Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the alterations of cognition and functional connectivity post noise, and find the progress and neural substrates of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL)-associated cognitive impairment. We exposed rats to 122 dB broad-band noise for 2 h to induce hearing loss and the auditory function was assessed by measuring auditory brainstem response thresholds. Morris water maze test and resting state MRI were computed at 0 day, 1, 3, 6 months post noise to reveal cognitive ability and neural substrate. The interregional connections in the auditory network and default mode network, as well as the connections using the auditory cortex and cingulate cortex as seeds were also examined addtionally. The deficit in spatial learning/memory was only observed at 6 months after noise exposure. The internal connections in the auditory network and default mode network were enhanced at 0 day and decreased at 6 months post noise. The connectivity using the auditory cortex and cingulate cortex as seeds generally followed the rule of “enhancement-normal-decrease-widely decrease”. A new model accounting for arousal, dementia, motor control of NIHL in is proposed. Our study highlights the fundamental flexibility of neural systems, and may also point toward novel therapeutic strategies for treating sensory disorders.
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Funding
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81520108015), Doctoral Program of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Jiangsu Province (JSSCBS20211544) and Xinghuo Talent Program of Nanjing First Hospital.
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XMX, conducted the noise exposure and hearing ability tests, collected the fMRI data, performed the analysis, and wrote the manuscript; YQZ helped with the MRI scanning and conclusion; FCZ and CQL contributed to fMRI data analysis; LJL contributed the analysis of the behavioral test and discussion; JW and RS helped with revision; GJT and YCC helped design the MRI experiment and manuscript revision. GJT and YCC are co- corresponding authors of this paper.
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Xu, XM., Zhang, YQ., Zang, FC. et al. Alterations to cognitive abilities and functional networks in rats post broad-band intense noise exposure. Brain Imaging and Behavior 16, 1884–1892 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-022-00643-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-022-00643-8