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Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
09:44

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Published on: January 25, 2016

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Alterations of structural and functional connectivity in profound sensorineural hearing loss infants within an early

Shanshan Wang1, Boyu Chen1, Yalian Yu2

  • 1Department of Radiology, The First Hospital, China Medical University, #155, Nanjing North St., Heping Dist., Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, China.

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
|May 27, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Infants with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) show widespread white matter (WM) changes and altered functional connectivity in auditory brain regions during a critical developmental period. These findings suggest brain reorganization due to early auditory deprivation.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Pediatric Audiology

Background:

  • The early years after birth represent a sensitive period for central auditory development, influenced by neuroplasticity.
  • Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) during this period may impact brain structure and function.
  • Understanding these early changes is crucial for auditory development interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate white matter (WM) structural connectivity and auditory network functional reorganization in infants with SNHL.
  • To examine brain changes during the sensitive period for auditory development (2-4 years).

Main Methods:

  • Utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess whole-brain WM structural connectivity.
  • Employed resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) analysis to evaluate functional reorganization of the auditory network.
  • Included 46 infants with profound SNHL before cochlear implantation and 33 healthy controls.

Main Results:

  • SNHL infants exhibited widespread WM alterations in key pathways, including the superior longitudinal fasciculus and corticospinal tract.
  • Increased rsFC was observed between auditory cortex seeds and regions like the insula and superior temporal gyrus in SNHL infants.
  • These alterations primarily affected auditory and language pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Early SNHL is linked to diffuse WM alterations impacting auditory and language pathways.
  • Increased functional connectivity may represent compensatory brain reorganization in response to auditory deprivation.
  • Findings highlight the importance of early intervention for hearing loss to support optimal auditory development.

Keywords:
Diffusion tensor imagingFunctional connectivityResting-state functional magnetic resonance imagingSensitive periodSensorineural hearing loss

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