Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39932015›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of neurology2025

Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Diagnostic Tool for Auditory (Axonal) Neuropathy.

Julien Zanin, Gary Rance

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Neural Hearing Loss: Mechanisms, Diagnosis and Treatment Horizons.Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Julien ZaninDepartment of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6540-3765
Gary RanceDepartment of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7168-5217

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAxonal neuropathies are disorders that impair neural transmission, leading to substantial sensory deficits. In the auditory system, axonal degeneration can disrupt auditory processing, causing significant hearing difficulties. Understanding the extent of axonal degeneration and its impact on auditory function is crucial for improving diagnosis and management. This study aims to quantify axonal degeneration in the VIIIth nerve using diffusion-weighted MRI and to correlate these findings with auditory function.

methodsFifty-two children and adults participated. A total of, 27 with normal hearing, 7 with cochlear hearing loss and 18 with auditory neuropathy (AN). Hearing thresholds and dMRI data was collected for all participants and the VIIIth nerve was evaluated using the fixel-based analysis metric of Apparent Fibre Density (AFD).

resultsAFD was significantly lower in participants with AN compared to participants with normal hearing and cochlear hearing loss (p < 0.05). 9/18 participants with AN exhibited AFD values ≥ 2 standard deviations below the normal range. Additionally, AFD was strongly correlated with hearing thresholds in participants with no evidence of cochlear dysfunction (r = -0.776, p < 0.001), suggesting reduced auditory nerve fibre density is associated with impaired sound detection.

conclusionsdMRI-derived AFD is a sensitive marker for axonal degeneration in the VIIIth nerve. This study provides the first in vivo evidence linking VIIIth nerve microstructure with hearing thresholds, highlighting the potential of dMRI in diagnosing and monitoring AN. The findings suggest that dMRI could be a valuable tool in clinical settings for assessing auditory nerve health and guiding treatment strategies for individuals with AN.

Indexed as

AxonsDiffusion Magnetic Resonance ImagingHearing Loss, CentralAdolescentAdultAgedChildChild, PreschoolCochlear NerveFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedYoung Adultauditory neuropathyaxonopathydiffusion‐weighted MRIhearing lossneuroimaging

Identifiers

PMID39932015
PMCPMC11811761

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.