Predicted effects of sensorineural hearing loss on across-fiber envelope coding in the auditory nerve.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Swaminathan J
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3135152 | biostudies-other | 2011 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
Similar Datasets
Project description:ObjectiveThis study aimed to (1) characterize temporal response properties of the auditory nerve in implanted children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD), and (2) compare results recorded in implanted children with ANSD with those measured in implanted children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).DesignParticipants included 28 children with ANSD and 29 children with SNHL. All subjects used cochlear nucleus devices in their test ears. Both ears were tested in 6 children with ANSD and 3 children with SNHL. For all other subjects, only one ear was tested. The electrically evoked compound action potential (ECAP) was measured in response to each of the 33 pulses in a pulse train (excluding the second pulse) for one apical, one middle-array, and one basal electrode. The pulse train was presented in a monopolar-coupled stimulation mode at 4 pulse rates: 500, 900, 1800, and 2400 pulses per second. Response metrics included the averaged amplitude, latencies of response components and response width, the alternating depth and the amount of neural adaptation. These dependent variables were quantified based on the last six ECAPs or the six ECAPs occurring within a time window centered around 11 to 12 msec. A generalized linear mixed model was used to compare these dependent variables between the 2 subject groups. The slope of the linear fit of the normalized ECAP amplitudes (re. amplitude of the first ECAP response) over the duration of the pulse train was used to quantify the amount of ECAP increment over time for a subgroup of 9 subjects.ResultsPulse train-evoked ECAPs were measured in all but 8 subjects (5 with ANSD and 3 with SNHL). ECAPs measured in children with ANSD had smaller amplitude, longer averaged P2 latency and greater response width than children with SNHL. However, differences in these two groups were only observed for some electrodes. No differences in averaged N1 latency or in the alternating depth were observed between children with ANSD and children with SNHL. Neural adaptation measured in these 2 subject groups was comparable for relatively short durations of stimulation (i.e., 11 to 12 msec). Children with ANSD showed greater neural adaptation than children with SNHL for a longer duration of stimulation. Amplitudes of ECAP responses rapidly declined within the first few milliseconds of stimulation, followed by a gradual decline up to 64 msec after stimulus onset in the majority of subjects. This decline exhibited an alternating pattern at some pulse rates. Further increases in pulse rate diminished this alternating pattern. In contrast, ECAPs recorded from at least one stimulating electrode in six ears with ANSD and three ears with SNHL showed a clear increase in amplitude over the time course of stimulation. The slope of linear regression functions measured in these subjects was significantly greater than zero.ConclusionsSome but not all aspects of temporal response properties of the auditory nerve measured in this study differ between implanted children with ANSD and implanted children with SNHL. These differences are observed for some but not all electrodes. A new neural response pattern is identified. Further studies investigating its underlying mechanism and clinical relevance are warranted.
| S-EPMC5065100 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Listeners with sensorineural hearing loss often have trouble understanding speech amid other voices. While poor spatial hearing is often implicated, direct evidence is weak; moreover, studies suggest that reduced audibility and degraded spectrotemporal coding may explain such problems. We hypothesized that poor spatial acuity leads to difficulty deploying selective attention, which normally filters out distracting sounds. In listeners with normal hearing, selective attention causes changes in the neural responses evoked by competing sounds, which can be used to quantify the effectiveness of attentional control. Here, we used behavior and electroencephalography to explore whether control of selective auditory attention is degraded in hearing-impaired (HI) listeners. Normal-hearing (NH) and HI listeners identified a simple melody presented simultaneously with two competing melodies, each simulated from different lateral angles. We quantified performance and attentional modulation of cortical responses evoked by these competing streams. Compared with NH listeners, HI listeners had poorer sensitivity to spatial cues, performed more poorly on the selective attention task, and showed less robust attentional modulation of cortical responses. Moreover, across NH and HI individuals, these measures were correlated. While both groups showed cortical suppression of distracting streams, this modulation was weaker in HI listeners, especially when attending to a target at midline, surrounded by competing streams. These findings suggest that hearing loss interferes with the ability to filter out sound sources based on location, contributing to communication difficulties in social situations. These findings also have implications for technologies aiming to use neural signals to guide hearing aid processing.
