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Poliva O, Herrera C, Sugai K, Whittle N, Leek MR, Barnes S, Holshouser B, Yi A, Venezia JH. Additive effects of mild head trauma, blast exposure, and aging within white matter tracts: A novel Diffusion Tensor Imaging analysis approach. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2024; 83:853-869. [PMID: 39053000 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlae069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Existing diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies of neurological injury following high-level blast exposure (hlBE) in military personnel have produced widely variable results. This is potentially due to prior studies often not considering the quantity and/or recency of hlBE, as well as co-morbidity with non-blast head trauma (nbHT). Herein, we compare commonly used DTI metrics: fractional anisotropy and mean, axial, and radial diffusivity, in Veterans with and without history of hlBE and/or nbHT. We use both the traditional method of dividing participants into 2 equally weighted groups and an alternative method wherein each participant is weighted by quantity and recency of hlBE and/or nbHT. While no differences were detected using the traditional method, the alternative method revealed diffuse and extensive changes in all DTI metrics. These effects were quantified within 43 anatomically defined white matter tracts, which identified the forceps minor, middle corpus callosum, acoustic and optic radiations, fornix, uncinate, inferior fronto-occipital and inferior longitudinal fasciculi, and cingulum, as the pathways most affected by hlBE and nbHT. Moreover, additive effects of aging were present in many of the same tracts suggesting that these neuroanatomical effects may compound with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oren Poliva
- VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | | | - Kelli Sugai
- VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Nicole Whittle
- VA Portland Healthcare System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Marjorie R Leek
- VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Samuel Barnes
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Barbara Holshouser
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Alex Yi
- VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Jonathan H Venezia
- VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, United States
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Quatre R, Schmerber S, Attyé A. Improving rehabilitation of deaf patients by advanced imaging before cochlear implantation. J Neuroradiol 2024; 51:145-154. [PMID: 37806523 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurad.2023.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cochlear implants have advanced the management of severe to profound deafness. However, there is a strong disparity in hearing performance after implantation from one patient to another. Moreover, there are several advanced kinds of imaging assessment before cochlear implantation. Microstructural white fiber degeneration can be studied with Diffusion weighted MRI (DWI) or tractography of the central auditory pathways. Functional MRI (fMRI) allows us to evaluate brain function, and CT or MRI segmentation to better detect inner ear anomalies. OBJECTIVE This literature review aims to evaluate how helpful pre-implantation anatomic imaging can be to predict hearing rehabilitation outcomes in deaf patients. These techniques include DWI and fMRI of the central auditory pathways, and automated labyrinth segmentation by CT scan, cone beam CT and MRI. DESIGN This systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were selected by searching in PubMed and by checking the reference lists of relevant articles. Inclusion criteria were adults over 18, with unilateral or bilateral hearing loss, who had DWI acquisition or fMRI or CT/ Cone Beam CT/ MRI image segmentation. RESULTS After reviewing 172 articles, we finally included 51. Studies on DWI showed changes in the central auditory pathways affecting the white matter, extending to the primary and non-primary auditory cortices, even in sudden and mild hearing impairment. Hearing loss patients show a reorganization of brain activity in various areas, such as the auditory and visual cortices, as well as regions involved in language and emotions, according to fMRI studies. Deep Learning's automatic segmentation produces the best CT segmentation in just a few seconds. MRI segmentation is mainly used to evaluate fluid space of the inner ear and determine the presence of an endolymphatic hydrops. CONCLUSION Before cochlear implantation, a DWI with tractography can evaluate the central auditory pathways up to the primary and non-primary auditory cortices. This data is then used to generate predictions on the auditory rehabilitation of patients. A CT segmentation with systematic 3D reconstruction allow a better evaluation of cochlear malformations and predictable difficulties during surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaële Quatre
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital, Grenoble, France; BrainTech Lab INSERM UMR 2015, Grenoble, France; GeodAIsics, Grenoble, France.
