Neural Bases of Auditory Processing Disorders in Adults

描述（由申请人提供）：听觉处理障碍（APD），也称为中枢听觉处理障碍，其特征在于处理复杂的语言和非语言声学信号的缺陷。APD的诊断、治疗甚至存在都存在争议。对APD的病理生理学知之甚少。国家耳聋和其他沟通障碍研究所表示，仍然需要进行大量的研究来了解这种疾病（NIH Pub. No. 01-4949，2004）。尽管在许多方面缺乏证据，以及第三方支付报销的困难，但患有APD症状的个人每天都在接受诊断和治疗，临床听力学的学生被教导为这一人群提供服务。这项拟议的研究旨在为APD建立证据，特别注意探索APD与中枢听觉神经系统的神经生理学和可能的神经解剖学异常相关的共同信念。功能性磁共振成像将被用于APD个体处理复杂的声学信号以及高分辨率解剖成像。虽然APD经常在儿童中讨论，但第一项研究将集中在个体发育更成熟的大脑（25至40岁），以便于与现有的听觉功能磁共振成像数据进行比较。未来的实验将包括儿童和成人。具体而言，拟议的研究旨在调查以下内容：1）基于行为测试诊断为APD的成人中是否存在神经解剖异常，以及使用MRI识别它们是否可行。2)使用MRI识别成人APD的神经生理异常是否可行。如果是，APD是否与一组统一或不同的神经生理异常相关。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Auditory Processing Disorders (APD), also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorders, is characterized by deficits in processing complex verbal and nonverbal acoustic signals. The diagnosis, treatment, and even the very existence of APD are controversial. Little is known about the pathophysiology of APD. The National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders stated that much research is still needed to understand this disorder (NIH Pub. No. 01-4949, 2004). Despite the lack of evidence on many fronts, as well as difficulty with third-party payment reimbursements, individuals with APD symptoms are being diagnosed and treated everyday, and students in clinical audiology are taught to provide services to this population. This proposed research aims at building evidence for APD, with particular attention to exploring the common belief that APD is associated with neurophysiologic and possibly neuroanatomic anomalies in the central auditory nervous system. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging will be utilized as APD individuals process complex acoustic signals, as well as high-resolution anatomical imaging. Although APD is often discussed in children, this first research will focus on the more ontogenetically developed brain (ages 25 to 40) for ease of comparison with existing auditory fMRI data. Future experiments will include both children and adults. Specifically, the proposed research aims at investigating the following: 1) Whether neuroanatomic anomalies exist in adults diagnosed with APD based on behavioral testing, and whether it is feasible to use MRI to identify them. 2) Whether it is feasible to use MRI to identify neurophysiologic anomalies in APD adults. If so, whether APD is associated with a collection of unifying or diverse neurophysiologic anomalies.