Sun Jin, Wen Baohong, Liu Zijun, Zhang Yulin, Wang Le, Zhang Yong, Cheng Jingliang
Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
School of Medicine, Southeast University, 87Dingjiaqiao, Hunan Road, Nanjing 210009 Jiangsu, China; Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, BenQ Medical Center, The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 71HexiStreet, Nanjing 210019 Jiangsu, China; Nanjing Medical Key Laboratory of Laryngopharynx Head&Neck Oncology, 71HexiStreet, Nanjing 210019 Jiangsu, China.
Hear Res. 2025 Aug;464:109322. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2025.109322. Epub 2025 May 29.
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) is a critical otological emergency characterized by a rapid decline in hearing, primarily affecting one ear. The exact cause of SSNHL remains unclear, which complicates both diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to explore changes in functional connectivity (FC) related to prognosis in patients with unilateral SSNHL, thereby enhancing our understanding of the potential neural correlates associated with clinical outcomes.
The study involved 111 patients diagnosed with unilateral SSNHL, who underwent audiological evaluations and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, focusing on changes in FC related to their prognosis.
Significant differences were found between the effective (n = 72) and ineffective (n = 39) treatment groups regarding the duration from onset to treatment and the presence of dizziness. Compared with effective group, the cohort with a poor prognosis demonstrated a significant increase in FC between the bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) and the left hippocampus, right supramarginal gyrus (SMG), left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and right precuneus.
The research highlights the significance of investigating the alterations in FC observed in patients experiencing SSNHL. These findings suggest a potential association between altered FC and patient outcomes, which could contribute to future studies on the neural mechanisms underlying SSNHL.
突发性感音神经性听力损失（SSNHL）是一种严重的耳科急症，其特征是听力迅速下降，主要影响单耳。SSNHL的确切病因尚不清楚，这使得诊断和治疗都变得复杂。本研究旨在探讨单侧SSNHL患者与预后相关的功能连接（FC）变化，从而加深我们对与临床结果相关的潜在神经关联的理解。
该研究纳入了111例被诊断为单侧SSNHL的患者，他们接受了听力学评估和功能磁共振成像（fMRI）扫描，重点关注与预后相关的FC变化。
在从发病到治疗的持续时间和头晕症状方面，有效治疗组（n = 72）和无效治疗组（n = 39）之间存在显著差异。与有效组相比，预后不良的队列在双侧颞上回（STG）与左侧海马体、右侧缘上回（SMG）、左侧额中回（MFG）和右侧楔前叶之间的FC显著增加。
该研究强调了研究SSNHL患者中观察到的FC变化的重要性。这些发现表明FC改变与患者预后之间可能存在关联，这可能有助于未来对SSNHL潜在神经机制的研究。