| | - Sébastien Schmerber
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital, Grenoble, France; BrainTech Lab INSERM UMR 2015, Grenoble, France
| | - Arnaud Attyé
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital, Grenoble, France; GeodAIsics, Grenoble, France
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Svobodová V, Profant O, Škoch A, Tintěra J, Tóthová D, Chovanec M, Čapková D, Syka J. The effect of aging, hearing loss, and tinnitus on white matter in the human auditory system revealed with fixel-based analysis. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 15:1283660. [PMID: 38264549 PMCID: PMC10803717 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1283660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Aging negatively influences the structure of the human brain including the white matter. The objective of our study was to identify, using fixel-based morphometry, the age induced changes in the pathways connecting several regions of the central auditory system (inferior colliculus, Heschl's gyrus, planum temporale) and the pathways connecting these structures with parts of the limbic system (anterior insula, hippocampus and amygdala). In addition, we were interested in the extent to which the integrity of these pathways is influenced by hearing loss and tinnitus. Methods Tractographic data were acquired using a 3 T MRI in 79 volunteers. The participants were categorized into multiple groups in accordance with their age, auditory thresholds and tinnitus status. Fixel-based analysis was utilized to identify alterations in the subsequent three parameters: logarithm of fiber cross-section, fiber density, fiber density and cross-section. Two modes of analysis were used: whole brain analysis and targeted analysis using fixel mask, corresponding to the pathways connecting the aforementioned structures. Results A significantly negative effect of aging was present for all fixel-based metrics, namely the logarithm of the fiber cross-section, (7 % fixels in whole-brain, 14% fixels in fixel mask), fiber density (5 % fixels in whole-brain, 15% fixels in fixel mask), fiber density and cross section (7 % fixels in whole-brain, 19% fixels in fixel mask). Expressed age-related losses, exceeding 30% fixels, were particularly present in pathways connecting the auditory structures with limbic structures. The effect of hearing loss and/or tinnitus did not reach significance. Conclusions Our results show that although an age-related reduction of fibers is present in pathways connecting several auditory regions, the connections of these structures with limbic structures are even more reduced. To what extent this fact influences the symptoms of presbycusis, such as decreased speech comprehension, especially in noise conditions, remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Svobodová
- Department of Auditory Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czechia
| | - Oliver Profant
- Department of Auditory Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, University Hospital Královské Vinohrady, Prague, Czechia
| | - Antonín Škoch
- Department of Radiodiagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jaroslav Tintěra
- Department of Radiodiagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia
| | - Diana Tóthová
- Department of Auditory Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czechia
| | - Martin Chovanec
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, University Hospital Královské Vinohrady, Prague, Czechia
| | - Dora Čapková
- Department of Auditory Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, University Hospital Královské Vinohrady, Prague, Czechia
| | - Josef Syka
- Department of Auditory Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
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Wertz J, Rüttiger L, Bender B, Klose U, Stark RS, Dapper K, Saemisch J, Braun C, Singer W, Dalhoff E, Bader K, Wolpert SM, Knipper M, Munk MHJ. Differential cortical activation patterns: pioneering sub-classification of tinnitus with and without hyperacusis by combining audiometry, gamma oscillations, and hemodynamics. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1232446. [PMID: 38239827 PMCID: PMC10794389 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1232446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The ongoing controversies about the neural basis of tinnitus, whether linked with central neural gain or not, may hamper efforts to develop therapies. We asked to what extent measurable audiometric characteristics of tinnitus without (T) or with co-occurrence of hyperacusis (TH) are distinguishable on the level of cortical responses. To accomplish this, electroencephalography (EEG) and concurrent functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) were measured while patients performed an attentionally demanding auditory discrimination task using stimuli within the individual tinnitus frequency (fTin) and a reference frequency (fRef). Resting-state-fMRI-based functional connectivity (rs-fMRI-bfc) in ascending auditory nuclei (AAN), the primary auditory cortex (AC-I), and four other regions relevant for directing attention or regulating distress in temporal, parietal, and prefrontal cortex was compiled and compared to EEG and concurrent fNIRS activity in the same brain areas. We observed no group differences in pure-tone audiometry (PTA) between 10 and 16 kHz. However, the PTA threshold around the tinnitus pitch was positively correlated with the self-rated tinnitus loudness and also correlated with distress in T-groups, while TH experienced their tinnitus loudness at minimal loudness levels already with maximal suffering scores. The T-group exhibited prolonged auditory brain stem (ABR) wave I latency and reduced ABR wave V amplitudes (indicating reduced neural synchrony in the brainstem), which were associated with lower rs-fMRI-bfc between AAN and the AC-I, as observed in previous studies. In T-subjects, these features were linked with elevated spontaneous and reduced evoked gamma oscillations and with reduced deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxy-Hb) concentrations in response to stimulation with lower frequencies in temporal cortex (Brodmann area (BA) 41, 42, 22), implying less synchronous auditory responses during active auditory discrimination of reference frequencies. In contrast, in the TH-group gamma oscillations and hemodynamic responses in temporoparietal regions were reversed during active discrimination of tinnitus frequencies. Our findings suggest that T and TH differ in auditory discrimination and memory-dependent directed attention during active discrimination at either tinnitus or reference frequencies, offering a test paradigm that may allow for more precise sub-classification of tinnitus and future improved treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Wertz
