covered the superior temporal gyrus, the operculum and the insula cortex of bilateral hemispheres, the prefrontal cortex, the parietal lobe, the anterior and middle cingulate cortex, and the amygdala of the left hemisphere. Two types of auditory hallucinations were evoked with direct cortical stimulations, which were consistent with the habitual seizures. The noise hallucinations, i.e., \"I could hear buzzing noises in my head,\" were evoked with the stimulation of the superior temporal gyrus. The episodic memory hallucinations \"I could hear a young woman who was dressed in a red skirt saying: What is the matter with you?,\" were evoked with the stimulation of MPFC. The patient described how she had met this young woman when she was young and that the woman said the same sentence to her. Furthermore, by analyzing the high gamma power (HGP) induced by direct electrical stimulation, two dissociable neural networks underlying the two types of auditory hallucinations were localized. Taken together, the present results confirm the hierarchical processing of auditory information by showing the different involvements of the primary auditory cortex vs. the prefrontal cortex in the two types of auditory hallucinations.

BACKGROUND: Children with auditory processing deficits may face problems with language, learning, and social communication.
OBJECTIVE: To develop a Chinese auditory processing assessment scale for preschool children and establish the norms of the scale.
METHODS: The predictive version of the scale was formed by a literature review, qualitative interviews, expert consultation, and a pre-test with a small sample. Nine kindergartens in Nanjing were selected by a stratified cluster sampling plan. First, 734 children from two kindergartens were selected for the large sample pre-test of the scale. Then, 1526 children from four kindergartens and 1151 children from three kindergartens were selected for the reliability and validity analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, respectively. The standardized norm data of the scale were established based on the 3411 points of scale data of the nine kindergartens. Finally, the clinical usefulness of the scale was analyzed by comparing the results of objective auditory processing tests in children with normal and abnormal auditory processing prompted by the score on the scale.
RESULTS: The preschool auditory processing assessment scale includes 5 dimensions and 30 items. The Cronbach\'s alpha value of the scale is greater than 0.9. The confirmatory factor analysis results verify that the scale structure is reasonable. The percentile norm of the scale was established. The results of electrophysiological tests of the normal and abnormal auditory processing groups were statistically different (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: The developed preschool auditory processing assessment scale has good reliability and validity. The scale is suitable for clinical application.

Objective: This research aimed to provide evidence for the early identification and intervention of children at risk for auditory processing disorder (APD). Electrophysiological studies on children with suspected APDs were systematically reviewed to understand the different electrophysiological characteristics of children with suspected APDs. Methods: Computerized databases such as PubMed, Cochrane, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched for retrieval of articles since the establishment of the database through May 18, 2020. Cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies that evaluated the literature for the electrophysiological assessment of children with suspected APD were independently reviewed by two researchers for literature screening, literature quality assessment, and data extraction. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and 11 entries recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality were used to evaluate the quality of the literature. Results: In accordance with the inclusion criteria, 14 articles were included. These articles involved 7 electrophysiological testing techniques: click-evoked auditory brainstem responses, frequency-following responses, the binaural interaction component of the auditory brainstem responses, the middle-latency response, cortical auditory evoked potential, mismatch negativity, and P300. The literature quality was considered moderate. Conclusions: Auditory electrophysiological testing can be used for the characteristic identification of children with suspected APD; however, the value of various electrophysiological testing methods for screening children with suspected APD requires further study.