Auditory sustained potential as a biomarker of language functioning in children with autism and its implication in clinical trials

Objective

Most children with autism have language impairment, however, its neural mechanisms are not well understood. A potential biomarker associated with language in autism is a 40Hz Auditory Steady-State Response (ASSR) triggered by periodic click-trains which in electroencephalogram (EEG) evokes two types of responses - 40Hz steady-state gamma response (ASSR) and sustained potential (SP). Although these responses represent low-level auditory processing, they correspond to different stages of sound perception/analysis and are essential in processing of spectrally/temporally complex sounds. However, until now there were no studies focusing on the potentials of these responses in clinical trials.