Auditory Brainstem Responses in Tinnitus: A Review of Who, How, and What?

Milloy, Victoria; Fournier, Philippe; Benoît, Daniel; Noreña, Arnaud; Koravand, Amineh

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2017.00237

Cited by 76 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…High-SR AF contribute to the threshold of the summed auditory nerve activity ( Liberman and Kiang, 1978 ) and only when a critical degree is lost, would lower the threshold of the compound action potential threshold of the auditory fibers, reflected in ABR wave I ( Bourien et al, 2014 ). Thereby, a differential degree of high-SR AF loss could explain the observation of reduced ( Milloy et al, 2017 ) and unchanged ( Paul et al, 2017 , present findings) ABR wave I amplitude in tinnitus, as well as the differences in high-frequency hearing loss in tinnitus ( Vielsmeier et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Reduced sound-evoked and resting-state BOLD fMRI connectivity in tinnitus

Hofmeier

Wolpert

Aldamer

et al. 2018

NeuroImage: Clinical

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The exact neurophysiological basis of chronic tinnitus, which affects 10-15% of the population, remains unknown and is controversial at many levels. It is an open question whether phantom sound perception results from increased central neural gain or not, a crucial question for any future therapeutic intervention strategies for tinnitus.We performed a comprehensive study of mild hearing-impaired participants with and without tinnitus, excluding participants with co-occurrences of hyperacusis. A right-hemisphere correlation between tinnitus loudness and auditory perceptual difficulty was observed in the tinnitus group, independent of differences in hearing thresholds. This correlation was linked to reduced and delayed sound-induced suprathreshold auditory brain responses (ABR wave V) in the tinnitus group, suggesting subsided rather than exaggerated central neural responsiveness. When anatomically predefined auditory regions of interest were analysed for altered sound-evoked BOLD fMRI activity, it became evident that subcortical and cortical auditory regions and regions involved in sound detection (posterior insula, hippocampus), responded with reduced BOLD activity in the tinnitus group, emphasizing reduced, rather than increased, central neural gain. Regarding previous findings of evoked BOLD activity being linked to positive connectivities at rest, we additionally analysed r-fcMRI responses in anatomically predefined auditory regions and regions associated with sound detection. A profound reduction in positive interhemispheric connections of homologous auditory brain regions and a decline in the positive connectivities between lower auditory brainstem regions and regions involved in sound detection (hippocampus, posterior insula) were observed in the tinnitus group. The finding went hand-in-hand with the emotional (amygdala, anterior insula) and temporofrontal/stress-regulating regions (prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus) that were no longer positively connected with auditory cortex regions in the tinnitus group but were instead positively connected to lower-level auditory brainstem regions. Delayed sound processing, reduced sound-evoked BOLD fMRI activity and altered r-fcMRI in the auditory midbrain correlated in the tinnitus group and showed right hemisphere dominance as did tinnitus loudness and perceptual difficulty. The findings suggest that reduced central neural gain in the auditory stream may lead to phantom perception through a failure to energize attentional/stress-regulating networks for contextualization of auditory-specific information. Reduced auditory-specific information flow in tinnitus has until now escaped detection in humans, as low-level auditory brain regions were previously omitted from neuroimaging studies.Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS0006332.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Reduced sound-evoked and resting-state BOLD fMRI connectivity in tinnitus

Hofmeier

Wolpert

Aldamer

et al. 2018

NeuroImage: Clinical

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“…Therefore, HL flat up to 8 kHz does not exclude the occurrence of losses above 8 kHz which can potentially trigger tinnitus, mainly at high frequencies (Weisz et al, 2006). High frequency losses (8-16 kHz) have been recently interpreted as an early indication of cochlear synaptopathy in humans (Milloy et al, 2017). Cochlear synaptopathy, also named hidden HL, is the selective loss of synaptic connections between highthreshold and low-spontaneous rate IHCs with the auditory nerve, showing or not threshold elevations, due to the loss of hair cells-auditory nerve synaptic connection (Liberman & Liberman, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…• Increased neural synchrony (hypersynchrony) • Increased spontaneous firing rates (hyperactivity) • Reorganization of tonotopic map Tinnitus can occur at both sub-cortical and/or cortical levels, suggesting two different tinnitus subtypes: cochlear and central (Noreña, 2011;Milloy, Fournier, Benoit, Noreña, & Koravand, 2017). Cochlear tinnitus results from a hyperactivity at the acoustic nerve and is the subtype taking place in salicylate induced tinnitus in animal models.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relating tinnitus features and audiometric characteristics in a cohort of 34 tinnitus subjects

