Auditory brainstem responses as a biomarker for cognition

Abstract A non-invasive, accessible and effective biomarker is critical to the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of age-related cognitive decline. Recent work has suggested a strong association between auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and cognitive function in aging macaques. Here we show in 118...

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Main Authors: Yasmeen Hamza, Ye Yang, Janie Vu, Antoinette Abdelmalek, Mobina Malekifar, Carol A. Barnes, Fan-Gang Zeng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:Communications Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07346-4
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author Yasmeen Hamza
Ye Yang
Janie Vu
Antoinette Abdelmalek
Mobina Malekifar
Carol A. Barnes
Fan-Gang Zeng
author_facet Yasmeen Hamza
Ye Yang
Janie Vu
Antoinette Abdelmalek
Mobina Malekifar
Carol A. Barnes
Fan-Gang Zeng
author_sort Yasmeen Hamza
collection DOAJ
description Abstract A non-invasive, accessible and effective biomarker is critical to the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of age-related cognitive decline. Recent work has suggested a strong association between auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and cognitive function in aging macaques. Here we show in 118 human participants (66 females; age range=18-92 years; hearing loss = -5 to 70 dB HL) that cognition is associated with both age and hearing level, but this triad relationship is mainly driven by the age factor. After adjusting for age, cognition is still significantly associated with both the ABR wave V amplitude (B, 0.110, 95% CI, 0.018– 0.202; p = 0.020) and latency (B, -0.101, 95% CI, -0.186– -0.016; p = 0.021). Importantly, this age-adjusted ABR-cognition association is primarily driven by older individuals and language-dependent cognitive functions. We also perform the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver-operating-characteristic analysis and find that the ABR wave V amplitude is best for detecting good cognitive performers (AUC = 0.96) whereas the wave V latency is best for detecting poor ones (AUC = 0.86). The present result not only confirms the previous animal work in humans but also shows the clinical potential of using auditory brainstem responses to improve diagnosis and treatment of age-related cognitive decline.
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spelling doaj-art-31fc0d9604b74b4ea3c7aa351e55bd2f2024-12-22T12:41:54ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422024-12-017111010.1038/s42003-024-07346-4Auditory brainstem responses as a biomarker for cognitionYasmeen Hamza0Ye Yang1Janie Vu2Antoinette Abdelmalek3Mobina Malekifar4Carol A. Barnes5Fan-Gang Zeng6Center for Hearing Research, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California IrvineCenter for Hearing Research, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California IrvineCenter for Hearing Research, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California IrvineCenter for Hearing Research, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California IrvineCenter for Hearing Research, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California IrvinePsychology, Neurology and Neuroscience, and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of ArizonaCenter for Hearing Research, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California IrvineAbstract A non-invasive, accessible and effective biomarker is critical to the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of age-related cognitive decline. Recent work has suggested a strong association between auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and cognitive function in aging macaques. Here we show in 118 human participants (66 females; age range=18-92 years; hearing loss = -5 to 70 dB HL) that cognition is associated with both age and hearing level, but this triad relationship is mainly driven by the age factor. After adjusting for age, cognition is still significantly associated with both the ABR wave V amplitude (B, 0.110, 95% CI, 0.018– 0.202; p = 0.020) and latency (B, -0.101, 95% CI, -0.186– -0.016; p = 0.021). Importantly, this age-adjusted ABR-cognition association is primarily driven by older individuals and language-dependent cognitive functions. We also perform the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver-operating-characteristic analysis and find that the ABR wave V amplitude is best for detecting good cognitive performers (AUC = 0.96) whereas the wave V latency is best for detecting poor ones (AUC = 0.86). The present result not only confirms the previous animal work in humans but also shows the clinical potential of using auditory brainstem responses to improve diagnosis and treatment of age-related cognitive decline.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07346-4
spellingShingle Yasmeen Hamza
Ye Yang
Janie Vu
Antoinette Abdelmalek
Mobina Malekifar
Carol A. Barnes
Fan-Gang Zeng
Auditory brainstem responses as a biomarker for cognition
Communications Biology
title Auditory brainstem responses as a biomarker for cognition
title_full Auditory brainstem responses as a biomarker for cognition
title_fullStr Auditory brainstem responses as a biomarker for cognition
title_full_unstemmed Auditory brainstem responses as a biomarker for cognition
title_short Auditory brainstem responses as a biomarker for cognition
title_sort auditory brainstem responses as a biomarker for cognition
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07346-4
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