Liu Y, Chen Y N, Wang S J, Yang L, Wang Y, Wang S
Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China.
School of Biomedical Engineering, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Zhonghua Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi. 2024 Sep 7;59(9):909-915. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn115330-20231017-00156.
To elucidate the patterns of neural activity alterations associated with auditory speech comprehension across the lifespan and the impact of varying listening environments on these dynamics. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was employed to measure the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in the brains of 93 adults aged from 20 to 70 with normal hearing. These participants were recruited from Beijing Tongren Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, between March 2021 and February 2023. Brain activity was recorded as subjects passively listened to sentences in both silent and noise conditions with varying signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). The alterations in brain activity were analyzed to delineate the age-related trends under different auditory conditions. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 software. The bilateral primary auditory cortex, superior temporal gyrus, and Wernicke's area, critical for sound signal discrimination and perception, exhibited enhanced activity post-stimulus presentation. Broca's area, pivotal for speech production, demonstrated an initial decrease in activity followed by an increment after stimulus onset. The ventral middle temporal gyrus and dorsal postcentral gyrus showed augmented activity in later time windows. Furthermore, it was observed that in quiet conditions and at low noise levels (SNR=10 dB), auditory cortical activity diminished with age. With increasing noise levels (SNR=5 dB), compensatory brain regions (right ventral middle temporal gyrus and dorsal postcentral gyrus) showed enhanced activity with advancing age. As noise intensity further escalated (SNR=0, SNR=-5 dB), not only did auditory cortical activity decline, but also the activity in regions associated with semantic processing and motor functions reduced with age. During auditory speech comprehension, dual-pathway brain regions exhibit distinct activity patterns. With heightened noise exposure, an increasing number of brain regions are influenced by aging, manifesting as a general decline in activity in most dual-pathway regions, alongside a selective augmentation in some compensatory regions on the right hemisphere.
为了阐明与毕生听觉言语理解相关的神经活动变化模式，以及不同聆听环境对这些动态变化的影响。采用功能近红外光谱技术（fNIRS）测量了93名年龄在20至70岁之间听力正常的成年人脑部的氧合血红蛋白浓度。这些参与者于2021年3月至2023年2月期间从首都医科大学附属北京同仁医院招募。在受试者分别于安静和不同信噪比（SNR）的噪声条件下被动聆听句子时，记录其大脑活动。分析大脑活动的变化，以描绘不同听觉条件下与年龄相关的趋势。使用SPSS 22.0软件进行统计分析。对声音信号辨别和感知至关重要的双侧初级听觉皮层、颞上回和韦尼克区，在刺激呈现后表现出活动增强。对言语产生至关重要的布洛卡区，在刺激开始后活动先下降，随后增加。腹侧颞中回和背侧中央后回在后期时间窗内活动增强。此外，观察到在安静条件下和低噪声水平（SNR = 10 dB）时，听觉皮层活动随年龄增长而减弱。随着噪声水平增加（SNR = 5 dB），代偿性脑区（右侧腹侧颞中回和背侧中央后回）随年龄增长活动增强。当噪声强度进一步升高（SNR = 0，SNR = -5 dB）时，不仅听觉皮层活动下降，而且与语义处理和运动功能相关区域的活动也随年龄增长而减少。在听觉言语理解过程中，双通路脑区呈现出不同的活动模式。随着噪声暴露增加，越来越多的脑区受到衰老影响，表现为大多数双通路区域的活动普遍下降，同时右半球一些代偿性区域有选择性地增强。
