Temporal processing and long-latency auditory evoked potential in stutterers()

INTRODUCTION: Stuttering is a speech fluency disorder, and may be associated with neuroaudiological factors linked to central auditory processing, including changes in auditory processing skills and temporal resolution. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the temporal processing and long-latency auditory evoked potential in stutterers and to compare them with non-stutterers. METHODS: The study included 41 right-handed subjects, aged 18–46 years, divided into two groups: stutterers (n = 20) and non-stutters (n = 21), compared according to age, education, and sex. All subjects were submitted to the duration pattern tests, random gap detection test, and long-latency auditory evoked potential. RESULTS: Individuals who stutter showed poorer performance on Duration Pattern and Random Gap Detection tests when compared with fluent individuals. In the long-latency auditory evoked potential, there was a difference in the latency of N2 and P3 components; stutterers had higher latency values. CONCLUSION: Stutterers have poor performance in temporal processing and higher latency values for N2 and P3 components.