Functional Polymorphism of MMP9 and BDNF as Potential Biomarker of Auditory Neuroplasticity in Prelingual Deafness Treatment With Cochlear Implantation-A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.
Monika Matusiak, Dominika Oziębło, Anita Obrycka and 4 others
PMID 33787399WHAT IT FOUND
In deaf children implanted after age one, those with a specific MMP9 gene variant (C/C) showed better auditory development scores than those with the C/T variant.
This genetic difference was not seen in children implanted before age one, and no significant effect was found for the BDNF variant.
Key findings
01For children implanted after 1 year of age, those with the MMP9 C/C genotype had significantly higher auditory development scores than those with the C/T genotype at multiple follow-up intervals.
02The MMP9 genotype effect was not significant in the subgroup of children implanted before 1 year of age.
03The BDNF genotype showed no statistically significant association with auditory development scores in either age group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was retrospective, meaning researchers could not control for all environmental factors or how outcomes were assessed over time. The LEAQ is a parent-reported questionnaire, which introduces subjectivity and may not accurately capture complex auditory skills. The sample was limited to a Caucasian Polish population, so the results may not apply to other ethnic groups. The follow-up period was short (only 24 months), which limits the ability to predict long-term language outcomes. The significant finding was only present in a subgroup (implanted after age one) and not in the whole cohort, increasing the risk that this is a chance finding. The study did not measure actual protein levels of MMP9 or BDNF, only the genetic variants, so it is unclear how these genes physically affect brain plasticity.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The research was funded by the National Centre of Science in Poland.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use this genetic test to predict which children will struggle with speech therapy. The effect was only seen in children implanted after age one, not the more common group implanted earlier, and the study was too small and short-term to prove a reliable link between these genes and language outcomes.