Diffusion tensor imaging and the auditory nervous system in hearing disorders
DIANE (Diffusion Tensor Imaging and the Auditory Nervous System in Ear Disorders)

Diffusion tensor imaging ( DTI for short) is a variant of magnetic resonance imaging that can be used to measure the natural diffusion of water molecules in tissue. Based on the direction of diffusion of water molecules, nerve fibre bundles in the brain can be depicted and examined. In recent years, diffusion tensor imaging has already provided valuable insights into the anatomy of neural pathways as well as changes in age or neurological diseases.

The aim of our studies is to investigate whether changes in the auditory and balance nerves and higher-order central neural pathways can be detected in hearing loss, tinnitus, Menière's disease and other diseases of the auditory system.