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Utah's Foremost Platform for Undergraduate Research Presentation
2021 Abstracts

Auditory Brainstem Response in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Presenter: Lauren Clarke, McKay School of Education, Communication Disorders
Authors: Lauren Clarke
Faculty Advisor: Garrett Cardon, McKay School of Education, Communication Disorders
Institution: Brigham Young University

In addition to experiencing deficits in social communication and restricted and repetitive behaviors, people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often present with abnormal sensory processing. While sensory abnormalities of any type may be implicated in ASD, one of the most commonly reported areas of difficulty is auditory processing. Auditory processing abnormalities can be extremely debilitating, affecting fundamental areas of life, such as academics, social interaction, and one’s ability to be in public places. Despite its commonality and difficult nature, very little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms of auditory dysfunction in ASD. One way of measuring neural processing of hearing is measuring auditory brainstem response (ABR). In this method, neural activity from the auditory brainstem is recorded via electrodes placed on the scalp in response to sound stimuli. The ABR has a distinct waveform pattern in typically developing (TD) individuals that consists of five to seven peaks which decrease in amplitude and increase in latency as the loudness of the stimuli decreases. Studies have shown significant differences in these waveform characteristics and dynamics between the ABRs of TD participants and those with ASD, which may be related to a prominent theory of unbalanced neural inhibition and excitation in people with ASD. However, a clear consensus on the above has not been reached. By performing a retrospective review of medical records and advanced waveform analysis of the ABRs of 30 very young children with ASD and an age- and gender-matched control group, we will further investigate and present results concerning the neural correlates of auditory processing in ASD. These findings have the potential to enhance understanding of ASD in general and inform clinical practice.