title: [Resting-state functional MRI research of the auditory cortex in patients with long-term unilateral hearing loss].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate functional connectivity in patients with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss(USNHL) using resting-state fMRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Functional connectivity MRI were employed in 29 patients with SNHL (15 left, 14 right) with averaged hearing level above 70 dB HL for the deaf ear, and matched 15 and 14 normal hearing subjects, respectively, were recruited. Functional connectivity mappings between the SNHL patients and normal hearing subjects were evaluated and the differences were contrasted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive functional connectivity of auditory cortex with whole brain in USNHL patients is weaker than that in normal subjects both in volume and intensity. Using the affected side AIas a seed, left and right Laterality index(LI)of auditory cortex was 30.14, -31.25, respectively. Using the healthy side as a seed, the LI of auditory cortex was 0.1, 19.37, respectively. Compared to normal subjects, increased activation in bilateral precentral gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus were found in left USNHL patients. Contrasted with normal subjects, no significant difference was found between the normal subjects and right SNHL patients, except the right caudate nucleus using left AIas a seed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reduced functional connectivity among the affected side and healthy side auditory cortex as well as associated auditory cortex may suggest a result of functional reorganization adaptive to the SNHL.
authors.affiliation: Departmemt of Radiology, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Affiliate to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology & Vascular Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China. Email: yangming19710217@163.com.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guangyu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Nong
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D046088:Hearing Loss, Unilateral / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult