Differential tinnitus-related neuroplastic alterations of cortical thickness and surface area

Abstract

Structural neuroimaging techniques have been used to identify cortical and subcortical regions constituting the neuroarchitecture of tinnitus. One recent investigation used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to analyze a sample of tinnitus patients (TI, n=257) [1]. A negative relationship between individual distress and cortical volume (CV) in bilateral auditory regions was observed. However, CV has meanwhile been identified as a neuroanatomical measurement that confounds genetically distinct neuroanatomical traits, namely cortical thickness (CT) and cortical surface area (CSA). We performed a re-analysis of the identical sample using the automated FreeSurfer surface-based morphometry (SBM) approach [2]. First, we replicated the negative correlation between tinnitus distress and bilateral supratemporal gray matter volume. Second, we observed a negative correlation for CSA in the left peri-auditory cortex and anterior insula. Furthermore, we noted a positive correlation between tinnitus duration and CT in the left peri-auditory cortex as well as a negative correlation in the subcallosal anterior cingulate, a region collated to the serotonergic circuit and germane to inhibitory functions. In short, the results elucidate differential neuroanatomical alterations of CSA and CT for the two independent tinnitus-related psychological traits distress and duration. Beyond this, the study provides further evidence for the distinction and specific susceptibility of CSA and CT within the context of neuroplasticity of the human brain. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. A negative relationship between individual distress and cortical volume (CV) in bilateral auditory regions was observed. However, CV has meanwhile been identified as a neuroanatomical measurement that confounds genetically distinct neuroanatomical traits, namely cortical thickness (CT) and cortical surface area (CSA). We performed a re-analysis of the identical sample using the automated FreeSurfer surface-based morphometry (SBM) approach [2]. First, we replicated the negative correlation between tinnitus distress and bilateral supratemporal gray matter volume. Second, we observed a negative correlation for CSA in the left peri-auditory cortex and anterior insula. Furthermore, we noted a positive correlation between tinnitus duration and CT in the left peri-auditory cortex as well as a negative correlation in the subcallosal anterior cingulate, a region collated to the serotonergic circuit and germane to inhibitory functions. In short, the results elucidate differential neuroanatomical alterations of CSA and CT for the two independent...

Morphological Neuroimaging Biomarkers for Tinnitus: Evidence Obtained by Applying Machine Learning

“…The anatomical proximity of these regions indicates that the brain volume of the STG may serve as a neuroanatomical biomarker in differentiating patients with tinnitus from healthy subjects. Our results are also in line with those reported by Meyer et al, who examined a large and homogeneous sample of tinnitus patients [4]. This group also found that a decreased cortical volume in the left STG was closely related to tinnitus distress.…”

“…The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score was also acquired in the patient group to assess the severity of tinnitus and tinnitus-related distress. According to the score, tinnitus was divided into five levels: mild (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16), light (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36), moderate (38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54)(55)…”

“…Only the GM images were analyzed in this study. In this study, several morphologically relevant papers published with five years before the start of the study were summarized, and the results of the papers were collated [4,5,8,20,21]. Based on the purpose and method of this study, the methods used in previous studies were not limited.…”

“…Patients with tinnitus often suffer from hearing loss, stress, and sleep disturbance [3]. Since there are no effective treatments for tinnitus, it is important to understand the sensory and cognitive mechanisms that may directly or indirectly be associated with alterations in the cortical/subcortical architecture [4].…”

Reduced cortical thickness in Heschl's gyrus as an in vivo marker for human primary auditory cortex

“…In addition, several MRI and postmortem studies have reported remarkable interhemispheric differences with respect to HG morphology (Campain & Minckler, 1976;Chiarello, Kacinik, Manowitz, Otto, & Leonard, 2004;Dorsaint-Pierre et al, 2006;Galuske et al, 2000;Musiek & Reeves, 1990;Penhune et al, 1996;Penhune et al, 2003;Sigalovsky et al, 2006). However, recent studies have demonstrated that CTH and cortical surface area measurements should be considered to be independent neuroanatomical traits because CTH is distinct from cortical surface area in the contribution to cortical volume (Eyler et al, 2011;Greve et al, 2013;Meyer et al, 2014;Meyer et al, 2016;Panizzon et al, 2009;Winkler et al, 2010).…”