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Increased hemispheric functional connectivity compensates speech perception in older adults with hearing loss
Yi Liu1, Junhua Ding2, Songjian Wang1
1Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Brain Research
|February 9, 2026
Summary
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) causes brain changes that depend on hearing loss severity and cognitive state. Early hearing loss shows adaptive brain connectivity, but severe loss may indicate a breakdown in neural function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is linked to significant brain reorganization.
- Understanding functional connectivity (FC) changes in ARHL across different stages and brain states is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate resting-state and speech perception-evoked FC in older adults with varying degrees of hearing loss.
- To determine how FC alterations are dependent on the stage of hearing loss and cognitive state.
Main Methods:
- Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure brain activity.
- FC was examined in older adults with normal hearing, mild hearing loss, and moderate-to-severe hearing loss.
- Analyses included both resting-state and task-based (speech perception) conditions.
Main Results:
- Functional connectivity (FC) changes were both state-dependent and stage-dependent.
- Mild hearing loss showed enhanced cross-hemispheric FC during speech perception, suggesting adaptive recruitment.
- Severe hearing loss lacked these enhancements, indicating a potential breakdown in adaptive mechanisms and altered neural pathways.
Conclusions:
- Neural adaptation in ARHL follows a nonlinear trajectory.
- There is a limited window for neural plasticity in the early stages of hearing loss.
- Cross-hemispheric reorganization is vital for maintaining speech processing, especially under cognitive load.
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