Table 3:
Associations of hearing loss exposures with baseline DTI-MRI neuroimaging outcomes
| PE (95% CI)* | P-value* | |
|---|---|---|
| Hearing Loss Exposures | Corpus Callosum in FA | |
|
| ||
| PTA as continuous (10-dB HL increase) | −0.002 (−0.005 to 0.001) | 0.18 |
| PTA ≥40 vs <40 dB HL | −0.007 (−0.016 to 0.002) | 0.13 |
| PTA >25 vs ≤25 dB HL | −0.008 (−0.016 to 0.001) | 0.07 |
| WRS as continuous (10% decrease) | −0.001 (−0.005 to 0.002) | 0.4 |
| WRS <90 vs ≥90% | −0.005 (−0.014 to 0.004) | 0.3 |
| WRS <100 vs 100% | −0.008 (−0.016 to 0.000) | 0.04 |
| Informant-based hearing difficulties (yes vs no) | −0.004 (−0.012 to 0.003) | 0.3 |
|
| ||
| Body of the Corpus Callosum in FA | ||
|
| ||
| PTA as continuous (10-dB HL increase) | −0.002 (−0.005 to 0.002) | 0.5 |
| PTA ≥40 vs <40 dB HL | −0.009 (−0.019 to 0.002) | 0.11 |
| PTA >25 vs ≤25 dB HL | −0.006 (−0.016 to 0.004) | 0.2 |
| WRS as continuous (10% decrease) | −0.001 (−0.005 to 0.003) | 0.5 |
| WRS <90 vs ≥90% | −0.002 (−0.012 to 0.009) | 0.8 |
| WRS <100 vs 100% | −0.010 (−0.019 to −0.001) | 0.03 |
| Informant-based hearing difficulties (yes vs no) | 0.000 (−0.009 to 0.008) | 0.9 |
|
| ||
| Genu Corpus Callosum in FA | ||
|
| ||
| PTA as continuous (10-dB HL increase) | −0.001 (−0.005 to 0.002) | 0.5 |
| PTA ≥40 vs <40 dB HL | −0.006 (−0.017 to 0.004) | 0.2 |
| PTA >25 vs ≤25 dB HL | −0.010 (−0.020 to 0.000) | 0.05 |
| WRS as continuous (10% decrease) | −0.002 (−0.005 to 0.002) | 0.4 |
| WRS <90 vs ≥90% | −0.005 (−0.015 to 0.005) | 0.4 |
| WRS <100 vs 100% | −0.012 (−0.021 to −0.003) | 0.008 |
| Informant-based hearing difficulties (yes vs no) | −0.005 (−0.014 to 0.004) | 0.3 |
|
| ||
| Splenium Corpus Callosum in FA | ||
|
| ||
| PTA as continuous (10-dB HL increase) | −0.003 (−0.007 to 0.001) | 0.10 |
| PTA ≥40 vs <40 dB HL | −0.007 (−0.017 to 0.003) | 0.2 |
| PTA >25 vs ≤25 dB HL | −0.008 (−0.018 to 0.001) | 0.09 |
| WRS as continuous (10% decrease) | −0.002 (−0.005 to 0.002) | 0.4 |
| WRS <90 vs ≥90% | −0.008 (−0.018 to 0.002) | 0.11 |
| WRS <100 vs 100% | −0.006 (−0.014 to 0.003) | 0.2 |
| Informant-based hearing difficulties (yes vs no) | −0.007 (−0.015 to 0.002) | 0.11 |
*
PEs, 95% CIs, and p-values from multivariable linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, years of education, smoking status, diabetes, hypertension, APOE ε4 carriership, and hearing rehabilitation. Higher values of the DTI-MRI outcomes are considered more favorable.
APOE=apolipoprotein E; dB HL=decibels hearing level; DTI-MRI=diffusion tensor imaging MRI; FA=fractional anisotropy, a scalar value between 0 and 1; PE=parameter estimate; PTA=pure tone average; WRS=word recognition score