Inaccurate cortical tracking of speech in adults with impaired speech perception in noise

Published:10 September 2021Impaired speech perception in noise despite normal peripheral auditory function is a common problem in young adults. Despite a growing body of research, the pathophysiology of this impairment remains unknown. This magnetoencephalography study characterizes the cortical tracking of speech in a multi-talker background in a group of highly selected adult subjects with impaired speech perception in noise without peripheral auditory dysfunction. Magnetoencephalographic signals were recorded from 13 subjects with impaired speech perception in noise (six females, mean age: 30 years) and matched healthy subjects while they were listening to 5 different recordings of stories merged with a multi-talker background at different signal to noise ratios (No Noise, þ10, þ5, 0 and 5dB). The cortical tracking of speech was quantified with coherence between magnetoencephalographic signals and the temporal envelope of (i) the global auditory scene (i.e. the attended speech stream and the multi-talker background noise), (ii) the attended speech stream only and (iii) the multi-talker background noise. Functional connectivity was then estimated between brain areas showing altered cortical tracking of speech in noise in subjects with impaired speech perception in noise and the rest of the brain. All participants demonstrated a selective cortical representation of the attended speech stream in noisy conditions, but subjects with impaired speech perception in noise displayed reduced cortical tracking of speech at the syllable rate (i.e. 4–8Hz) in all noisy conditions. Increased functional connectivity was observed in subjects with impaired speech perception in noise in Noiseless and speech in noise conditions between supratemporal auditory cortices and left-dominant brain areas involved in semantic and attention processes. The difficulty to understand speech in a multi-talker background in subjects with impaired speech perception in noise appears to be related to an inaccurate auditory cortex tracking of speech at the syllable rate. The increased functional connectivity between supratemporal auditory cortices and language/attention-related neocortical areas probably aims at supporting speech perception and subsequent recognition in adverse auditory scenes. Overall, this study argues for a central origin of impaired speech perception in noise in the absence of any peripheral auditory dysfunction.Marc Vander Ghinst, Gilles Naeije and Maxime Niesen were supported by a research grant from the Fonds Erasme (Brussels, Belgium). Mathieu Bourguignon was supported by the Program Attract of Innoviris (grant 2015-BB2B-10), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grant PSI2016-77175-P) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action of the European Commission (grant 743562). Gilles Naeije and Xavier De Tie`ge are Post-doctorate Clinical Master Specialist at the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FRS-FNRS, Brussels, Belgium). This study and the MEG project at the CUB Hoˆpital Erasme were financially supported by the Fonds Erasme (Research Convention ‘Les Voies du Savoir’, Fonds Erasme, Brussels, Belgium)

Galectin-1, -3, -7 Expressions in Congenital and Acquired Pediatric Cholesteatomas Compared to External Auditory Canal Skin

Objectives. There is a classical distinction based on clinical criteria between acquired and congenital cholesteatomas. To determine if these two types of lesions show different immunohistochemical features, we have studied the expression patterns of three distinctive galectins (animal lectins implied especially in cellular proliferation and apoptosis) in both types of cholesteatomas and compared it to their expression patterns in external auditory canal skin. Methods. Our study is based on nine acquired and eight congenital cholesteatomas, obtained from children during ear surgery. Six specimens of normal adult auditory meatal skin served as control. Specimens were analyzed by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies with galectin-1 and galectin-3, and a polyclonal antibody with galectin-7. Results. We did not observe any differences in the galectin distribution pattern between congenital and acquired pediatric cholesteatomas. Compared to the control group, cholesteatomas present some particular features. There was no expression of galectin-1 and a lower expression of galectin-3 in the epithelium. Furthermore, we observed a preferentially nuclear distribution of galectin-7 in cholesteatomas, whereas it is essentially cytoplasmic in the control group. Conclusion. The data reported in this study suggest, on the basis of a lesser marked galectin-3 in cholesteatomas epithelium compared with an external auditory canal skin, that an immature keratinocytes population is at the origin of these lesions and that galectin-3 and galectin-7 play a part in the capacity as apoptosis modulators. Our study does not establish a difference in the galectin expressions of congenital and acquired cholesteatomas, but it constitutes however an additional argument in favor of the "undifferentiated" origin of keratinocytes in cholesteatomas. © 2012 by Korean Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

The tympanic wink (le clin d'oeil tympanique).

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Surdité de transmission: corrélation anatomo-radiologique.

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Granulomatose de Wegener à révélation otologique.

The authors report an observation of Wegener's disease, clinically isolated as a secretory otitis media on the left side followed by a right sudden deafness. Resistance to the usual treatment and the evolution of the disease with association of pulmonary manifestation and fever have lead to the diagnostic of Wegener granulomatosis confirmed by ANCA test and renal punction.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

General Shrapnel and the "unfortunate" Dr. H. J. Shrapnell

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Tympanosclérose. Corrélation radio-anatomique.

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A case of lipoma arising in the eustachian tube

We report a case of a lipoma inside the eustachian tube, an extremely rare location for this lesion. To the best of our knowledge, this is only the second such case that has been described in the literature. The patient was a 47-year-old man, a fighter pilot, who was referred to our hospital with a 3-year history of (1) fullness in the right ear secondary to recurrent serous otitis media and (2) right ear pain, which was especially acute during flights. Nasopharyngeal endoscopy, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging detected the presence of a well-encapsulated lesion inside the eustachian tube; macroscopic and radiologic findings identified the mass as a lipoma. The lesion was completely removed via transnasal endoscopy. Histopathologic evaluation confirmed the diagnosis of lipoma. The patient's postoperative course was favorable, and he was able to fly again without any ear complaints. Radiologic examination is useful for the diagnosis and preoperative evaluation of this benign tumor. Lesions located in the lower part of the eustachian tube can be easily removed via a transnasal endoscopic approach.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Cervical thymic cyst: A case report

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IgG epitopic dominance and sub-class expression in patients with grass pollen allergy and healthy control

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedICACI. Cancun, Mexico, October 19-24, 199