Abstract #3296

Initial Study on Functional Connectivity of Children with Profound Bilateral Prelingual Hearing Loss

Yongquan Ye¹, Jie Yang¹, Ewart Mark Haacke¹, Shuang Xia²,³

¹Radiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States; ²Radiology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; ³Radiology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China

The development and elaboration of auditory cortical areas and its interactive connections with other brain functions is yet to be understood, as it is of primary importance to development of speech, language, cognition (memory and attention), literacy, etc. However, few studies, if any, have compared the functional connectivity between children (2-5 y/o) with profound bilateral hearing loss and normal hearing. In this study, we will explore the variations in resting state functional connectivity related to hearing capability, and to obtain an insight to what can be at stake if hearing loss is not properly treated in a timely manner.