Cortical Reorganization in Children with Unilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss

描述（由申请人提供）：K25指导定量研究职业发展奖的目标是使候选人能够在儿童听力学，生物统计学和功能神经解剖学领域发展专业知识，在研究计划的背景下，使用专门设计用于听力受损儿科人群的功能MRI （fMRI）技术研究重度至重度单侧感音神经性听力损失（USNHL）儿童的皮质重组。该五年培训计划包括结构化的课程、研讨会和独立学习，在指导和咨询团队的监督下，该团队包括一个跨学科的研究小组，他们在功能神经影像学、功能神经解剖学和大脑发育、单侧听力障碍、儿童听力学、听力受损儿童的临床管理和儿童中枢听觉处理方面具有专业知识。K25指导职业发展奖提供的培训和研究经验将使候选人成功地从物理学背景过渡到独立的生物医学研究人员，特别应用于儿童听觉功能和处理的神经成像。研究计划包括三个具体目标：1)绘制USNHL儿童与正常对照儿童在基础水平听觉和语言加工皮层表征方面的差异；2) USNHL患儿与正常对照组在中枢听觉加工任务和学业成绩上的差异；3) USNHL儿童中枢听觉加工缺陷与脑功能连接缺陷的相关性。这项研究与公共卫生的相关性在于获得了关于USNHL儿童神经可塑性的一般知识，以及在中央听觉处理任务（如解释噪音中的言语）中的表现缺陷是否与大脑中必要功能连接的持续缺陷有关。如果USNHL后的皮质重组不足以弥补中央听觉处理任务中双耳感觉输入的缺乏，如在噪音中解释语音，那么USNHL患儿可能比以前认识到的更需要调频放大系统等补救技术。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this K25 Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award is to enable the candidate to develop expertise in the fields of pediatric audiology, biostatistics, and functional neuroanatomy, in the context of a research plan investigating cortical reorganization in children with severe-to-profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (USNHL) using functional MRI (fMRI) techniques specifically designed for use in a hearing-impaired pediatric population. The five-year training plan involves a structured curriculum of coursework, seminars, and independent study, under the supervision of a mentorship and advisory team which includes an interdisciplinary group of researchers with expertise in functional neuroimaging, functional neuroanatomy and brain development, unilateral hearing impairment, pediatric audiology, clinical management of hearing-impaired children, and central auditory processing in children. The training and research experience provided by this K25 Mentored Career Development Award will enable the candidate to successfully transition from a background in physics to become an independent biomedical researcher with special application to neuroimaging of auditory function and processing in children. The research plan involves three specific aims: 1) mapping differences in cortical representation for baselevel auditory and language processing between children with USNHL and normal controls; 2) differentiating performance in central auditory processing tasks and academic achievement between children with USNHL and normal controls; and 3) associating deficits in central auditory processing in children with USNHL with deficits in brain functional connectivity. The relevance of the research to public health is the general knowledge gained about neuroplasticity in children with USNHL, and whether performance deficits for central auditory processing tasks such as interpreting speech-in-noise are associated with persistent deficits in the necessary functional connectivity in the brain for these tasks. Should the cortical reorganization following USNHL be insufficient to compensate for the lack of binaural sensory input for central auditory processing tasks such as interpreting speech-innoise, children with USNHL may have a greater need for remediation techniques such as FM amplification systems than previously recognized.