impairmenttxt

Rosenblum SM, Arick JR, Krug DA, Stubbs EG, Young NB, Pelson RO (1980) Auditory
brainstem evoked responses in autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental
Disorders 10:215-225.
Skoff BF, Mirsky AF, Turner D (1980) Prolonged brainstem transmission time in autism.
Psychiatry Research 2:157-166.
Taylor MJ, Rosenblatt B, Linschoten L (1982) Auditory brainstem response abnormalities in
autistic children. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences 9:429-433.
Rosenhamer HJ, Silfverskiold BP (1980) Slow tremor and delayed brainstem auditory
evoked responses in alcoholics. Archives of Neurology, 37, 293-296.
Begleiter H, Porjesz B, Chou CL (1981) Auditory brainstem potentials in chronic alcoholics.
Science 211:1064-1066.
Roth WT, Cannon EH. Some features of the auditory evoked response in schizophrenics.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1972 Oct;27(4):466-71.
Shergill SS, Brammer MJ, Williams SC, Murray RM, McGuire PK (2000) Mapping auditory
hallucinations in schizophrenia using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Archives of
General Psychiatry 57:1033-1038
Mirsky AF, Orren MM, Stanton L, Fullerton BC, Harris S, Myers RE (1979) Auditory evoked
potentials and auditory behavior following prenatal and perinatal asphyxia in rhesus
monkeys. Developmental Psychobiology 12:369-379.
Rose JE, Gross NB, Geisler CD, Hind JE (1966) Some neural mechanisms in the inferior
colliculus of the cat which may be relevant to localization of a sound source. Journal of
Neurophysiology 29:288-314.
Ceponiene R, Lepisto T, Shestakova A, Vanhala R, Alku P, Naatanen R, Yaguchi K. Speech-
sound-selective auditory impairment in children with autism: they can perceive but do not
attend. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Apr 29;100(9):5567-72.
Foxton JM, Stewart ME, Barnard L, Rodgers J, Young AH, O'Brien G, Griffiths TD.Absence of
auditory 'global interference' in autism.Brain. 2003 Dec;126(Pt 12):2703-9.
Gage NM, Siegel B, Roberts TP. Cortical auditory system maturational abnormalities in
children with autism disorder: an MEG investigation. Brain Res Dev Brain Res. 2003 Sep 10;
144(2):201-9.
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2003 Sep;7(9):378-380.
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(11):1615.
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Feb;49(2):157-8.
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767.
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M, Kuroda Y (1997) Differences in brain metabolites between patients with autism and
mental retardation as detected by in vivo localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
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9 - Investigation of auditory impairment
Parents of an autistic child often suspect a hearing
disorder despite the erratic hypersensitivity their child
may display to sounds like a ringing telephone. Most
children with autism are not deaf, but data from
auditory evoked potentials computed from
electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings suggest a
delay in auditory transmission at the brainstem level
in some children with autism [1-3].

It may be relevant that delay in sound transmission
at the brainstem level similar to that found in autistic
children has also been measured in auditory evoked
potentials in alcoholics [4, 5]. It would seem
reasonable that auditory anomalies in alcoholics,
including auditory hallucinations, might be attributable
to involvement of the inferior colliculi so often
reported as part of Wernicke’s encephalopathy.

Auditory evoked potentials in people with
schizophrenia have also suggested abnormalities in
sound transmission [6]. Evoked potential data might
further be useful in understanding the neural activity
that produces hallucinations, especially in conjunction
with techniques like magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI). Shergill et al (2000) employed a method for
visualizing neural activity with functional MRI scanning
(fMRI) and found that auditory hallucinations in
schizophrenia appear to be mediated by a network
that involves both cortical and subcortical areas
including the temporal lobes and inferior colliculi [7].

