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Auditory Gating in Hearing Loss
Julia Campbell1,2, Mashhood Nielsen1,2, Connor Bean1,2
1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
|April 28, 2020
Summary
Hearing loss (HL) impairs sensory gating, a key function for neurological health. This study found reduced gating in adults with HL, suggesting compensatory brain networks may be involved.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Clinical Audiology
Background:
- Sensory gating assesses inhibitory deficits in neurological disorders.
- Hearing loss (HL) is hypothesized to reduce inhibition, but its impact on gating is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sensory gating performance in individuals with hearing loss.
- To compare gating function between normal hearing and hearing loss groups.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, cross-sectional study compared 11 normal hearing (NH) adults with 11 mild-moderate high-frequency HL adults.
- Cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) were recorded using high-density electroencephalography to assess gating indices.
- Gating generators were localized using current density reconstructions and correlated with auditory thresholds.
Main Results:
- Individuals with HL exhibited decreased amplitude gating indices, correlating with elevated auditory thresholds.
- In normal hearing participants, gating generators were found in temporal, frontal, and prefrontal regions.
- In the hearing loss group, gating was primarily localized to temporal and parietal areas.
Conclusions:
- Reduced sensory gating in hearing loss may involve compensatory cortical networks.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering gating function in clinical populations with hearing loss.
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