Study of the right ear advantage on gap detection tests

Temporal resolution hearing skills are based on the minimum time necessary to segregate or solve acoustic events. This skill is fundamental for speech comprehension and can be assessed by gap detection tests. Some studies point to a right ear advantage over the left ear in temporal resolution tasks, since there is a preferential role of the left hemisphere in analyzing the temporal aspects of the acoustic stimulus. AIM: determine if there are response differences (gap detection thresholds and percentage of correct answers) between right and left ears in a gap detection test. Study: experimental. MATERIALS AND METHODS: the gap detection test was applied to 100 adult individuals, after carrying out other audiologic tests in order to rule out possible hearing and/or auditory processing disorders. RESULTS: We observed gap detection thresholds and average correct answers percentages, which were similar for both ears, regardless of which ear started the test. CONCLUSION: There was no ear advantage in the gap detection task.