Mismatch Negativity in children with Phonological Disorders

Objective: to characterize the latency, amplitude and area variables of the Mismatch Negativity (MMN) elicited with verbal stimuli in children with PD, in addition to assessing whether this potential can be a useful tool in capturing auditory perception and discrimination deficits related to this disorder. Methods: MMN was recorded using a combination of speech contrast consisting of acoustic syllables [da vs ta], as the standard and deviant stimuli, in 34 children aged between 5 and 8 years. 14 children of the sample were already diagnosed with Phonological Disorder (PD) while 19 were characterized with typical development. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed for the MMN responses recorded between children with PD and their typically developed peers. Conclusion: The results suggest that the MMN may not be the most suitable procedure to assess auditory perception and discrimination deficits that could potentially be related to PD.