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. 2020 Dec 9:14:565445.
doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.565445. eCollection 2020.

Alteration of Cortical and Subcortical Structures in Children With Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Hang Qu  1 , Hui Tang  2 , Jiahao Pan  3 , Yi Zhao  1 , Wei Wang  1
Affiliations

Alteration of Cortical and Subcortical Structures in Children With Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Hang Qu et al. Front Hum Neurosci. .

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.

Keywords: children; multi-modal; sensorineural hearing loss; structural MRI; surface-based morphometry; surface-based vertex analysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Significant differences in the cortical thickness between groups [p < 0.05, threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE) corrected], which are highlighted with significance-levels visualized on a red to yellow scale and superimposed on a template of a reconstructed brain surface in MNI space. Decreased thickness was detected in the left postcentral gyrus, superior parietal lobule, paracentral lobule, precuneus, right transverse temporal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus (A–D). Moreover, local gyrification index (LGI) differences are highlighted with significance-levels visualized on a blue to purple scale (p < 0.05, TFCE corrected). A noticeable increase in LGI was found in the left precuneus and superior parietal lobule areas (E,F).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis of group differences. The red area represents a modulated gray-matter volume (GMV) increase in children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), with blue representing a decrease.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Vertex analysis for the subcortical nuclei. Nuclei deformity are color-coded by t-statistic value thresholds, corrected by FWE at a rate of p < 0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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