Cortical reorganization in children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

Previous studies have shown evidence of cortical reorganization following unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (USNHL). In addition, study participants with right USNHL have shown greater deficits in academic and language performance compared with those with left USNHL. A preliminary functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation was performed on a small cohort of participants, four with left USNHL and four with right USNHL, using the paradigm of listening to random tones. While the participants with left USNHL displayed greater activation in the right superior temporal gyrus, those with right USNHL displayed greater activation in the left inferior frontal area immediately anterior to the superior temporal gyrus. The results provide preliminary evidence of disparate neural circuitry supporting auditory processing in participants with left and right USNHL.