Background
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuropsychiatric
syndrome with onset in childhood, most commonly becoming more apparent
during the first few years of grade school. The aim of this study is to assess
peripheral hearing and central auditory processing as well as cognitive function in
30 children diagnosed with ADHD. Their age ranged from 6 to 16 years (16 males
and 14 females) and their IQ of at least 70. All of them were subjected to a basic
audiological evaluation, and assessment of auditory brainstem responses, slow
vertex response, and P300 waves using the oddball paradigm.
Results
No significant differences were found between pure tone thresholds and speech
audiometry between the study and the control groups. There was a statistically
significant increase in auditory brainstem response (ABR) absolute latencies
(III and V) and interpeak latencies (I–III and I–V) at both low repetition rate and
high repetition rate. Also, an increase in latencies of N1, P2, N2, and P300 latencies
was observed with decreased P300 amplitude of the study group compared with the
control groups. A significant mild positive correlation was found between P300 and
both wave V latency and I–V interpeak latency.
Conclusion
The results of this study provide more evidence of central auditory processing
involvement in children with ADHD and show the role of ABR and P300 in the
management of these children.