Functional Reorganization of the Central Auditory System in Children with Single-Sided Deafness: A Protocol Using fNIRS

Abstract

In children, single-sided deafness (SSD) affects the development of linguistic and social skills and can impede educational progress. These difficulties may relate to cortical changes that occur following SSD, such as reduced inter-hemispheric functional asymmetry and maladaptive brain plasticity. To investigate these neuronal changes and their evolution in children, a non-invasive technique is required that is little affected by motion artifacts. Here, we present a research protocol that uses functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to evaluate the reorganization of cortical auditory asymmetry in children with SSD; it also examines how the cortical changes relate to auditory and language skills. The protocol is designed for children whose SSD has not been treated, because hearing restoration can alter both brain reorganization and behavioral performance. We propose a single-center, cross-sectional study that includes 30 children with SSD (congenital or acquired moderate-to-profound deafness) and 30 children with normal hearing (NH), all aged 5–16 years. The children undergo fNIRS during monaural and binaural stimulation, and the pattern of cortical activity is analyzed using measures of the peak amplitude and area under the curve for both oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin. These cortical measures can be compared between the two groups of children, and analyses can be run to determine whether they relate to binaural hearing (speech-in-noise and sound localization), speech perception and production, and quality of life (QoL). The results could be of relevance for developing individualized rehabilitation programs for SSD, which could reduce patients’ difficulties and prevent long-term neurofunctional and clinical consequences.

The neural mechanisms tone recognition in deaf children: an fMRI study

“…These findings further illustrate the specific nature of vocal tone processing in the brains of hearing-impaired children and the process of functional reorganization of the brain that results from restricted access to auditory channels [20]. The emergence of these differences may be driven by the specific demands of language processing in hearing-impaired children, i.e., the need for a broader distribution of vocal tone processing information in the brain [21].…”

Efficacy of the Bonebridge BCI602 for Adult Patients with Single‐sided Deafness: A Prospective Multicenter Study

“…The most notable finding of this study was that participants with congenital SSD had lower levels of subjective satisfaction than those with acquired deafness, although there were no significant differences in objective audiological outcomes. In response to the development of aural preference in SSD, functional reorganization of the central auditory system occurs 45‐48 . The aural preference onsets in early childhood and in the case of congenital SSD, the function of the hearing ear develops while that of the deaf ear side degenerates 48 .…”

“…In response to the development of aural preference in SSD, functional reorganization of the central auditory system occurs. [45][46][47][48] The aural preference onsets in early childhood and in the case of congenital SSD, the function of the hearing ear develops while that of the deaf ear side degenerates. 48 This functional reorganization seen in congenital SSD may explain the relatively lower level of subjective satisfaction observed in this study.…”

fNIRS‐based evaluation of the impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection central auditory processing

“…It has been used to evaluate the central auditory system in various contexts, demonstrating its importance in understanding auditory function and dysfunction. In the literature, NIRS plays an important role in the evaluation of the central auditory system and has been observed to provide noninvasive and valuable information about auditory function, plasticity, and dysfunction (Calmels et al., 2022 ; Calmels et al., 2022 ; Zaramella et al., 2001 ). In addition, the functional NIRS method (fNIRS) is frequently used during tasks such as the oddball paradigm that requires attention to a specific target in repetitive stimulus sequences.…”