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Updated: Aug 26, 2025
In Vivo Morphometric Analysis of Human Cranial Nerves Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Menière's Disease Ears and Normal Hearing Ears
Published on: February 21, 2018
Microstructural changes of the vestibulocochlear nerve in patients with Ménière's disease using diffusion tensor
Xiaojia Yuan1,2, Xiaozhen Li2, Yu Xu2
1Department of Chinese Medicine, Zhang Zhongjing College of Chinese Medicine, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nan Yang, China.
Objective:
To evaluate the microstructural changes of the vestibulocochlear nerve in patients with Ménière's disease.
Methods:
A total of 26 subjects, 13 patients with MD and 13 healthy controls, underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) on a 3T scanner. The independent sample t-test was used to compare the differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) between the two groups. A Pearson correlation was used between DTI and the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) scores.
Results:
There was a significant decrease in FA and an increase in ADC of the vestibulocochlear nerve in MD patients compared with healthy controls (P = 0.04, P = 0.001). FA had negative correlations with the DHI score (r = -0.62, P = 0.02) and DHI-functional score (r = -0.64, P = 0.02).
Conclusion:
These results are the first evidence of possible changes in the microstructure of the vestibulocochlear nerves in patients with MD. DTI is a potential technique for evaluating the vestibulocochlear nerve in patients with MD.
Insights
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) revealed microstructural changes in the vestibulocochlear nerve of Ménière's disease (MD) patients. These nerve changes correlate with patient-reported dizziness severity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Otolaryngology
- Medical Physics
Background:
- Ménière's disease (MD) is a disorder affecting the inner ear, causing vertigo and hearing loss.
- The microstructural integrity of the vestibulocochlear nerve in MD is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate microstructural changes in the vestibulocochlear nerve of patients with Ménière's disease using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
Main Methods:
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed on 13 MD patients and 13 healthy controls.
- Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were compared using independent sample t-tests.
- Pearson correlation assessed the relationship between DTI metrics and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores.
Main Results:
- MD patients showed significantly decreased FA and increased ADC in the vestibulocochlear nerve compared to controls (P=0.04, P=0.001).
- FA exhibited negative correlations with DHI scores (r=-0.62, P=0.02) and DHI-functional scores (r=-0.64, P=0.02).
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first evidence of microstructural alterations in the vestibulocochlear nerve in MD patients.
- DTI is a promising technique for evaluating the vestibulocochlear nerve in Ménière's disease.