| S-EPMC5889663 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Sensorineural hearing loss has been a global burden of diseases for decades. However, according to recent progress in experimental studies on hair cell regeneration and protection, clinical trials of pharmacotherapy for sensorineural hearing loss have rapidly progressed. In this review, we focus on recent clinical trials for hair cell protection and regeneration and outline mechanisms based on associated experimental studies. Outcomes of recent clinical trials provided valuable data regarding the safety and tolerability of intra-cochlear and intra-tympanic applications as drug delivery methods. Recent findings in molecular mechanisms of hair cell regeneration suggested the realization of regenerative medicine for sensorineural hearing loss in the near future.
| S-EPMC10054686 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVES:Tinnitus is a common symptom among patients with hearing loss, and many studies have reported successful tinnitus suppression with hearing devices. Active middle ear implantation of the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) is a good alternative to existing hearing devices. This study evaluated the effects of VSB implantation on tinnitus and sought to identify the main audiological factor that affects tinnitus suppression. METHODS:The study participants were 16 adults who had tinnitus with sensorineural hearing loss, and who underwent VSB implantations. Pure-tone audiometry; word recognition test; tinnitus handicap inventory (THI); and visual analog scale (VAS) assessment of loudness, awareness, and annoyance were performed before and 12 months after surgery. Changes in hearing threshold, word recognition scores (WRS), THI scores, and VAS scores were analyzed. RESULTS:VAS scores for loudness (mean difference: 1.9, 95% CI: 0.6, 3.1), awareness (mean difference: 1.6, 95% CI: 0.4, 2.8), and annoyance (mean difference: 1.7, 95% CI: 0.7, 2.8) showed significant improvements from baseline to 12 months after surgery. In addition, THI scores showed a significant decrease (mean difference: 13.8, 95% CI: 2.9, 24.9). The average hearing threshold level, WRS, and most comfortable level (MCL) also showed significant improvements at 12 months after surgery (mean difference: 17.3, 95% CI: 13.3, 21.3; mean difference: -7.6, 95% CI: -15.1, -0.1; mean difference: 26.3, 95% CI: 22.9, 29.6, respectively). Among the aforementioned factors, changes in MCL were best correlated with those in THI scores (mean difference: 2.55, 95% CI: 0.90, 4.21). CONCLUSION:A VSB implant is beneficial to subjects with tinnitus accompanied by sensorineural hearing loss. The changes in THI scores best correlated with those in MCL. This improvement may represent a masking effect that contributes to tinnitus suppression in patients with VSB implants.
| S-EPMC6999863 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Key pointsSound information is transmitted by different subtypes of spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) from the ear to the brain. Selective damage of SGN peripheral synapses (cochlear synaptopathy) is widely recognized as one of the primary mechanisms of hearing loss, whereas the mechanisms at the SGN central synapses remain unclear. We report that different subtypes of SGN central synapses converge at different ratios onto individual target cochlear nucleus neurons with distinct physiological properties, and show biased morphological and physiological changes during age-related hearing loss (ARHL). The results reveal a new dimension in cochlear nucleus neural circuitry that systematically reassembles and processes auditory information from different SGN subtypes, which is altered during ageing and probably contributes to the development of ARHL. In addition to known cochlear synaptopathy, the present study shows that SGN central synapses are also pathologically