Speech perception and verbal memory in children with end without histories of otitis media

Author(s): Schwartz, R. G., Gravel, J. S., Ruben, R. J.

Journal/Book: J Speech Lang Hear Res. 1999; 42: 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-3279, USA. Amer Speech-Language-Hearing Assoc. 1069-1079.

Abstract: Two groups of children, with (n = 7) and without (n = 7) First-year histories of otitis media, were participants in a longitudinal study that included periodic audiological and medical evaluations during the first year of life. At age 9, these children were tested on a series of speech perception and verbal short-term memory tasks using stimuli of varying degrees of phonetic contrast. Although the otitis-positive group performed less accurately than the otitis-free group, the pattern of errors wets the same for the two groups. The performances of the children with and without positive histories of otitis media were negatively affected by an increase in phonetic similarity of the stimulus items. The two groups, however, did not differ on identification or on temporal-order recall when the speech sounds were differentiated by multiple features. These findings provide evidence of subtle, long-term effects of early episodes of otitis media on phonological representations and on working memory.

Note: Article Mody M, Yeshiva Univ Albert Einstein Coll Med, Kennedy Ctr, Rm 824, 1410 Pelham Pkwy S, Bronx,NY 10461 USA

Keyword(s): otitis media; speech perception; verbal memory; EARLY-CHILDHOOD; POOR READERS; LANGUAGE; LIFE; EFFUSION; HEARING; AGE; ABILITY; SKILLS

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