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Bender
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Uwe Klose
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Robert S. Stark
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Konrad Dapper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jörg Saemisch
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Wibke Singer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ernst Dalhoff
- Section of Physiological Acoustics and Communication, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katharina Bader
- Section of Physiological Acoustics and Communication, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan M. Wolpert
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias H. J. Munk
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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Rosemann S, Rauschecker JP. Increased fiber density of the fornix in patients with chronic tinnitus revealed by diffusion-weighted MRI. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1293133. [PMID: 38192511 PMCID: PMC10773749 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1293133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Up to 45% of the elderly population suffer from chronic tinnitus - the phantom perception of sound that is often perceived as ringing, whistling, or hissing "in the ear" without external stimulation. Previous research investigated white matter changes in tinnitus patients using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) to assess measures such as fractional anisotropy (a measure of microstructural integrity of fiber tracts) or mean diffusivity (a measure for general water diffusion). However, findings overlap only minimally and are sometimes even contradictory. We here present the first study encompassing higher diffusion data that allow to focus on changes in tissue microstructure, such as number of axons (fiber density) and macroscopic alterations, including axon diameter, and a combination of both. In order to deal with the crossing-fibers problem, we applied a fixel-based analysis using a constrained spherical deconvolution signal modeling approach. We investigated differences between tinnitus patients and control participants as well as how cognitive abilities and tinnitus distress are related to changes in white matter morphology in chronic tinnitus. For that aim, 20 tinnitus patients and 20 control participants, matched in age, sex and whether they had hearing loss or not, underwent DWI, audiometric and cognitive assessments, and filled in questionnaires targeting anxiety and depression. Our results showed increased fiber density in the fornix in tinnitus patients compared to control participants. The observed changes might, reflect compensatory structural alterations related to the processing of negative emotions or maladaptive changes related to the reinforced learning of the chronic tinnitus sensation. Due to the low sample size, the study should be seen as a pilot study that motivates further research to investigate underlying white matter morphology alterations in tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Rosemann
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
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Husain FT, Khan RA. Review and Perspective on Brain Bases of Tinnitus. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2023; 24:549-562. [PMID: 37919556 PMCID: PMC10752862 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-023-00914-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In advancing our understanding of tinnitus, some of the more impactful contributions in the past two decades have come from human brain imaging studies, specifically the idea of both auditory and extra-auditory neural networks that mediate tinnitus. These networks subserve both the perception of tinnitus and the psychological reaction to chronic, continuous tinnitus. In this article, we review particular studies that report on the nodes and links of such neural networks and their inter-network connections. Innovative neuroimaging tools have contributed significantly to the increased understanding of anatomical and functional connections of attention, emotion-processing, and default mode networks in adults with tinnitus. We differentiate between the neural correlates of tinnitus and those of comorbid hearing loss; surprisingly, tinnitus and hearing loss when they co-occur are not necessarily additive in their impact and, in rare cases, additional tinnitus may act to mitigate the consequences of hearing loss alone on the brain. The scale of tinnitus severity also appears to have an impact on brain networks, with some of the alterations typically attributed to tinnitus reaching significance only in the case of bothersome tinnitus. As we learn more about comorbid conditions of tinnitus, such as depression, anxiety, hyperacusis, or even aging, their contributions to the network-level changes observed in tinnitus will need to be parsed out in a manner similar to what is currently being done for hearing loss or severity. Together, such studies advance our understanding of the heterogeneity of tinnitus and will lead to individualized treatment plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima T Husain
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 901 S. Sixth Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA.
