A comparative study of simple auditory reaction times in congenitally blind and normally sighted children
Authors: Dr.Sunita B kalyanshetti
Keywords: Simple auditory reaction time; Blind children;Normal sighted childre
Abstract:
Congenitally blind people are deprived of their sensory systems from an early age. In congenital blind people, cross-modal plasticity strengthens other sensory modalities. Simple auditory reaction time (SART) measures the response time to single auditory stimuli, reflecting the overall efficiency of sensory, neural, and motor processing pathways. There is a paucity of literature on simple auditory reaction time (SART) measurements in blind children across different age groups. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the simple auditory reaction time (SART)in blind children aged 8–16 years and to compare it with age- and sex-matched normally sighted children.
Methods:
The study was conducted in children aged 8-16 years old. The study population involved 58 congenitally blind children, and 58 age- and sex-matched normal-sighted children. The study was conducted after obtaining institutional ethical clearance. The participants’ simple auditory reaction time was measured using a response analyzer. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 23version software.
Results: ART was faster among congenitally blind children. No statistically significant sex difference was observed in congenitally blind students and normal sighted students. There was significant negative correlation between age and mean ART in the blind group indicating older blind students exhibit faster auditory reaction times.
Conclusion: The faster ART among blind children can be explained on the basis of cross modal plasticity. The study showed a statistically significant negative correlation between age and mean ART in the blind group .