changed during ageing, which collectively helps us better understand the structure and function of SGNs during ARHL.AbstractSound information is transmitted from the cochlea to the brain by different subtypes of spiral ganglion neurons (SGN), which show varying degrees of vulnerability under pathological conditions. Selective cochlear synaptopathy, the preferential damage of certain subtypes of SGN peripheral synapses, has been recognized as one of the main mechanisms of hearing loss. The organization and function of the auditory nerve (AN) central synapses from different subtypes of SGNs remain unclear, including how different AN synapses reassemble onto individual neurons in the cochlear nucleus, as well as how they differentially change during hearing loss. Combining immunohistochemistry with electrophysiology, we investigated the convergence pattern and subtype-specific synaptopathy of AN synapses at the endbulb of Held, as well as the response properties of their postsynaptic bushy neurons in CBA/CaJ mice of either sex under normal hearing and age-related hearing loss (ARHL). We found that calretinin-expressing (type Ia ) and non-calretinin-expressing (type Ib /Ic ) endbulbs converged along a continuum of different ratios onto individual bushy neurons with varying physiological properties. Endbulbs degenerated during ageing in parallel with ARHL. Furthermore, the degeneration was more severe in non-calretinin-expressing synapses, which correlated with a gradual decrease in bushy neuron subpopulation predominantly innervated by these inputs. These synaptic and cellular changes were profound in middle-aged mice when their hearing thresholds were still relatively normal and prior to severe ARHL. Our findings suggest that biased AN central synaptopathy and the correlated shift in cochlear nucleus neuronal composition play significant roles in weakened auditory input and altered central auditory processing during ARHL.
| S-EPMC8197675 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionTo compare inpatient treated patients with idiopathic (ISSNHL) and non-idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (NISSNHL) regarding frequency, hearing loss, treatment and outcome.MethodsAll 574 inpatient patients (51% male, median age: 60 years) with ISSNHL and NISSNHL, who were treated in federal state Thuringia in 2011 and 2012, were included retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed.ResultsISSNHL was diagnosed in 490 patients (85%), NISSNHL in 84 patients (15%). 49% of these cases had hearing loss due to acute otitis media, 37% through varicella-zoster infection or Lyme disease, 10% through Menière disease and 7% due to other reasons. Patients with ISSNHL and NISSNHL showed no difference between age, gender, side of hearing loss, presence of tinnitus or vertigo and their comorbidities. 45% of patients with ISSNHL and 62% with NISSNHL had an outpatient treatment prior to inpatient treatment (p < 0.001). The mean interval between onset of hearing loss to inpatient treatment was shorter in ISSNHL (7.7 days) than in NISSNHL (8.9 days; p = 0.02). The initial hearing loss of the three most affected frequencies in pure-tone average (3PTAmax) scaled 72.9 dBHL ± 31.3 dBHL in ISSNHL and 67.4 dBHL ± 30.5 dBHL in NISSNHL. In the case of acute otitis media, 3PTAmax (59.7 dBHL ± 24.6 dBHL) was lower than in the case of varicella-zoster infection or Lyme disease (80.11 dBHL ± 34.19 dBHL; p = 0.015). Mean absolute hearing gain (Δ3PTAmaxabs) was 8.1 dB ± 18.8 dB in patients with ISSNHL, and not different in NISSNHL patients with 10.2 dB ± 17.6 dB. A Δ3PTAmaxabs ≥ 10 dB was reached in 34.3% of the patients with ISSNHL and to a significantly higher rate of 48.8% in NISSNHL patients (p = 0.011).ConclusionsISSNHL and NISSNHL show no relevant baseline differences. ISSNHL tends to have a higher initial hearing loss. NISSHNL shows a better outcome than ISSNHL.
