Brain networks in newborns and infants with and without sensorineural hearing loss:A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study  

作　　者：Juan Tan Qian-Mei Hou Fen Zhang Xu Duan Yan-Long Zhang Yu-Jun Lee Hao Yan 

机构地区：[1]Department of Neurology,Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College,North Sichuan Medical College,Nanchong 637000,Sichuan Province,China [2]Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology,Ghent University,Ghent 9000,Province of East Flanders,Belgium [3]Key Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience of Language,Xi’an International Studies University,Xi’an 710128,Shaanxi Province,China [4]Department of English,North Sichuan Medical College,Nanchong 637100,Sichuan Province,China [5]School of Graduate,Xi’an International Studies University,Xi’an 710128,Shaanxi Province,China

出　　处：《World Journal of Psychiatry》2024年第10期1547-1557,共11页世界精神病学杂志（英文）

基　　金：Supported by the National Social Science Foundation,No.18BY0911.

摘　　要：BACKGROUND Understanding the impact of early sensory deficits on brain development is essential for understanding developmental processes and developing potential interventions.While previous studies have looked into the impact of prenatal experiences on language development,there is a lack of research on how these experiences affect early language and brain function development in individuals with sensorineural hearing loss(SNHL).AIM To investigate SNHL effects on early brain development and connectivity in 4-month-olds vs healthy newborns and controls.METHODS The research involved analyzing the functional brain networks of 65 infants,categorized into three groups:28 healthy newborns,224-month-old participants with SNHL,and 15 age-matched healthy participants.The resting-state functional connectivity was measured and compared between the groups using functional near-infrared spectroscopy and graph theory to assess the brain network properties.RESULTS Significant differences were found in resting-state functional connectivity between participants with SNHL and age-matched controls,indicating a developmental lag in brain connectivity for those with SNHL.Surprisingly,SNHL participants showed better connectivity development compared to healthy newborns,with connectivity strengths of 0.13±0.04 for SNHL,0.16±0.08 for controls,and 0.098±0.04 for newborns.Graph theory analysis revealed enhanced global brain network properties for the SNHL group,suggesting higher communication efficiency at 4 months.No significant differences were noted in network properties between 4-month-old SNHL participants and neonates.A unique pattern of central hubs was observed in the SNHL group,with 2 hubs in the left hemisphere compared to 6 in controls.CONCLUSION 4-month-old infants with SNHL have a distinct brain network pattern with efficient long-distance information transmission but less effective local communication compared to age-matched controls.

关 键 词：Early brain development Sensory hearing loss Language development Graph theory Functional connectivity 

分 类 号：R749[医药卫生—神经病学与精神病学]