Sleep breathing disorders (SBDs) affect a significant fraction of the population and has adverse health effects, such as cardiovascular disease and memory deficits. Until recently, little is known about the impact of SBDs on hearing. In this study entitled “The multi-level impact of chronic intermittent hypoxia on central auditory processing”, Dr. Condon LAU examined the hearing of a rodent SBD model with brain imaging. The researchers observe that SBD reduces the responses of two important centers of the brain to sound, the auditory cortex and midbrain. These changes may impact the ability of SBD patients to verbally communicate with others. In young patients, these changes may impact their ability to succeed at school.
Read more at NeuroImage: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811917304287
01 Oct 2017