Mismatch Negativity in Children with Specific Language Impairment

Objective; The purpose of this study was to investigate the Mismatch negativity (MMN) in specific language impairment (SLI) children for better understanding of the nature of the problem. Materials & Methods; This prospective study comprised 39 SLI children and 33 children with normal hearing and language development. The children were evaluated through a diagnostic protocol that included Arabic language test and audiological assessment. Results; We found that MMN waveform was clear and robust in SLI children in the expected latencies and amplitude in comparison with the normal control children. Conclusion; We concluded that auditory processing that reflect pre-attentive process in SLI children are intact and other factors might be incriminated in the causation of their delayed language development.