Assessing inner ear physiological health, particularly the maintenance of endocochlear potential and elevated potassium concentration in the scala media that are fundamental to auditory transduction, remains challenging in clinical settings. Current diagnostic methodologies, such as Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) and Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE), are limited in evaluating visualizing the underlying electrochemical homeostasis of the inner ear, and direct measurement of these properties requires invasive procedures involving electrode insertion in current animal models, rendering them unsuitable for clinical use. There is a critical need for a non-invasive, real-time assessment of specific cochlear pathologies and therapeutic efficacy.
Our researchers have developed a non-invasive molecular imaging technique designed to assess the physiological health of the cochlea by quantifying the endocochlear potential and stria vascularis function. This technique utilizes 201TI paired with high-resolution SPECT or PET imaging, mimics the biological transport of potassium to accumulate in the scala media, allowing for the direct visualization and measurement of ionic concentrations indicative of auditory transduction. This invention provides the first clinically viable, non-invasive, in vivo approach to measure these specific electrochemical properties, distinguishing it from traditional methods which only offer indirect functional assessments.
201TI (thallium) is the mild radioactive tracer that’s used to help the cochlea communicate with an image processor to determine the magnitude of “cochlear battery”-related hearing loss.