Early Detection of Auditory Agnosia in Children during the Language Acquisition Stage : A Systematic Review of the Impact on Language Development, Cognition and Socialization

Background: Pediatric auditory agnosia is a rare central auditory disorder that severely disrupts language acquisition. Objective: To synthesize evidence on its etiology, diagnostic biomarkers, and clinical evolution, emphasizing the impact of early intervention. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Twenty-five articles (2005–2025) were selected from PubMed and Research Rabbit, focusing on children up to age 6 or longitudinal data. Results: Etiologies include GRIN2A mutations, herpetic encephalitis, and epileptic encephalopathies. A hallmark finding is functional deafness despite normal peripheral hearing (ABR/DPOAE). Advanced neuroimaging (fMRI/DTI) and middle-latency responses (MLR) are robust biomarkers for mapping thalamocortical dysfunction and “non-reactive” cortical areas. Longitudinal evidence reveals that childhood agnosia may progress to permanent cortical deafness in adulthood due to retrograde degeneration of auditory radiations. Conclusion: Early detection is the primary predictor of linguistic success. A multimodal diagnostic approach combining electrophysiology and functional imaging is essential. Interventions must be adaptive to address potential neural degeneration occurring decades after the initial insult.