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Updated: Aug 27, 2025
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Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
Published on: January 29, 2014
10.9K
Brain structure correlates with auditory function in children diagnosed with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder
Hannah E Cooper1,2,3, Lorna F Halliday4, Doris-Eva Bamiou2,5
1Developmental Imaging and Biophysics Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
Brain and Behavior
|October 3, 2022
Summary
Children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) show distinct brain structure differences, including reduced temporal lobe thickness. These brain changes correlate with hearing abilities, suggesting imaging as a potential biomarker for predicting functional hearing outcomes in ANSD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) involves disrupted auditory signal processing along the neural pathway.
- ANSD presents a wide range of hearing outcomes, from normal hearing to profound hearing loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess structural brain changes in children diagnosed with ANSD.
- To investigate the relationship between brain structure and behavioral correlates of hearing, language, and communication in children with ANSD.
Main Methods:
- Seventeen children with ANSD underwent behavioral assessments and structural MRI.
- Cortical thickness analysis of temporal lobes and diffusion tensor imaging were performed.
- Control group consisted of age- and sex-matched neurologically normal children.
Main Results:
- Children with ANSD exhibited reduced right temporal lobe cortical thickness compared to controls.
- Increased medial diffusivity was observed in the corpus callosum and right occipital white matter in the ANSD group.
- Speech perception abilities correlated with temporal lobe cortical thickness and diffusion metrics.
Conclusions:
- Children with ANSD demonstrate structural brain differences compared to healthy controls.
- Associations between brain structure and auditory function highlight the potential of structural imaging as a biomarker.
- Structural imaging may aid in predicting functional hearing outcomes for children with ANSD.
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