Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 11;10(1):21801. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-78571-0.
The impact of age-related hearing loss extends beyond the auditory pathway and impacts brain areas related to cognitive impairment and even dementia. The presence of tinnitus, a sensation of sound that frequently co-occurs with hearing loss, is additionally linked to cognitive decline. Interestingly, structural neuroimaging studies have reported that hearing loss may precede or modulate the onset of cognitive impairment. In this study, we aimed to disentangle the effects of age, hearing loss, and tinnitus on gray matter structure. In total, 39 participants with hearing loss and tinnitus, 21 with hearing loss but without tinnitus, and 39 controls were included in this voxel- and surface-based morphometry MRI study. Whole brain volume and surface thickness measures were compared between the groups. Age-related gray matter volume decline was observed in all groups. Several brain areas showed smaller gray matter volume and cortical surface thickness in hearing loss without tinnitus, relative to controls. This reduction was observed both within and outside of the auditory pathway. Interestingly, these reductions were not observed in participants with tinnitus, who had similar hearing loss and were of similar age. Since we have tools to improve hearing loss, hearing screening may aid in the battle against cognitive decline.
与年龄相关的听力损失的影响不仅局限于听觉通路，还会影响与认知障碍甚至痴呆相关的大脑区域。耳鸣的存在，即与听力损失经常同时发生的声音感觉，也与认知能力下降有关。有趣的是，结构神经影像学研究表明，听力损失可能先于或调节认知障碍的发生。在这项研究中，我们旨在厘清年龄、听力损失和耳鸣对灰质结构的影响。在这项基于体素和表面的形态学 MRI 研究中，共有 39 名伴有耳鸣和听力损失的参与者、21 名仅有听力损失而无耳鸣的参与者和 39 名对照者纳入研究。我们比较了各组间的全脑体积和表面厚度测量值。在所有组中均观察到了与年龄相关的灰质体积下降。与对照组相比，无耳鸣的听力损失者的几个大脑区域的灰质体积和皮质表面厚度更小。这种减少不仅发生在听觉通路上，也发生在听觉通路外。有趣的是，在伴有耳鸣的参与者中并未观察到这种减少，他们的听力损失相似，年龄也相似。由于我们有改善听力损失的工具，听力筛查可能有助于对抗认知能力下降。
