Abnormal baseline brain activity in patients with pulsatile tinnitus: a resting-state FMRI study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Neurological changes are key in tinnitus.
• Pulsatile tinnitus (PT) mechanisms differ from other types, leading to prior exclusion from studies.
• Baseline brain activity in PT patients remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate altered baseline brain activity in PT patients using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).
• To explore structural and low-frequency amplitude (ALFF) changes in PT patients.
• To correlate brain activity changes with clinical data in PT.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was employed.
• Unilateral PT patients (n=42) and matched controls (n=42) were analyzed.
• Structural MRI and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) were assessed.

Main Results:

• No structural brain changes were observed in PT patients compared to controls.
• PT patients exhibited increased ALFF in the bilateral precuneus and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG).
• Decreased ALFF was found in multiple occipital areas; increased ALFF in precuneus/IFG correlated with tinnitus severity and duration.

Conclusions:

• Altered spontaneous brain activity, measured by ALFF, is present in PT patients.
• These functional changes occur without detectable structural abnormalities.
• Findings suggest neural reorganization in PT patients and may inform future therapeutic strategies.