Cortical Thickness Alterations in Patients With Tinnitus Before and After Sound Therapy: A Surface-Based Morphometry...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroscience
• Medical Research

Background:

• Idiopathic tinnitus is a prevalent condition affecting quality of life.
• Brain morphometry studies offer insights into the neural underpinnings of tinnitus.
• Sound therapy is a common intervention for tinnitus management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in brain cortical thickness using surface-based morphometry in tinnitus patients undergoing sound therapy.
• To compare cortical thickness between tinnitus patients and healthy controls.
• To identify brain regions affected by tinnitus and responsive to sound therapy.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational study with 33 tinnitus patients and 26 healthy controls.
• 3D-BRAVO MRI scans acquired at baseline and after 24 weeks of sound therapy.
• Surface-based morphometry analysis using DPABISurf, with statistical analysis via ANOVA and correlation.

Main Results:

• Tinnitus patients showed reduced cortical thickness in the left somatosensory and motor cortex (SMC), left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and right orbital and polar frontal cortex (OPFC) at baseline compared to controls.
• After 24 weeks of sound therapy, tinnitus patients exhibited increased cortical thickness in the left SMC, bilateral superior parietal cortex (SPC), left inferior parietal cortex (IPC), left PCC, and right OPFC.
• Healthy controls showed no significant cortical thickness changes after 24 weeks.

Conclusions:

• Sound therapy induces significant cortical thickness changes in specific brain regions in tinnitus patients.
• The identified brain regions (SMC, PCC, OPFC, SPC, IPC) are potential neuroimaging targets for tinnitus.
• These findings provide reference values for clinical tinnitus treatment and neuroimaging research.