The neuroscience of tinnitus

Eggermont, Jos J.; Roberts, Larry E.

doi:10.1016/j.tins.2004.08.010

Cited by 1,033 publications

(706 citation statements)

References 58 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

669

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Although cases of a disruption of seizure inhibition by callosotomy have also been reported (Spencer et al, 1984; Ferbert et al, 1992; Netz et al, 1995), this effect is not as profound as the disruption of the interhemispheric spread of seizures (Bloom and Hynd, 2005). Assuming that it is hypersynchronous firing of neurons in the auditory cortex that represents the neurophysiological correlate of tinnitus (Eggermont and Roberts, 2004; Eggermont, 2007) and that the default transcallosal influence is mainly excitatory, the CC may well facilitate the development and maintenance of tinnitus. The synchronous activity of a population of single units in one hemisphere may be facilitated by the excitatory transcallosal inputs it receives and may in turn facilitate the emergence of one or more descendant synchronized populations via its callosal projection onto the auditory cortex of the respective contralateral hemisphere.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Affected individuals often describe it as kind of ringing, hissing, or buzzing, most often continuous, sometimes intermittent. Tinnitus affects a considerable proportion of the general population, with a minority experiencing considerable distress (Hazell, 1990; Feldmann, 1998; Baguley and McFerran, 2002; Lockwood et al, 2002; Eggermont and Roberts, 2004; Shargorodsky et al, 2010). Often, but not always, tinnitus is associated with a certain measure of hearing loss mostly of the upper part of the range of hearing (Henry et al, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The disorder is characterized by hyperexcitability resulting from a reduction of inhibitory processes and gain increase at various stages of the afferent auditory pathway including the auditory cortex (Salvi et al, 2000; Syka, 2002; Diesch et al, 2004; Eggermont and Roberts, 2004; Parra and Pearlmutter, 2007; Sun et al, 2009; Norena, 2011). Maladaptive plastic changes of the functional organization of the auditory system and the auditory cortex in particular seem to be implicated (Mühlnickel et al, 1998; Wienbruch et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Structural changes of the corpus callosum in tinnitus

Diesch

Schummer

Krämer

et al. 2012

Front. Syst. Neurosci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives: In tinnitus, several brain regions seem to be structurally altered, including the medial partition of Heschl's gyrus (mHG), the site of the primary auditory cortex. The mHG is smaller in tinnitus patients than in healthy controls. The corpus callosum (CC) is the main interhemispheric commissure of the brain connecting the auditory areas of the left and the right hemisphere. Here, we investigate whether tinnitus status is associated with CC volume. Methods: The midsagittal cross-sectional area of the CC was examined in tinnitus patients and healthy controls in which an examination of the mHG had been carried out earlier. The CC was extracted and segmented into subregions which were defined according to the most common CC morphometry schemes introduced by Witelson (1989) and Hofer and Frahm (2006). Results: For both CC segmentation schemes, the CC posterior midbody was smaller in male patients than in male healthy controls and the isthmus, the anterior midbody, and the genou were larger in female patients than in female controls. With CC size normalized relative to mHG volume, the normalized CC splenium was larger in male patients than male controls and the normalized CC splenium, the isthmus and the genou were larger in female patients than female controls. Normalized CC segment size expresses callosal interconnectivity relative to auditory cortex volume. Conclusion: It may be argued that the predominant function of the CC is excitatory. The stronger callosal interconnectivity in tinnitus patients, compared to healthy controls, may facilitate the emergence and maintenance of a positive feedback loop between tinnitus generators located in the two hemispheres.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Structural changes of the corpus callosum in tinnitus

Diesch

Schummer

Krämer

et al. 2012

Front. Syst. Neurosci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Current treatments are largely ineffective, with great variability in patient response and risk for significant adverse effects [41,42]. While the pathophysiology is still unclear, it is generally accepted that maladaptive plasticity within auditory circuitry of the CNS is at least, in part, responsible for chronic tinnitus [43]. In response to noise-induced hearing loss, the CNS fails to receive input from a region of the damaged cochlea.…”

Section: Preclinical and Clinical Studies For Tinnitusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Rehabilitative Therapies with Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Hays

2016

Neurotherapeutics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pathological neural activity could be treated by directing specific plasticity to renormalize circuits and restore function. Rehabilitative therapies aim to promote adaptive circuit changes after neurological disease or injury, but insufficient or maladaptive plasticity often prevents a full recovery. The development of adjunctive strategies that broadly support plasticity to facilitate the benefits of rehabilitative interventions has the potential to improve treatment of a wide range of neurological disorders. Recently, stimulation of the vagus nerve in conjunction with rehabilitation has emerged as one such potential targeted plasticity therapy. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) drives activation of neuromodulatory nuclei that are associated with plasticity, including the cholinergic basal forebrain and the noradrenergic locus coeruleus. Repeatedly pairing brief bursts of VNS sensory or motor events drives robust, event-specific plasticity in neural circuits. Animal models of chronic tinnitus, ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder benefit from delivery of VNS paired with successful trials during rehabilitative training. Moreover, mounting evidence from pilot clinical trials provides an initial indication that VNS-based targeted plasticity therapies may be effective in patients with neurological diseases and injuries. Here, I provide a discussion of the current uses and potential future applications of VNS-based targeted plasticity therapies in animal models and patients, and outline challenges for clinical implementation.

show abstract

“…Tinnitus can be conceived as an auditory phantom perception of transient or permanent sound, noise, or ringing without any corresponding external sound source [3]. In Western industrialized countries with steadily aging populations 5 and enhanced exposure to environmental noise, the number of individuals who suffer from tinnitus is substantial [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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...

show abstract

The neuroscience of tinnitus

Cited by 1,033 publications

References 58 publications

Structural changes of the corpus callosum in tinnitus

Structural changes of the corpus callosum in tinnitus

Enhancing Rehabilitative Therapies with Vagus Nerve Stimulation

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

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About