Association between top-down skills and auditory processing tests

Today, we are questioning how top-down skills may interfere with performance on auditory processing tests. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the existence of a possible association between memory, attention and language skills in auditory processing tests in “normal” development children. METHOD: Twenty children (ages 7 to 9 years), without complaints related to verbal and/or written language skills; without overt neurological or psychological involvement or delayed psychomotor development. We employed Hearing and auditory Processing Assessment tests in addition to psychophysical tests (visual and auditory attention tests; memory tests for digits and syllables and phonological awareness tests). RESULTS: there was a “very strong” correlation between Frequency Pattern and Memory for Digits Tests; a “strong” correlations between SSW (LE) test and Memory for Syllables, and SSW (LE) test and phonemic tasks. CONCLUSION: the Frequency Pattern Test showed a strong correlation with the phonological working memory skill; just as the SSW had with language and memory skills for syllables. It is noteworthy the difficult to clinically interpret the results of each auditory processing test alone, since these may be dependent on skills not necessarily related to the auditory modality, such as memory and language.