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Unilateral tinnitus: changes in connectivity and response lateralization measured with FMRI
Cornelis P Lanting1, Emile de Kleine1, Dave R M Langers2
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands; Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
Plos One
|October 21, 2014
Summary
Neural activity in the brainstem and auditory cortex differs in individuals with tinnitus. The cerebellum
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Tinnitus, the perception of sound without an external source, is often linked to central nervous system dysfunction.
- Understanding the neural basis of tinnitus is crucial for developing effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate neural correlates of unilateral tinnitus using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- To compare sound-evoked neural activity and connectivity patterns between tinnitus subjects and controls.
Main Methods:
- fMRI was employed to examine differences in brain activity and functional connectivity.
- Participants included controls and individuals with left- or right-sided tinnitus.
- Analysis focused on auditory nuclei, response lateralization, and brainstem-cortical connectivity.
Main Results:
- Reduced sound-evoked response lateralization was observed in the right primary auditory cortex and inferior colliculus in tinnitus subjects.
- Decreased functional connectivity between the brainstem and cortex was found in individuals with tinnitus.
- The vermis of the cerebellum showed sound-evoked responses in unilateral tinnitus patients, unlike in controls.
Conclusions:
- Neural alterations in auditory pathways and reduced brainstem-cortical connectivity are associated with unilateral tinnitus.
- Findings support models involving corticothalamic feedback loops or altered limbic-thalamic inhibition.
- The cerebellum's vermis may play a role in the pathophysiology of unilateral tinnitus.
