Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reveals Early Connectivity Changes in the Auditory and Vestibular Cortices in Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss With Vertigo: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The underlying pathophysiology of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) with vertigo has yet to be identified. The aims of the current study were (1) to elucidate whether there are functional changes of the intrinsic brain activity in the auditory and vestibular cortices of the ISSNHL patients with vertigo using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and (2) whether the connectivity alterations are related to the clinical performance associated with ISSNHL with vertigo. Twelve ISSNHL patients with vertigo, eleven ISSNHL patients without vertigo and eleven healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Rs-fMRI data of auditory and vestibular cortices was extracted and regional homogeneity (ReHo) and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) were evaluated; the chi-square test, the ANOVA and the Bonferroni multiple comparison tests were performed. Significantly decreased ReHo in the ipsilateral auditory cortex, as well as increased FC between the inferior parietal gyrus and the auditory cortex were found in the ISSNHL with vertigo groups. These findings contribute to a characterization of early plastic changes in ISSNHL patients with vertigo and cultivate new insights for the etiology research.

The functional status of vestibular otolith and conductive pathway in patients with unilateral idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

“…The improvement of the pure tone threshold is currently a common and international outcome index ( 34 , 35 ). We classified all patients into good recovery or poor recovery groups according to the hearing improvement of the affected ear.…”

“…Liang et al (12) found that patients with abnormal oVEMP or/and cVEMP had poor hearing outcomes, suggesting that oVEMP and cVEMP may be effective indicators for predicting the prognosis. The improvement of the pure tone threshold is currently a common and international outcome index (34,35). We classified all patients into good recovery or poor recovery groups according to the hearing improvement of the affected ear.…”

Effect of hearing loss on cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A prospective, randomized, and controlled study

“…First, research has been greatly limited with respect to expanding the number of samples because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the current sample group is limited to individuals aged 55–65 years. Second, we did not extend brain imaging tests such as functional MRI (fMRI) or diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to elucidate the relationship between HL, cognitive decline, and structural or functional features of the brain (Wang et al, 2021 ). Future studies should further explore whether the intervention of HL can reduce the risk of MCI in elderly patients, expand the study with 2-, 5- and 10-year follow-up periods, and observe the final outcome of the impact of HL on cognitive function.…”

Altered static and dynamic intrinsic brain activity in unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss

“…The advancement of imaging technology has revealed that individuals with SSHL exhibit not only alterations in brain cortical and subcortical structures ( Yang et al, 2014 ; Fan et al, 2015 ; Qu et al, 2020 ) but also associated with changes in brain functional activities involving various brain networks such as the default mode, auditory, executive control, and visual networks ( Xu et al, 2016 ; Chen et al, 2020 ; Minosse et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2021 ; Hua et al, 2022 ). The investigation of brain functional activity has become increasingly important in understanding the underlying neural mechanisms associated with SSHL.…”