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2355/57 Beckman Institute, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Rafay A Khan
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2355/57 Beckman Institute, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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Danielli E, Simard N, DeMatteo CA, Kumbhare D, Ulmer S, Noseworthy MD. A review of brain regions and associated post-concussion symptoms. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1136367. [PMID: 37602240 PMCID: PMC10435092 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1136367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain is an exceptionally complex organ that is comprised of billions of neurons. Therefore, when a traumatic event such as a concussion occurs, somatic, cognitive, behavioral, and sleep impairments are the common outcome. Each concussion is unique in the sense that the magnitude of biomechanical forces and the direction, rotation, and source of those forces are different for each concussive event. This helps to explain the unpredictable nature of post-concussion symptoms that can arise and resolve. The purpose of this narrative review is to connect the anatomical location, healthy function, and associated post-concussion symptoms of some major cerebral gray and white matter brain regions and the cerebellum. As a non-exhaustive description of post-concussion symptoms nor comprehensive inclusion of all brain regions, we have aimed to amalgamate the research performed for specific brain regions into a single article to clarify and enhance clinical and research concussion assessment. The current status of concussion diagnosis is highly subjective and primarily based on self-report of symptoms, so this review may be able to provide a connection between brain anatomy and the clinical presentation of concussions to enhance medical imaging assessments. By explaining anatomical relevance in terms of clinical concussion symptom presentation, an increased understanding of concussions may also be achieved to improve concussion recognition and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Danielli
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicholas Simard
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Carol A. DeMatteo
- ARiEAL Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Dinesh Kumbhare
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephan Ulmer
- Neurorad.ch, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael D. Noseworthy
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- ARiEAL Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Radiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Siegbahn M, Engmér Berglin C, Moreno R. Automatic segmentation of the core of the acoustic radiation in humans. Front Neurol 2022; 13:934650. [PMID: 36212647 PMCID: PMC9539320 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.934650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Acoustic radiation is one of the most important white matter fiber bundles of the human auditory system. However, segmenting the acoustic radiation is challenging due to its small size and proximity to several larger fiber bundles. TractSeg is a method that uses a neural network to segment some of the major fiber bundles in the brain. This study aims to train TractSeg to segment the core of acoustic radiation. Methods We propose a methodology to automatically extract the acoustic radiation from human connectome data, which is both of high quality and high resolution. The segmentation masks generated by TractSeg of nearby fiber bundles are used to steer the generation of valid streamlines through tractography. Only streamlines connecting the Heschl's gyrus and the medial geniculate nucleus were considered. These streamlines are then used to create masks of the core of the acoustic radiation that is used to train the neural network of TractSeg. The trained network is used to automatically segment the acoustic radiation from unseen images. Results The trained neural network successfully extracted anatomically plausible masks of the core of the acoustic radiation in human connectome data. We also applied the method to a dataset of 17 patients with unilateral congenital ear canal atresia and 17 age- and gender-paired controls acquired in a clinical setting. The method was able to extract 53/68 acoustic radiation in the dataset acquired with clinical settings. In 14/68 cases, the method generated fragments of the acoustic radiation and completely failed in a single case. The performance of the method on patients and controls was similar. Discussion In most cases, it is possible to segment the core of the acoustic radiations even in images acquired with clinical settings in a few seconds using a pre-trained neural network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malin Siegbahn
- Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Medical Unit Ear, Nose, Throat and Hearing, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Engmér Berglin
- Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Medical Unit Ear, Nose, Throat and Hearing, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rodrigo Moreno
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Rodrigo Moreno
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Jünemann K, Marie D, Worschech F, Scholz DS, Grouiller F, Kliegel M, Van De Ville D, James CE, Krüger THC, Altenmüller E, Sinke C. Six Months of Piano Training in Healthy Elderly Stabilizes White Matter Microstructure in the Fornix, Compared to an Active Control Group. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:817889. [PMID: 35242025 PMCID: PMC8886041 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.817889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
While aging is characterized by neurodegeneration, musical training is associated with experience-driven brain plasticity and protection against age-related cognitive decline. However, evidence for the positive effects of musical training mostly comes from cross-sectional studies while randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are rare. The current study compares the influence of six months of piano training with music listening/musical culture lessons in 121 musically naïve healthy elderly individuals with regard to white matter properties using fixel-based analysis. Analyses revealed a significant fiber density decline in the music listening/musical culture group (but not in the piano group), after six months, in the fornix, which is a white matter tract that naturally declines with age. In addition, these changes in fiber density positively correlated to episodic memory task performances and the amount of weekly piano training. These findings not only provide further evidence for the involvement of the fornix in episodic memory encoding but also more importantly show that learning to play the piano at an advanced age may stabilize white matter microstructure of the fornix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Jünemann
