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Aberrant Frequency Related Change-Detection Activity in Chronic Tinnitus
Abdoreza Asadpour1, Mehran Jahed1, Saeid Mahmoudian2,3
1School of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|November 16, 2020
Summary
Tinnitus perception may stem from auditory memory deficits. This study found altered mismatch negativity (MMN) responses in tinnitus patients, suggesting reduced brain change detection capabilities, particularly near tinnitus frequencies.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Neurophysiology
- Psychoacoustics
Background:
- Tinnitus is characterized by sound perception without external stimuli, potentially linked to auditory memory deficits.
- Mismatch negativity (MMN) measures the brain's automatic response to auditory changes, offering insights into auditory processing.
- Previous research suggests differences in MMN between individuals with and without tinnitus, but findings vary.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in MMN responses between normal hearing (NH) and tinnitus groups using a multi-feature auditory paradigm.
- To examine MMN peak amplitudes at 1 kHz and 5 kHz central frequencies, exploring subcomponent differences.
- To assess within-group and between-group variations in MMN to understand auditory change detection in tinnitus.
Main Methods:
- Auditory multi-feature paradigm to elicit MMN, assessing responses to various deviants (frequency, intensity, duration, location, gap).
- Measurement of MMN peak amplitude at frontal and supratemporal components at 1 kHz and 5 kHz central frequencies.
- Pure tone audiometry (PTA) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) tests to confirm normal hearing in the NH group and rule out significant hearing loss in the tinnitus group.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in PTA or DPOAE between NH and tinnitus groups.
- Tinnitus group showed less negative MMN peak amplitudes in the frontal subcomponent compared to NH.
- Supratemporal component at 5 kHz showed lower MMN amplitudes in the tinnitus group; at 1 kHz, significant differences were observed for most deviants.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest reduced change detection capabilities in the auditory cortex of individuals with tinnitus.
- Stimuli frequencies near perceived tinnitus frequencies may decrease prediction error, potentially increasing tinnitus occurrence probability.
- Results align with predictive coding models, indicating altered neural processing in the auditory pathway contributes to tinnitus perception.
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