Auditory neural pathway evaluation on sensorineural hearing loss using diffusion tensor imaging.
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.
Chang
Yongmin
Y
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, College of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 2-50 Samduk-dong, Jung-ku, Daegu 700-412, Republic of Korea.
Lee
Sang-Heun
SH
Lee
Young-Joo
YJ
Hwang
Moon-Jung
MJ
Bae
Sung-Jin
SJ
Kim
Myoung-Nam
MN
Lee
Jongmin
J
Woo
Seongku
S
Lee
Heejung
H
Kang
Duk-Sik
DS
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