Computational Neuroscience of Speech and Hearing, Department of Computational Linguistics, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland
International Max Planck Research School on the Life Course (IMPRS LIFE), University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland.
eNeuro. 2024 May 9;11(5). doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0545-23.2024. Print 2024 May.
More and more patients worldwide are diagnosed with dementia, which emphasizes the urgent need for early detection markers. In this study, we built on the auditory hypersensitivity theory of a previous study-which postulated that responses to auditory input in the subcortex as well as cortex are enhanced in cognitive decline-and examined auditory encoding of natural continuous speech at both neural levels for its indicative potential for cognitive decline. We recruited study participants aged 60 years and older, who were divided into two groups based on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, one group with low scores ( = 19, participants with signs of cognitive decline) and a control group ( = 25). Participants completed an audiometric assessment and then we recorded their electroencephalography while they listened to an audiobook and click sounds. We derived temporal response functions and evoked potentials from the data and examined response amplitudes for their potential to predict cognitive decline, controlling for hearing ability and age. Contrary to our expectations, no evidence of auditory hypersensitivity was observed in participants with signs of cognitive decline; response amplitudes were comparable in both cognitive groups. Moreover, the combination of response amplitudes showed no predictive value for cognitive decline. These results challenge the proposed hypothesis and emphasize the need for further research to identify reliable auditory markers for the early detection of cognitive decline.
越来越多的全球患者被诊断出患有痴呆症，这强调了急需早期检测标志物。在这项研究中，我们在前一项研究的听觉过敏理论基础上进行了研究，该理论假设，皮质下和皮质对听觉输入的反应在认知能力下降时增强，并在神经水平上检查了自然连续语音的听觉编码，以评估其对认知能力下降的指示潜力。我们招募了年龄在 60 岁及以上的研究参与者，根据蒙特利尔认知评估将他们分为两组，一组得分较低（= 19，有认知能力下降迹象的参与者），另一组为对照组（= 25）。参与者完成了听力评估，然后我们在他们听有声读物和点击声时记录了他们的脑电图。我们从数据中得出了时间响应函数和诱发电位，并检查了反应幅度，以评估其预测认知能力下降的潜力，同时控制了听力能力和年龄。与我们的预期相反，在有认知能力下降迹象的参与者中没有观察到听觉过敏的证据；两个认知组的反应幅度相当。此外，反应幅度的组合对认知能力下降没有预测价值。这些结果对提出的假设提出了挑战，并强调需要进一步研究以确定可靠的听觉标志物，用于早期检测认知能力下降。
