Aberrant Intra- and Inter-Network Connectivity in Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss with Tinnitus

Background Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (ISSNHL) is related to alterations in brain cortical and subcortical structures, and changes in brain functional activities involving multiple networks, which is often accompanied by tinnitus. There have been many in-depth research studies conducted concerning ISSNHL. Despite this, the neurophysiological mechanisms of ISSNHL with tinnitus are still under exploration.Objective The study aimed to investigate the neural mechanism in ISSNHL patients with tinnitus based on the alterations in intra- and inter-network Functional Connectivity (FC) of multiple networks.Methods Thirty ISSNHL subjects and 37 healthy subjects underwent resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI). Independent Component Analysis (ICA) was used to identify 8 Resting-state Networks (RSNs). Furthermore, the study used a two-sample t-test to calculate the intra-network FC differences, while calculating Functional Network Connectivity (FNC) to detect the inter-network FC differences.Results By using the ICA approach, tinnitus patients with ISSNHL were found to have FC changes in the following RSNs: CN, VN, DMN, ECN, SMN, and AUN. In addition, the interconnections of VN-SMN, VN-ECN, and ECN-DAN were weakened.Conclusion The present study has demonstrated changes in FC within and between networks in ISSNHL with tinnitus, providing ideas for further study on the neuropathological mechanism of the disease.