Altered resting‐state functional network connectivity in profound sensorineural hearing loss infants within an early sensitive period: A group ICA study

Data from both animal models and deaf children provide evidence for that the maturation of auditory cortex has a sensitive period during the first 2–4 years of life. During this period, the auditory stimulation can affect the development of cortical function to the greatest extent. Thus far, little is known about the brain development trajectory after early auditory deprivation within this period. In this study, independent component analysis (ICA) technique was used to detect the characteristics of brain network development in children with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) before 3 years old. Seven resting‐state networks (RSN) were identified in 50 SNHL and 36 healthy controls using ICA method, and further their intra‐and inter‐network functional connectivity (FC) were compared between two groups. Compared with the control group, SNHL group showed decreased FC within default mode network, while enhanced FC within auditory network (AUN) and salience network. No significant changes in FC were found in the visual network (VN) and sensorimotor network (SMN). Furthermore, the inter‐network FC between SMN and AUN, frontal network and AUN, SMN and VN, frontal network and VN were significantly increased in SNHL group. The results implicate that the loss and the compensatory reorganization of brain network FC coexist in SNHL infants. It provides a network basis for understanding the brain development trajectory after hearing loss within early sensitive period.