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Compensatory changes in cortical resource allocation in adults with hearing loss
Campbell J, Sharma A.. Frontiers in systems neuroscience, 2013-10-25
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Hearing loss has been linked to many types of cognitive decline in adults, including an association between hearing loss severity and dementia. However, it remains unclear whether cortical re-organization associated with hearing loss occurs in early stages of hearing decline and in early stages of auditory processing. In this study, we examined compensatory plasticity in adults with mild-moderate hearing loss using obligatory, passively-elicited, cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEP). High-density EEG elicited by speech stimuli was recorded in adults with hearing loss and age-matched normal hearing controls. Latency, amplitude and source localization of the P1, N1, P2 components of the CAEP were analyzed. Adults with mild-moderate hearing loss showed increases in latency and amplitude of the P2 CAEP relative to control subjects. Current density reconstructions revealed decreased activation in temporal cortex and increased activation in frontal cortical areas for hearing-impaired listeners relative to normal hearing listeners. Participants' behavioral performance on a clinical test of speech perception in noise was significantly correlated with the increases in P2 latency. Our results indicate that changes in cortical resource allocation are apparent in early stages of adult hearing loss, and that these passively-elicited cortical changes are related to behavioral speech perception outcome.
Key findings
- However, it remains unclear whether cortical re-organization associated with hearing loss occurs in early stages of hearing decline and in early stages of auditory processing.
- Current density reconstructions revealed decreased activation in temporal cortex and increased activation in frontal cortical areas for hearing-impaired listeners relative to normal hearing listeners.
- Participants' behavioral performance on a clinical test of speech perception in noise was significantly correlated with the increases in P2 latency.
- Our results indicate that changes in cortical resource allocation are apparent in early stages of adult hearing loss, and that these passively-elicited cortical changes are related to behavioral speech perception outcome.
Why it matters
Adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss showed changes in how their brains processed sound, with less activity in temporal cortex and more in frontal areas, and these changes were related to speech perception in noise. The study is about brain changes in hearing loss, which has been linked to dementia, but it does not test any treatment or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in systems neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience: journal h-index 130 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 200 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.3 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 46 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Anu Sharma: h-index 45 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Colorado Boulder: institution h-index 1,198 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 24478637) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2013.00071
- PubMed: 24478637
- Original source →
- Free full text: Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Campbell, J., & Sharma, A. (2013). Compensatory changes in cortical resource allocation in adults with hearing loss. Frontiers in systems neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2013.00071
Vancouver
Campbell J, Sharma A. Compensatory changes in cortical resource allocation in adults with hearing loss. Frontiers in systems neuroscience. 2013. doi:10.3389/fnsys.2013.00071. PMID: 24478637.
BibTeX
@article{campbell2013-24478637,
author = {Campbell, J. and Sharma, A.},
title = {{Compensatory changes in cortical resource allocation in adults with hearing loss}},
journal = {Frontiers in systems neuroscience},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.3389/fnsys.2013.00071},
pmid = {24478637},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2013.00071}
}
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