Cerebral Blood Flow Pattern Changes in Unilateral Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Audiology
• Radiology

Background:

• Unilateral Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) is a complex condition affecting hearing.
• Understanding the neurophysiological underpinnings of SSNHL is crucial for developing effective treatments.
• Cerebral blood flow (CBF) alterations may reflect brain network changes associated with SSNHL.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cerebral blood flow (CBF) differences in patients with unilateral Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) compared to healthy controls (HCs).
• To analyze CBF variations in auditory-related brain regions among patients with left-sided SSNHL (lSSNHL), right-sided SSNHL (rSSNHL), and HCs.
• To explore the relationship between clinical characteristics of unilateral SSNHL and observed CBF changes.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 36 patients with unilateral SSNHL and 36 HCs.
• Utilized arterial spin labeling (ASL) for CBF imaging and CereFlow software for data post-processing.
• Analyzed CBF in 246 brain subregions using the Brainnetome Atlas (BNA) and employed statistical tests (t-test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis) for comparisons.

Main Results:

• SSNHL patients exhibited decreased CBF in the middle frontal gyrus (MFG), precentral gyrus (PrG), and superior parietal lobule (SPL).
• Increased CBF was observed in the orbital gyrus (OrG) and inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) in SSNHL patients compared to HCs.
• A positive correlation was found between CBF in the ipsilateral MFG_7_1 and tinnitus severity (Visual Analog Scale score).

Conclusions:

• Preliminary findings suggest altered CBF patterns in both auditory and non-auditory areas in unilateral SSNHL patients.
• Observed CBF changes may reflect reduced attention and sensory compensation mechanisms in SSNHL.
• These insights contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of unilateral SSNHL.