Relationship between the Double Corrected Consonant-Vowel Responses Score in Dichotic Consonant-Vowel Test and Amplitude and Latency of P300 Wave in Adults with Normal Hearing

There is little information on the double corrected consonant-vowel responses score in dichotic consonant-vowel test (DCV) and its nature is not entirely known. The only concept known is that it seems to be associated with auditory attention and concentration. Since P300 wave is one of the event-related potentials with attention as well as concentration involved in its formation, the present study was carried out to investigate the relationship between double corrected consonant-vowel responses score and the amplitude and latency of P300.

In the current non-interventional cross-sectional study, consonant-vowel dichotic test was performed to check double corrected consonant-vowel responses score and P300 auditory responses using odd-ball stimulation method and two tone burst stimuli on 37 participants with normal hearing. The participants were 18 to 30 year-old individuals (mean 21.46 years). To verify their right handedness, Edinburgh scale was used. The results were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient in SPSS (v. 16).

Significantpositive correlation was observed between double corrected consonant-vowel responses score in DCV test and P300 amplitude in both electrode positions of Cz and Fz (P <0/01). Also, double corrected consonant-vowel responses score and P300 latency were observed to be significantly and positively correlated at Cz electrode position (P<0/05).. However, there was no significant correlation between double corrected consonant-vowel responses score and P300 latency in Fz electrode position, which may be due to the Fz electrode position away from the source of the P300 wave.

Since the P300 amplitude is associated with attention and P300 latency is associated with information processing speed, it seems that double corrected consonant-vowel responses score is associated with attention and information processing speed. So, audiologists must consider the individual’s attention when interpreting the results