Auditory temporal patterns in individuals with cortical lesion

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the ability of temporal ordering in individuals with cortical hemisphere lesions and to compare the response modalities of imitating or naming brief and successive pure tones. Fourteen individuals with cortical lesions in auditory areas participated. The HE Group consisted of 11 individuals aged 38 to 80 years, with 2 females and 9 males, with cortical lesions located in the left hemisphere. The HD Group comprised three males, aged 54, 57, and 64 years, with cortical lesions in the right hemisphere. A lesion-free group, the SL Group, included 14 normal adults, 12 males and 2 females, aged 38 to 80 years. All participants underwent the Dichotic Digits Test, Tests of Duration and Frequency Patterns, and capture of Short and Medium Latency Auditory Evoked Potentials. The results showed that the performance of those with lesions was inferior to those without lesions, with those with left hemisphere lesions performing worse in naming and imitating brief and successive pure tones compared to those with right hemisphere lesions. Thus, individuals with cortical lesions exhibited impairment in temporal ordering ability. Individuals with lesions in the left primary auditory area showed impaired and similar performance in both imitation and naming tasks of pure tones. Individuals with lesions in both left and right primary auditory areas showed poor and different performance in naming and imitating pure tones, with imitation being more affected. In cases of impairment in both response modalities, it is important to perform Medium Latency Auditory Evoked Potential capture for further assessment.