Altered Gray Matter Volume and White Matter Integrity in Sensorineural Hearing Loss Patients: A VBM and TBSS Study

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to detect structural changes in the brains of patients with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) by combining voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Methods: Thirty-five patients with SNHL (mean age: 39.72 +/- 1.81 yr) and 23 age-matched control subjects (mean age: 39.83 +/- 1.96 yr) were assessed using three-dimensional, T1-weighted imaging, and diffusion tensor imaging. TBSS and VBM analyses were performed to evaluate grey matter (GM) volume changes and white matter (WM) alternations, as measured by mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD). Results: VBM showed decreased GM volume in patients with SNHL in the fusiform gyrus of the right temporal lobe and right middle occipital gyrus. TBSS revealed WM integrity changes, including decreased FA and RD and increased RD in several WM regions. However, MD showed no significant difference between patients with SNHL and age-matched controls. Conclusion: Patients with SNHL showed smaller GM volume and WM integrity changes in several regions.