Auditory and Semantic Processing of Speech-in-Noise in Autism: A Behavioral and EEG Study.

ABSTRACT: Autistic individuals often struggle to recognize speech in noisy environments, but the neural mechanisms behind these challenges remain unclear. Effective speech-in-noise (SiN) processing relies on auditory processing, which tracks target sounds amidst noise, and semantic processing, which further integrates relevant acoustic information to derive meaning. This study examined these two processes in autism. Thirty-one autistic and 31 non-autistic adults completed a sentence judgment task under three conditions: quiet, babble noise, and competing speech. Auditory processing was measured using EEG-derived temporal response functions (TRFs), which tracked how the brain follows speech sounds, while semantic processing was assessed via behavioral accuracy and the N400 component, a neural marker

SUBMITTER: Li J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12541682 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature