Structural Abnormalities of the Central Auditory Pathway in Infants with Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and/or Palate

• Published in: The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal Vol. 49; no. 2; pp. 137 - 145
• Main Authors: Yang, Frank F., McPherson, Bradley, Shu, Huang, Xie, Na, Xiang, Kui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.03.2012; American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Audiometry; Auditory Pathways - abnormalities; Babies; Biological and medical sciences; China; Cleft Lip - physiopathology; Cleft Palate - physiopathology; Deformities; Dentistry; Ear, auditive nerve, cochleovestibular tract, facial nerve: diseases, semeiology; Facial bones, jaws, teeth, parodontium: diseases, semeiology; Female; Humans; Infant; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; NMR; Non tumoral diseases; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Studies; China; hearing impairment; central auditory nervous system; magnetic resonance imaging; cleft lip and palate; Human; Cleft palate; Cleft lip; Stomatology; Central nervous system; Auditory disorder; Infant; Congenital cleft; Congenital disease; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Hearing loss; Malformation; Medical imagery; ENT disease; Oral cavity disease; Auditory pathway
• ISSN: 1055-6656; 1545-1569
• DOI: 10.1597/11-014

Objective To investigate possible structural abnormalities of the central auditory pathway in infants with nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate (NSCL/P). Participants Twenty-seven Chinese infants with NSCL/P, aged from 6 to 24 months. Intervention Morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of the central auditory nervous system (CANS) in infants with NSCL/P were analyzed and compared with those of age- and sex-matched normal controls. Results No significant group differences were found in general brain measurements, including volumes of the brain stem and right hemisphere. However, infants with NSCL/P had statistically significantly smaller volumes of the left thalamus and left auditory cortex and notably decreased thickness of the left auditory cortex. Conclusion Cortical abnormalities were more marked compared with other MRI measurements. Structural CANS abnormalities in infants with NSCL/P may be located mainly in the left cerebral hemisphere. The development and maturation of the auditory cortex in infants with NSCL/P may be abnormal when compared with those of normal children.