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CNS somatosensory-auditory interactions elicit or modulate tinnitus.
1Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Dental School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA 02114-3096, USA. ral@epl.meei.harvard.edu
Experimental Brain Research
|November 6, 2003
Summary
Most tinnitus cases involve the somatosensory system, with head and neck movements modulating tinnitus perception. This study found similar effects in non-clinical subjects, suggesting a fundamental somatosensory-auditory interaction in the brain.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory System Research
- Somatosensory System Studies
Background:
- Clinical tinnitus is increasingly linked to the somatosensory system.
- Many tinnitus patients can alter their tinnitus by contracting head and neck muscles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the significance of somatic modulation in tinnitus.
- To assess if non-clinical subjects exhibit similar somatosensory influences on tinnitus.
Main Methods:
- Tested non-clinical subjects for tinnitus modulation via head and neck contractions.
- Included subjects with and without current tinnitus, and even profoundly deaf individuals.
Main Results:
- ~80% of non-clinical subjects with existing tinnitus could modulate it with somatic contractions.
- ~60% of non-clinical subjects without current tinnitus could elicit a tinnitus-like percept via contractions.
- Similar modulation patterns were observed in profoundly deaf individuals.
Conclusions:
- Somatosensory-auditory interactions in the central nervous system are key to somatic tinnitus modulation.
- Muscle spindles may initiate neural activation influencing the central auditory pathway.
- Somatic influences on auditory perception are a fundamental aspect of the auditory system.