Development of cortical auditory processing and its association with speech understanding from childhood to adulthood
- 1Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Abstract
The maturation of the auditory system is critical for the development of speech perception from childhood through early adulthood. However, the developmental trajectories and behavioral significance of cortical responses to speech sounds, particularly in relation to frequency specificity, remain poorly understood. Here, we presented low-frequency (/m/) and high-frequency (/s/) speech sounds to 70 typically developing individuals aged 5–24 years and recorded early cortical responses (P1 and N1) using electroencephalography. We also examined associations between these neural responses and speech understanding in quiet and in the presence of speech interferers. The developmental trajectories of P1 and N1 revealed distinct age- and stimulus-dependent patterns, including both linear and non-linear changes across development. These findings delineate frequency-specific maturational profiles within the cortical auditory system and identify potential neurophysiological markers of speech perception, providing a normative benchmark for assessing atypical auditory development.
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BibTeX
@article{anshu2026development,
title = {{Development of cortical auditory processing and its association with speech understanding from childhood to adulthood}},
author = {Kumari Anshu and Nimesha D. Dantanarayana and Shelly P. Godar and Ruth Y. Litovsky and Carlos R. Benítez-Barrera},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-68625-0},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-68625-0},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Development of cortical auditory processing and its association with speech understanding from childhood to adulthood
AU - Kumari Anshu
AU - Nimesha D. Dantanarayana
AU - Shelly P. Godar
AU - Ruth Y. Litovsky
AU - Carlos R. Benítez-Barrera
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-68625-0
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-68625-0
AB - The maturation of the auditory system is critical for the development of speech perception from childhood through early adulthood. However, the developmental trajectories and behavioral significance of cortical responses to speech sounds, particularly in relation to frequency specificity, remain poorly understood. Here, we presented low-frequency (/m/) and high-frequency (/s/) speech sounds to 70 typically developing individuals aged 5–24 years and recorded early cortical responses (P1 and N1) using electroencephalography. We also examined associations between these neural responses and speech understanding in quiet and in the presence of speech interferers. The developmental trajectories of P1 and N1 revealed distinct age- and stimulus-dependent patterns, including both linear and non-linear changes across development. These findings delineate frequency-specific maturational profiles within the cortical auditory system and identify potential neurophysiological markers of speech perception, providing a normative benchmark for assessing atypical auditory development.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -