Auditory perceptual and visual-spatial characteristics of gaze-evoked tinnitus

Auditory perceptual and visual-spatial characteristics of subjective tinnitus evoked by eye gaze were studied in two adult human subjects. This uncommon form of tinnitus occurred approximately 4-6 weeks following neurosurgery for gross total excision of space-occupying lesions of the cerebellopontine angle and hearing was lost in the operated ear. In both cases, the gaze-evoked tinnitus was characterized as being tonal in nature, with pitch and loudness percepts remaining constant as long as the same horizontal or vertical eye directions were maintained. Tinnitus was absent when the eyes were in a neutral head-referenced position with subjects looking straight ahead. The results and implications of ophthalmological, standard and modified visual-field assessment, pure-tone audiometric assessment, spontaneous otoacoustic emission testing and detailed psychophysical assessment of pitch and loudness are discussed.