Introduction
A person of any age can be affected by central auditory dysfunction. It can be the result of a neurological impairment or a developmental delay or abnormality. An understanding of the peripheral and central auditory systems and the contribution they make to the acquisition of language will explain the importance of assessing the auditory nervous system as completely as possible prior to recommending intervention for the adult or pediatric patient with expressive or receptive language disorders.

What is central auditory processing?
Central in this phrase refers to within the brain. Simply put "it is the perception or complete analysis of auditory information sent to the brain".

Why is it important?
The majority of specialists within the fields of speech language pathology, child development, pediatrics, neurology and psychology agree the ability to attend to sound is a fundamental precursor to the acquisition of language. An inability to accurately process auditory information will also affect a person's ability to read and to spell. The loss of function within the central auditory nervous system will also surface as problems with oral and/or written language.

Central Auditory System

As the electrical impulses travel up through the brain, they make stops (at nuclei) along the way. The first stop is the cochlear nucleus. The cochlear nucleus has two parts. At this point the fibers cross from one side of the brain to the other. Information presented to the left ear crosses to the right side of the brain and ascends to the right temporal lobe. Because the area of the brain responsible for processing speech information is in the left temporal lobe, the information from the right temporal lobe must cross through the corpus callosum.

How are sounds identified?

Sounds are combinations of different pitches being produced at various levels of loudness and durations of time. In order to receive auditory information, each individual sound must travel the entire length of the auditory system and reach the temporal lobe with as little distortion or decrease of the original signal as possible. The sensory channel, in this case hearing, provides new information to the brain. When information is delivered perception can occur. "Perception refers to the process of extracting meaning from,

or attributing meaning to the incoming sensations. Learning and memory are ways of relating events and stimuli." Bornstein, Marc H. and Bornstein, Helen G. Child and Family Research NICHD.

What can interfere with our ability to process auditory information?

There are at least three underlying mechanisms that can result in dysfunction of the auditory system.

1."Neurological seizure disorders, head traumas, mass, vascular or ventricular lesions of the brain, etc."

2.Delayed maturation of the central auditory nervous system is another possible cause.

3.Developmental abnormalities of the brain.  Considerable pathologic evidence indicates the auditory/language areas of the brains of many learning disability individuals have not developed appropriately.