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Published on: August 24, 2017
Neural mechanisms underlying somatic tinnitus.
Susan Shore1, Jianxun Zhou, Seth Koehler
1Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. sushore@umich.edu
Progress in Brain Research
|October 25, 2007
Summary
Somatic tinnitus involves sound modulation via physical touch, suggesting somatosensory-auditory neural connections influence tinnitus. Research shows these pathways are active and modulate auditory neurons, correlating with somatic tinnitus.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Somatosensory System
Background:
- Somatic tinnitus is the modulation of tinnitus perception by somatic stimulation.
- This phenomenon suggests a role for neural connections between the somatosensory and auditory systems in tinnitus.
- Existing anatomical and physiological evidence supports these somatosensory-auditory pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural pathways connecting the somatosensory and auditory systems.
- To explore the physiological activity and modulatory effects of these pathways on auditory neurons.
- To establish the link between somatosensory input and the physiological correlates of somatic tinnitus.
Main Methods:
- Review of anatomical and physiological evidence for somatosensory projections to the cochlear nucleus.
- Analysis of single unit and evoked potential recordings in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN).
- Examination of DCN neuron responses to somatosensory and auditory stimulation, individually and paired.
Main Results:
- Somatosensory information from the trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia projects to the cochlear nucleus.
- These pathways are physiologically active, with stimulation eliciting excitation and inhibition in DCN units.
- Bimodal integration demonstrates that somatosensory input modulates DCN neuron firing rate and synchrony.
Conclusions:
- Neural connections between the somatosensory and auditory systems are anatomically and physiologically supported.
- Somatosensory input modulates the activity of dorsal cochlear nucleus neurons.
- This modulation is a physiological correlate of somatic tinnitus.
Related Concept Videos
01:33Somatosensation
The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
01:15Auditory Pathway
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
01:21Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
01:29Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways
Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
01:31Hearing
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
01:13The Cochlea
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.