title: Auditory neural pathway evaluation on sensorineural hearing loss using diffusion tensor imaging.
abstract: Diffusion tensor imaging is a new in vivo tool not only for the assessment of white matter structural integrity but also for diagnosis and assessment of disease conditions which disturb tissue structural coherence. In this study, we investigated the integrity of auditory pathway in patients of sensorineural hearing loss by means of fractional anisotropy of water diffusion to see any subtle changes of auditory pathways resulting from sensorineural hearing loss. In addition, this study suggests that the diffusion anisotropy measured by diffusion tensor imaging is highly sensitive to otherwise subtle disease processes not normally seen with conventional magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography contrast.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, College of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 2-50 Samduk-dong, Jung-ku, Daegu 700-412, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yongmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Sang-Heun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young-Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Moon-Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Sung-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Myoung-Nam
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jongmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seongku
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Heejung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Duk-Sik
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001304:Auditory Diseases, Central / Q000378:metabolism; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged