The Resting State Central Auditory Network: a Potential Marker of HIV-Related Central Nervous System Alterations. Issue 4 (17th January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhan, Yi; Yu, Qiurong; Cai, Dan-Chao; Ford, James C.; Shi, Xiudong; Fellows, Abigail M.; Clavier, Odile H.; Soli, Sigfrid D.; Fan, Mingxia; Lu, Hongzhou; Zhang, Zhiyong; Buckey, Jay C.; Shi, Yuxin
• Is Part Of: Ear and hearing. Volume 43:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 1222
• Page End: 1227
• Publication Date: 2022-01-17
• Subjects: Central Auditory Dysfunction -- HIV -- Resting-state fMRI; Hearing disorders -- Periodicals; Audiology -- Periodicals; 612.85
• DOI: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000001186
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0196-0202

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: HIV positive (HIV+) individuals with otherwise normal hearing ability show central auditory processing deficits as evidenced by worse performance in speech-in-noise perception compared with HIV negative (HIV−) controls. HIV infection and treatment are also associated with lower neurocognitive screening test scores, suggesting underlying central nervous system damage. To determine how central auditory processing deficits in HIV+ individuals relate to brain alterations in the cortex involved with auditory processing, we compared auditory network (AN) functional connectivity between HIV+ adults with or without speech-in-noise perception difficulties and age-matched HIV− controls using resting-state fMRI. Design: Based on the speech recognition threshold of the hearing-in-noise test, twenty-seven HIV+ individuals were divided into a group with speech-in-noise perception abnormalities (HIV+SPabnl, 38.2 ± 6.8 years; 11 males and 2 females) and one without (HIV+SPnl 34.4 ± 8.8 years; 14 males). An HIV− group with normal speech-in-noise perception (HIV−, 31.3 ± 5.2 years; 9 males and 3 females) was also enrolled. All of these younger and middle-aged adults had normal peripheral hearing determined by audiometry. Participants were studied using resting-state fMRI. Independent component analysis was applied to identify the AN. Group differences in the AN were identified using statistical parametric mapping. Results: Both HIV+ groups had increased functional connectivity (FC) in parts of the AN including the superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and Rolandic operculum compared to the HIV− group. Compared with the HIV+SPnl group, the HIV+SPabnl group showed greater FC in parts of the AN including the middle frontal and inferior frontal gyri. Conclusions: The classical auditory areas in the temporal lobe are affected by HIV regardless of speech perception ability. Increased temporal FC in HIV+ individuals might reflect functional compensation to achieve normal primary auditory perception. Furthermore, increased frontal FC in the HIV+SPabnl group compared with the HIV+SPnl group suggest that speech-in-noise perception difficulties in HIV-infected adults also affect areas involved in higher-level cognition, providing imaging evidence consistent with the hypothesis that HIV-related neurocognitive deficits can include central auditory processing deficits.