313 Microstructural changes in the brainstem regions of the auditory pathway among children with hearing loss

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Diffusion MRI can identify microstructural brain changes and can provide insight into neural development and to potentially prognosticate speech and language outcomes in children with SNHL. The goal of our study was to investigate MRI-based microstructural changes along the brainstem regions of the auditory pathway in pediatric patients with SNHL. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We reviewed cohort of pediatric patients with SNHL who obtained MRI at 3T between 2011 and 2019. We identified 16 pediatric patients (age RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We identified significant differences in FA values of the SON between the SNHL cohort and controls (0.377 ± 0.056 vs 0.422 ± 0.052; p=0.009). No other FA or MD values were significantly different between the two groups. Among younger children (ï‚£5 years), MD was significantly decreased in the SNHL cohort compared to controls in the IC (0.918 ± 0.051 vs 1.120 ± 0.142; p5 years), there were no significant differences in MD (1.124 ± 0.198 vs 0.997 ± 0.103; p = 0.119). There were no significant differences in MD or FA in the white matter fibers of the IC-SON tract. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study is the first to assess microstructural changes in brainstem auditory pathway regions among children with SNHL. Longitudinal studies are warranted to assess the predictive value of these MRI-based findings for long-term outcomes and the efficacy of intervention.