Test-retest reliability of Mismatch Negativity and Late Discriminative
Negativity response in children with listening difficulties
Abstract
Mismatch Negativity (MMN) and Late Discriminative Negativity (LDN) event
related potentials are objective indicators of auditory discrimination.
The aim of the study was to determine the test-retest reliability of MMN
and LDN recorded to simple speech contrasts in children with listening
difficulties. MMN and LDN responses were recorded from Fz and Cz
electrodes for a /da/-/ga/ contrast twice within a 10-day period.
Intraclass Correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to determine
test-retest reliability of MMN and LDN. Eight five children (55 males,
aged 7.0-12.8 years) with listening difficulties participated in this
research. Children were grouped into four clusters based on their
reading, language, nonverbal intelligence, and cognitive skills such
that children within each cluster had similar profiles of strengths and
difficulties. ICC for MMN were better than LDN. Results showed that MMN
amplitude did not differ between visits, but LDN amplitude reduced
significantly (more positive peak amplitude) at visit 2 compared to
visit 1. At visit 1, MMN and LDN were detectable in only 41%/42% and
18%/21% (Fz/Cz) of participants respectively. MMN was most replicable
(71%) for children with listening difficulties in the cluster with
relatively good nonverbal intelligence and language skills. The results
do not support the clinical utility of LDN for objective assessment of
auditory discrimination. Although MMN had better test-retest
reliability, overall detectability was poor; improved detectability is
needed for MMN to have robust clinical utility in children.