title: <Original Article>Brain activity in patients with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss during auditory perception in noisy environments.
abstract: Patients with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (UHL) often complain of hearing difficulties in noisy environments. To clarify this, we compared brain activation in patients with UHL with that of healthy participants during speech perception in a noisy environment, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A pure tone of 1 kHz, or 14 monosyllabic speech sounds at 65‒70 dB accompanied by MRI scan noise at 75 dB, were presented to both ears for 1 second each and participants were instructed to press a button when they could hear the pure tone or speech sound. Based on the activation areas of healthy participants, the primary auditory cortex, the anterior auditory association areas, and the posterior auditory association areas were set as regions of interest (ROI). In each of these regions, we compared brain activity between healthy participants and patients with UHL. The results revealed that patients with right-side UHL showed different brain activity in the right posterior auditory area during perception of pure tones versus monosyllables. Clinically, left-side and right-side UHL are not presently differentiated and are similarly diagnosed and treated; however, the results of this study suggest that a lateralityspecific treatment should be chosen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
authors.forename: Katsura
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tabei
authors.forename: Narumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katsuyama
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taira
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001303:Auditory Cortex; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004423:Ear; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D046088:Hearing Loss, Unilateral / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013067:Speech Perception