A pilot study for virus-induced neural network remodeling in sudden hearing loss and tinnitus: A graph attention network approach.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate early central abnormalities in sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and tinnitus following viral infection, specifically associated with SARS-CoV-2. We sought to identify shared and distinct functional connectivity (FC) features across SSNHL and tinnitus patients with and without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and explore how virus influences brain network remodeling in SSNHL and tinnitus.

METHODS

We recruited 31 SSNHL patients with tinnitus following SARS-CoV-2 infection (COV-SSNHL), 32 non-viral SSNHL patients with tinnitus, and 32 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC). Brain functional connectivity coefficients were used to construct graph data analyzed with a graph attention network (GAT) model for categorization. Analyses focused on the auditory network (AN), salience network (SN), and default mode network (DMN) and their correlations with tinnitus severity.

RESULTS

Both SSNHL groups showed reduced connectivity within the SN and DMN, which correlated with tinnitus severity. Notably, COV-SSNHL patients exhibited distinct, complex network remodeling involving the AN, SN, and DMN, with the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) as a central mediator. This remodeling facilitated interactions within the SN and across networks, marking COV-SSNHL as neurologically unique.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the distinct neural alterations in brain networks in COV-SSNHL patients, providing novel insights into the pathophysiology of viral-induced SSNHL and tinnitus. These findings suggest potential therapeutic targets and contribute to understanding the central mechanisms underlying these conditions.