Temporal Processing: Results Analysis of Different Tests for Temporal Ordering

Introduction: Auditory perception of temporal ordering is the result of acoustic signal processing, since it refers to perception of a sound event or a change in that, within a defined time interval. It is considered a fundamental skill in auditory perception of verbal and nonverbal sound, the perception of music, phonemes, etc.

Objective: To investigate the differences in the identification of temporal skills analyzing the different temporal ordering tests.

Methods: This is a descriptive, quantitative, and transversal study. The sample was composed by 30 subjects with normal hearing and no complaints about auditory processing, aged between 17 and 38 years, average 29 years were submitted the versions of temporal ordering tests: one with a musical tone, called the duration and frequency melodic pattern test by Taborga (1997), followed by pure tone test (FPT and DPT tonal) by Musiek (2004), and finally the Auditec test by Saint Louis (1997), performed in the same data. This work is part of a biggest project developed into a Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.

Results: We found that 90% had normal and 10% in Auditec, 84% normal and 16% amended results in melodic and 51% normal and 49% amended results in Musiek. Thus differences were observed between the tests, being Auditec which best identified normality in so-called normal subjects (no complaints), with a small difference compared to the Melodic test and a big difference compared to Musiek.

Conclusion: In this study, the Auditec test was more sensitive and specific to identify the normal range in subjects without complaints. This finding should be taken into consideration by speech therapists when choosing battery of tests to be used.