Abstract
Profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is an auditory disability associated with auditory and cognitive dysfunction. Due to distinct pathogenesis, some associated structural and functional changes within the brain have been investigated in previous studies, but whole-brain structural alterations are incompletely understood. We extended the exploration of neuroanatomic differences in whole-brain structure in children with profound SNHL who are primarily users of Chinese sign language (CSL). We employed surface-based morphometry (SBM) and subcortical analyses. T1-weighted magnetic resonance images of 26 children with profound SNHL and 27 age- and sex-matched children with normal hearing were analyzed. Compared with the normal control (NC) group, children with profound SNHL showed diverse structural changes in surface-based and subcortical analyses, including decreased cortical thickness in the left postcentral gyrus, superior parietal lobule, paracentral lobule, precuneus, the right transverse temporal gyri, and the middle temporal gyrus; a noticeable increase in the Local Gyrification Index (LGI) in the left precuneus and superior parietal lobule; and diverse changes in gray-matter volume (GMV) in different brain regions. Surface-based vertex analyses revealed regional contractions in the right thalamus, putamen, pallidum, and the brainstem of children with profound SNHL when compared with those in the NC group. Volumetric analyses showed decreased volumes of the right thalamus and pallidum in children with profound SNHL. Our data suggest that children with profound SNHL are associated with diffuse cerebral dysfunction to cortical and subcortical nuclei, and revealed neuroplastic reorganization in the precuneus, superior parietal lobule, and temporal gyrus. Our study provides robust evidence for changes in connectivity and structure in the brain associated with hearing loss.
Highlights
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is induced by cross-modal neuroplastic changes and associated with loss of function within the inner ear (Mutlu et al, 1998; Swanepoel et al, 2013)
Surface-based morphometry showed that cortical thickness and the Local Gyrification Index (LGI) were significantly different between SNHL and normal control (NC) participants (Table 1, Figure 1)
Decreased thicknesses were detected in the left postcentral gyrus, superior parietal lobule, paracentral lobule, precuneus, right transverse temporal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus
Summary
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is induced by cross-modal neuroplastic changes and associated with loss of function within the inner ear (Mutlu et al, 1998; Swanepoel et al, 2013). The. Structural Alterations in Deaf Children prevalence of SNHL for children is more common than that for other congenital diseases, such as phenylketonuria and hypothyroidism (Martines et al, 2013; Swanepoel et al, 2013). Structural Alterations in Deaf Children prevalence of SNHL for children is more common than that for other congenital diseases, such as phenylketonuria and hypothyroidism (Martines et al, 2013; Swanepoel et al, 2013) These patients may show auditory deficits (Chilosi et al, 2010), including language delay (Yoshinaga-Itano et al, 2017), cognitive impairment (Dye and Hauser, 2014), behavioral–emotional disorders (Kronenberger et al, 2014), and impairments in posture control (Rine et al, 2004), which may elicit lifelong consequences (Shiohama et al, 2019). The total expenditure of SHNL (including nursing, special education, medications, and assistive devices) for each child with congenital severe-to-profound SNHL in the USA is >US$1,100,000 (Mohr et al, 2000)
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