Neuroimaging studies have shown marked alterations in brain function after auditory deprivation, with these alterations mainly caused by sensorineural hearing loss. To date, however, little is known about the patterns of functional brain reorganization in conductive hearing loss (CHL). The effects of congenital unilateral CHL on human brain were assessed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in 24 patients with unilateral microtia (UM) and 25 healthy controls. Focal brain function and seed-based functional connectivity were analyzed to characterize spontaneous activity and network changes in UM. Patients with UM showed common alterations in focal brain activities in the left inferior temporal gyrus across different measurements, with these alterations significantly associated with the duration of hearing loss. Additionally, focal brain activities were decreased in the auditory system and increased in the visual system, with a disassociated pattern shown in the default-mode system. Using the left inferior temporal gyrus as the seed region, patients with UM showed lower connectivity with the default-mode system and right visual regions but higher connectivity with the left frontoparietal regions when compared with controls. These results indicate that congenital partial hearing deprivation, despite normal bone conduction hearing, can induce widespread reorganizations that continue into adolescence and adulthood.

神经影像学研究表明，听觉剥夺后大脑功能发生了显着变化，这些变化主要是由感觉神经性听力损失引起的。然而，迄今为止，人们对传导性听力损失 (CHL) 中功能性大脑重组的模式知之甚少。在 24 名单侧小耳畸形 (UM) 患者和 25 名健康对照者中，通过静息状态功能磁共振成像评估了先天性单侧 CHL 对人脑的影响。分析了局灶性脑功能和基于种子的功能连接，以表征 UM 的自发活动和网络变化。UM 患者在不同的测量中显示左侧颞下回的局灶性脑活动常见改变，这些改变与听力损失的持续时间显着相关。此外，听觉系统的局灶性大脑活动减少，视觉系统的活动增加，在默认模式系统中显示出不相关的模式。使用左侧颞下回作为种子区域，与对照组相比，UM 患者与默认模式系统和右侧视觉区域的连接性较低，但与左侧额顶区域的连接性较高。这些结果表明，尽管骨传导听力正常，但先天性部分听力剥夺可以引起广泛的重组，并持续到青春期和成年期。与对照组相比，UM 患者与默认模式系统和右侧视觉区域的连接性较低，但与左侧额顶区域的连接性较高。这些结果表明，尽管骨传导听力正常，但先天性部分听力剥夺可以引起广泛的重组，并持续到青春期和成年期。与对照组相比，UM 患者与默认模式系统和右侧视觉区域的连接性较低，但与左侧额顶区域的连接性较高。这些结果表明，尽管骨传导听力正常，但先天性部分听力剥夺可以引起广泛的重组，并持续到青春期和成年期。