Auditory psycholinguistic deficits and neurological soft signs among a sample of Arabic-speaking Egyptian children with dyslexia: a cross-sectional correlational study

Abstract

Specific learning disorder (SLD), particularly dyslexia, represents a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition whose relationship with neurological soft signs requires further elucidation in Arabic-speaking populations. This study investigated correlations between auditory psycholinguistic abilities and neurological soft signs in children with SLD, dyslexia subtype. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 Arabic-speaking Egyptian children aged 6 to 11 years diagnosed with SLD. The total auditory psycholinguistic abilities were assessed using the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (Arabic version) (ITPA) and neurological soft signs using the Quick Neurological Screening Test (QNST). Participants demonstrated markedly reduced auditory psycholinguistic ages relative to chronological age (mean 9.04 ± 2.03 years), with auditory sequential memory most compromised (5.33 ± 1.62 years). Neurological screening revealed a high burden of soft signs: 86% exhibited abnormal tandem walking and figure recognition, and 100% showed impaired left–right discrimination. Significant associations emerged between lower total psycholinguistic age and poorer performance on thumb–finger circle (p = 0.008), tandem walk (p = 0.014), and behavioral irregularities (p = 0.011). Auditory processing age correlated significantly with tandem walk (p = 0.012), double simultaneous stimulation (p = 0.002), sound pattern imitation (p = 0.011), and eye tracking (p = 0.032). Auditory association showed the strongest relationships with multiple neurological domains (p < 0.001). Children with SLD exhibit co-occurring psycholinguistic and neurological deficits, supporting cerebellar and multisystem involvement in dyslexia pathophysiology. Integrated assessment protocols combining psycholinguistic profiling with structured neurological screening are recommended to inform comprehensive rehabilitation strategies.