Auditory Processing Deficits Following Sport-Related or Motor VehicleAccident Injuries

Abstract

This brief clinical study was designed to investigate further the possible link between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or whiplash injury (WI) with acquired auditory processing disorder (APD). Other studies have shown long standing effects of TBI and WI, and a study by Turgeon et al., examined the link between sport-induced concussion and APD. Four participants ages 18 to 30 years of age who self-reported a history of sport-related or motor vehicle accident head injuries participated in the following procedures: case history, behavioral testing, electrophysiological testing including auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and middle latency responses (MLR), and self-report questionnaires of post head and/or whiplash injury symptoms. The results of the testing were individually analyzed to see if results were consistent with a diagnosis of APD, or some evidence of a non-sensory deficit to the auditory system. The overall results of this study were also compared with the results of Turgeon et al., study. The results of the study shows that electrophysiological testing may be outside of normal limits even when behavioral testing does not support an APD diagnosis. Furthermore, the degree of reported symptoms and difficulties in the participants’ case history does not always carry over to the behavioral and electrophysiological testing results.