- Division of Clinical Psychology & Sexual Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, Germany.,Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hanover, Germany
| | - Damien Marie
- Geneva Musical Minds Lab, Geneva School of Health Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Geneva, Switzerland.,Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Florian Worschech
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hanover, Germany.,Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, Hanover, Germany
| | - Daniel S Scholz
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hanover, Germany.,Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, Hanover, Germany
| | - Frédéric Grouiller
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Kliegel
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Clara E James
- Geneva Musical Minds Lab, Geneva School of Health Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Geneva, Switzerland.,Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Tillmann H C Krüger
- Division of Clinical Psychology & Sexual Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, Germany.,Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hanover, Germany
| | - Eckart Altenmüller
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hanover, Germany.,Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, Hanover, Germany
| | - Christopher Sinke
- Division of Clinical Psychology & Sexual Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
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Khan RA, Sutton BP, Tai Y, Schmidt SA, Shahsavarani S, Husain FT. A large-scale diffusion imaging study of tinnitus and hearing loss. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23395. [PMID: 34862447 PMCID: PMC8642521 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02908-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Subjective, chronic tinnitus, the perception of sound in the absence of an external source, commonly occurs with many comorbidities, making it a difficult condition to study. Hearing loss, often believed to be the driver for tinnitus, is perhaps one of the most significant comorbidities. In the present study, white matter correlates of tinnitus and hearing loss were examined. Diffusion imaging data were collected from 96 participants-43 with tinnitus and hearing loss (TINHL), 17 with tinnitus and normal hearing thresholds (TINNH), 17 controls with hearing loss (CONHL) and 19 controls with normal hearing (CONNH). Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity and probabilistic tractography analyses were conducted on the diffusion imaging data. Analyses revealed differences in FA and structural connectivity specific to tinnitus, hearing loss, and both conditions when comorbid, suggesting the existence of tinnitus-specific neural networks. These findings also suggest that age plays an important role in neural plasticity, and thus may account for some of the variability of results in the literature. However, this effect is not seen in tractography results, where a sensitivity analysis revealed that age did not impact measures of network integration or segregation. Based on these results and previously reported findings, we propose an updated model of tinnitus, wherein the internal capsule and corpus callosum play important roles in the evaluation of, and neural plasticity in response to tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafay A Khan
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Bradley P Sutton
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Yihsin Tai
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 47303, USA
| | - Sara A Schmidt
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Somayeh Shahsavarani
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Fatima T Husain
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA. .,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA. .,Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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Knipper M, Mazurek B, van Dijk P, Schulze H. Too Blind to See the Elephant? Why Neuroscientists Ought to Be Interested in Tinnitus. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2021; 22:609-621. [PMID: 34686939 PMCID: PMC8599745 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-021-00815-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
A curative therapy for tinnitus currently does not exist. One may actually exist but cannot currently be causally linked to tinnitus due to the lack of consistency of concepts about the neural correlate of tinnitus. Depending on predictions, these concepts would require either a suppression or enhancement of brain activity or an increase in inhibition or disinhibition. Although procedures with a potential to silence tinnitus may exist, the lack of rationale for their curative success hampers an optimization of therapeutic protocols. We discuss here six candidate contributors to tinnitus that have been suggested by a variety of scientific experts in the field and that were addressed in a virtual panel discussion at the ARO round table in February 2021. In this discussion, several potential tinnitus contributors were considered: (i) inhibitory circuits, (ii) attention, (iii) stress, (iv) unidentified sub-entities, (v) maladaptive information transmission, and (vi) minor cochlear deafferentation. Finally, (vii) some potential therapeutic approaches were discussed. The results of this discussion is reflected here in view of potential blind spots that may still remain and that have been ignored in most tinnitus literature. We strongly suggest to consider the high impact of connecting the controversial findings to unravel the whole complexity of the tinnitus phenomenon; an essential prerequisite for establishing suitable therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlies Knipper
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Birgit Mazurek
- Tinnitus Center Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pim van Dijk
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Holger Schulze
- Experimental Otolaryngology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Waldstrasse 1, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
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