| S-EPMC8794920 | biostudies-literature
Project description:To critically review and evaluate the proposed mechanisms and documented results of the therapeutics currently in active clinical drug trials for the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss.US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Trials registry, MEDLINE/PubMed.A review of the NIH Clinical Trials registry identified candidate hearing loss therapies, and supporting publications were acquired from MEDLINE/PubMed. Proof-of-concept, therapeutic mechanisms, and clinical outcomes were critically appraised.Twenty-two active clinical drug trials registered in the United States were identified, and six potentially therapeutic molecules were reviewed. Of the six molecules reviewed, four comprised mechanisms pertaining to mitigating oxidative stress pathways that presumably lead to inner ear cell death. One remaining therapy sought to manipulate the cell death cascade, and the last remaining therapy was a novel cell replacement therapy approach to introduce a transcription factor that promotes hair cell regeneration.A common theme in recent clinical trials registered in the United States appears to be the targeting of cell death pathways and influence of oxidant stressors on cochlear sensory neuroepithelium. In addition, a virus-delivered cell replacement therapy would be the first of its kind should it prove safe and efficacious. Significant challenges for bringing these bench-to-bedside therapies to market remain. It is never assured that results in non-human animal models translate to effective therapies in the setting of human biology. Moreover, as additional processes are described in association with hearing loss, such as an immune response and loss of synaptic contacts, additional pathways for targeting become available.
| S-EPMC5465007 | biostudies-other
Project description:BACKGROUND:Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a common form of hearing loss that can be inherited or triggered by environmental insults; auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) is a SNHL subtype with unique diagnostic criteria. The genetic factors associated with these impairments are vast and diverse, but causal genetic factors are rarely characterized. METHODS:A family dyad, both cochlear implant recipients, presented with a hearing history of bilateral, progressive SNHL, and ANSD. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify coding sequence variants shared by both family members, and screened against genes relevant to hearing loss and variants known to be associated with SNHL and ANSD. RESULTS:Both family members are successful cochlear implant users, demonstrating effective auditory nerve stimulation with their devices. Genetic analyses revealed a mutation (rs35725509) in the TMTC2 gene, which has been reported previously as a likely genetic cause of SNHL in another family of Northern European descent. CONCLUSION:This study represents the first confirmation of the rs35725509 variant in an independent family as a likely cause for the complex hearing loss phenotype (SNHL and ANSD) observed in this family dyad.
| S-EPMC6081214 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Congenital unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (uSNHL) is associated with speech-language delays and academic difficulties. Yet, controversy exists in the choice of diagnosis and intervention methods. A cross-sectional prospective design was used to study hearing loss cause in twenty infants with congenital uSNHL consecutively recruited from a universal neonatal hearing-screening program. All normal-hearing ears showed ≤20 dB nHL auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds (ABRthrs). The impaired ear median ABRthr was 55 dB nHL, where 40% had no recordable ABRthr. None of the subjects tested positive for congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Fourteen subjects agreed to participate in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Malformations were common for all degrees of uSNHL and found in 64% of all scans. Half of the MRIs demonstrated cochlear nerve aplasia or severe hypoplasia and 29% showed inner ear malformations. Impaired ear and normal-hearing ear ABR input/output functions on a group level for subjects with ABRthrs < 90 dB nHL were parallel shifted. A significant difference in interaural acoustic reflex thresholds (ARTs) existed. In congenital uSNHL, MRI is powerful in finding a possible hearing loss cause, while congenital CMV infection may be relatively uncommon. ABRs and ARTs indicated an absence of loudness recruitment, with implications for further research on hearing devices.
| S-EPMC9324637 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a key regulator of bone remodeling. Mutations and variations in the OPG gene cause many human diseases that are characterized by not only skeletal abnormalities but also poorly understood hearing loss: Paget's disease, osteoporosis, and celiac disease. To gain insight into the mechanisms of hearing loss in OPG deficiency, we studied OPG knockout (Opg(-/-)) mice. We show that they develop sensorineural hearing loss, in addition to conductive hearing loss due to abnormal middle-ear bones. OPG deficiency caused demyelination and degeneration of the cochlear nerve in vivo. It also activated ERK, sensitized spiral ganglion cells (SGC) to apoptosis, and inhibited proliferation and survival of cochlear stem cells in vitro, which could be rescued by treatment with exogenous OPG, an ERK inhibitor, or bisphosphonate. Our results demonstrate a novel role for OPG in the regulation of SGC survival, and suggest a mechanism for sensorineural hearing loss in OPG deficiency.
| S-EPMC3752395 | biostudies-literature