Cuesta

Cobo

2019

loquens

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Although tinnitus, the conscious perception of a sound without a sound source external or internal to the body, is highly correlated with hearing loss, the precise nature of such correlation remains still unknown. People with high pitch tinnitus are used to suffer from high frequency hearing losses, and vice versa, low pitch tinnitus is mostly associated with low frequency hearing losses. However, many subjects with low or high frequency losses do no develop tinnitus. Thus, studies trying to relate audiometric characteristics and tinnitus features are still relevant. This article presents a correlational study of audiometric and tinnitus variables in a sample of 34 subjects, paying special attention to the heterogeneous subtypes of both audiometry shape and tinnitus etiology. Our results, which concur with others previously published, demonstrate that the tinnitus pitch, the main frequency of the tinnitus spectrum, in subjects with high-steep high-frequency and continuously steep hearing losses, are highly correlated with the frequency at which hearing loss reaches 50 dB HL.

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“…The amplitude of each peak of the ABR reflects the number and synchronicity of neurons firing, and the latencies represent the speed of transmission of the AEP [ 16 ]. The amplitudes of waves I and V of the ABR, and often the wave I/V amplitude ratio are reported, and either a reduction in the amplitude or the ratio between these amplitudes has been related to tinnitus [ 16 , 17 ]. Conversely, other studies have failed to replicate these findings [ 18 , 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Physiological Bases of Hidden Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Protocol for a Functional Neuroimaging Study

Dewey¹,

Hall²,

Guest³

et al. 2018

JMIR Res Protoc

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BackgroundRodent studies indicate that noise exposure can cause permanent damage to synapses between inner hair cells and high-threshold auditory nerve fibers, without permanently altering threshold sensitivity. These demonstrations of what is commonly known as hidden hearing loss have been confirmed in several rodent species, but the implications for human hearing are unclear.ObjectiveOur Medical Research Council–funded program aims to address this unanswered question, by investigating functional consequences of the damage to the human peripheral and central auditory nervous system that results from cumulative lifetime noise exposure. Behavioral and neuroimaging techniques are being used in a series of parallel studies aimed at detecting hidden hearing loss in humans. The planned neuroimaging study aims to (1) identify central auditory biomarkers associated with hidden hearing loss; (2) investigate whether there are any additive contributions from tinnitus or diminished sound tolerance, which are often comorbid with hearing problems; and (3) explore the relation between subcortical functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures and the auditory brainstem response (ABR).MethodsIndividuals aged 25 to 40 years with pure tone hearing thresholds ≤20 dB hearing level over the range 500 Hz to 8 kHz and no contraindications for MRI or signs of ear disease will be recruited into the study. Lifetime noise exposure will be estimated using an in-depth structured interview. Auditory responses throughout the central auditory system will be recorded using ABR and fMRI. Analyses will focus predominantly on correlations between lifetime noise exposure and auditory response characteristics.ResultsThis paper reports the study protocol. The funding was awarded in July 2013. Enrollment for the study described in this protocol commenced in February 2017 and was completed in December 2017. Results are expected in 2018.ConclusionsThis challenging and comprehensive study will have the potential to impact diagnostic procedures for hidden hearing loss, enabling early identification of noise-induced auditory damage via the detection of changes in central auditory processing. Consequently, this will generate the opportunity to give personalized advice regarding provision of ear defense and monitoring of further damage, thus reducing the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss.

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Auditory Brainstem Responses in Tinnitus: A Review of Who, How, and What?

Cited by 76 publications

References 84 publications

Reduced sound-evoked and resting-state BOLD fMRI connectivity in tinnitus

Reduced sound-evoked and resting-state BOLD fMRI connectivity in tinnitus

Relating tinnitus features and audiometric characteristics in a cohort of 34 tinnitus subjects

The Physiological Bases of Hidden Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Protocol for a Functional Neuroimaging Study

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