Results of evoked potential studies have been
controversial, but this is a technique worth trying to
improve upon. Mirsky et al. (1979) demonstrated
abnormal auditory evoked potentials in monkeys
asphyxiated at birth with known damage in the inferior
colliculi [8]. Presentation of stimuli that would reveal
loss of functions specific to the inferior colliculi should
be more useful than simple clicks or tones. For
example evoked potential responses to sounds with
varying degrees of background noise might provide
information on the integrity of function within the
inferior colliculi.

Figure 16 is data obtained in a pilot study I did, with
Professor Mirsky, of evoked potential responses to
sounds presented out-of-phase at the two ears. We
only tested one child with normal language
development and one with autism, but the response
was diminished in the child with autism. Phase
differences at the ears may be part of the analysis
within the inferior colliculi that aids in sound
localization [9]. We were unable to obtain funding for
this research in 1974, which is why we never went
beyond doing a pilot study.

Additional reports of auditory disturbance continue
to be published [10-15].

Gordon (2007) has presented many arguments that
autism can be a manifestation of peripheral
deafness. By deafness he includes aberrations of
hearing such as hyperacusis. The abilities of high
functioning children with autism, such as reading and
accurate memory, should promote investigations of
whether autism isn't, at least in some cases, purely an
disorder of hearing that impedes development of
language during the early years [16-18]

Auditory system dysfunction could soon be routinely
detectable on MRI scans or in studies of in-vivo
metabolism [19-21]. D’Aprile et al. (1994) have been
able to visualize the mammillary bodies and inferior
colliculi on MRI scans of a patient with Wernicke
encephalopathy after injection of gadopentetate
dimeglumine [22].

Rosenblum SM et al. (1980)
Auditory brainstem evoked
responses in autistic
children.
Skoff BF et al. (1980)
Prolonged brainstem
transmission time in autism.
Taylor MJ et al. (1982)
Auditory brainstem response
abnormalities in autistic
children.
Rosenhamer HJ,
Silfverskiold BP (1980) Slow
tremor and delayed
brainstem auditory evoked
responses in alcoholics.
Begleiter H et al. (1981)
Auditory brainstem potentials
in chronic alcoholics. .
Roth WT, Cannon EH. Some
features of the auditory
evoked response in
schizophrenics.
Shergill SS et al. (2000)
Mapping auditory
hallucinations in
schizophrenia using
functional magnetic
resonance imaging.
Mirsky AF et al. (1979)
Auditory evoked potentials
and auditory behavior
following prenatal and
perinatal asphyxia in rhesus
monkeys.
Rose JE et al. (1966) Some
neural mechanisms in the
inferior colliculus of the cat
which may be relevant to
localization of a sound
source.
Ceponiene R et al. (2003)
Speech-sound-selective
auditory impairment in
children with autism: they
can perceive but do not
attend.
Foxton JM et al. (2003).
Absence of auditory 'global
interference' in autism
Gage NM et al. (2003)
Cortical auditory system
maturational abnormalities
in children with autism
disorder: an MEG
investigation.
Rosenhall U et al. (2003)
Autism and auditory brain
stem responses.
Siegal M, Blades M. (2003)
Language and auditory
processing in autism.
Tecchio F et al. (2003)
Auditory sensory processing
in autism: a
magnetoencephalographic
study.
Gordon AG (2007).Newborn
encephalopathy, autism, and
deafness.
Gordon AG (1991) Co-
occurrence of deafness and
infantile autism.
Hayes RW, Gordon AG (1977)
Auditory abnormalities in
autistic children.
Chugani HT (1996) Infantile
spasms: III. Prognostic
implications of bitemporal
hypometabolism on positron
emission tomography.
Hashimoto T et al. (1997)
Differences in brain
metabolites between
patients with autism and
mental retardation as
detected by in vivo localized
proton magnetic resonance
spectroscopy.
Müller RA et al. (1998)
Impairment of dentato-
thalamo-cortical pathway in
autistic men: language
activation data from positron
emission tomography.
D'Aprile P et al. (1994)
Enhanced MR in the acute
phase of Wernicke
encephalopathy.