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Ranjbar N, Shahbazi A, Nourizadeh N, Namvar Arefi H, Kheirkhah MT. Relationship Between Serum Levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and Hearing Loss and Tinnitus. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2023; 75:507-513. [PMID: 37206834 PMCID: PMC10188841 DOI: 10.1007/s12070-023-03600-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus and hearing loss are common problems that can be investigated via subjective and objective approaches. Previous studies have suggested a potential relationship between serum levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and tinnitus, reporting it as a potential objective biomarker for tinnitus. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the serum levels of BDNF in patients with tinnitus and/or hearing loss. Sixty patients were divided into 3 groups: Normal hearing with tinnitus (NH-T), hearing Loss with tinnitus (HL-T), and hearing loss without tinnitus (HL-NT). Moreover, 20 healthy participants were assigned to the control group or NH-NT. All participants were assessed using comprehensive audiological evaluations, serum BDNF level assessment, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). There were significant intergroup differences in serum BDNF levels (p < 0.05), with the HL-T group showing the lowest BDNF levels. Moreover, the NH-T group had lower levels of BDNF compared to the HL-NT group. On the other hand, serum BDNF levels were significantly decreased in patients with an increased hearing threshold (p < 0.05). Also, serum BDNF levels had no significant relationship with tinnitus duration and loudness, as well as THI and BDI scores. The present study was the first to illustrate the importance of serum BDNF levels as a possible biomarker for predicting the severity of hearing loss and tinnitus in the affected patients. Also, it is possible that BDNF assessment can help find effective therapeutic methods for patients with hearing problems. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-023-03600-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastaran Ranjbar
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Shahbazi
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Navid Nourizadeh
- Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department , Imam Reza Educational Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hossein Namvar Arefi
- Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences , Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
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Möhrle D, Hofmeier B, Amend M, Wolpert S, Ni K, Bing D, Klose U, Pichler B, Knipper M, Rüttiger L. Enhanced Central Neural Gain Compensates Acoustic Trauma-induced Cochlear Impairment, but Unlikely Correlates with Tinnitus and Hyperacusis. Neuroscience 2018; 407:146-169. [PMID: 30599268 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
For successful future therapeutic strategies for tinnitus and hyperacusis, a subcategorization of both conditions on the basis of differentiated neural correlates would be of invaluable advantage. In the present study, we used our refined operant conditioning animal model to divide equally noise-exposed rats into groups with either tinnitus or hyperacusis, with neither condition, or with both conditions co-occurring simultaneously. Using click stimulus and noise burst-evoked Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) and Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions, no hearing threshold difference was observed between any of the groups. However, animals with neither tinnitus nor hyperacusis responded to noise trauma with shortened ABR wave I and IV latencies and elevated central neuronal gain (increased ABR wave IV/I amplitude ratio), which was previously assumed in most of the literature to be a neural correlate for tinnitus. In contrast, animals with tinnitus had reduced neural response gain and delayed ABR wave I and IV latencies, while animals with hyperacusis showed none of these changes. Preliminary studies, aimed at establishing comparable non-invasive objective tools for identifying tinnitus in humans and animals, confirmed reduced central gain and delayed response latency in human and animals. Moreover, the first ever resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI) analyses comparing humans and rats with and without tinnitus showed reduced rs-fMRI activities in the auditory cortex in both patients and animals with tinnitus. These findings encourage further efforts to establish non-invasive diagnostic tools that can be used in humans and animals alike and give hope for differentiated classification of tinnitus and hyperacusis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorit Möhrle
- University of Tübingen, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Benedikt Hofmeier
- University of Tübingen, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Mario Amend
- University of Tübingen, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, University Hospital Tübingen, Röntgenweg 13, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Stephan Wolpert
- University of Tübingen, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Kun Ni
- University of Tübingen, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Luding Road, NO. 355. Putuo District, 200062 Shanghai, China.
| | - Dan Bing
- University of Tübingen, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Uwe Klose
- University Hospital Tübingen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Bernd Pichler
- University of Tübingen, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, University Hospital Tübingen, Röntgenweg 13, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Marlies Knipper
- University of Tübingen, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- University of Tübingen, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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Singer W, Geisler HS, Panford-Walsh R, Knipper M. Detection of Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapses in the Auditory System Using Fluorescence Immunohistochemistry and High-Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1427:263-76. [PMID: 27259932 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3615-1_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In sensory systems, a balanced excitatory and inhibitory circuit along the ascending pathway is not only important for the establishment of topographically ordered connections from the periphery to the cortex but also for temporal precision of signal processing. The accomplishment of spatial and temporal cortical resolution in the central nervous system is a process that is likely initiated by the first sensory experiences that drive a period of increased intracortical inhibition. In the auditory system, the time of first sensory experience is also the period in which a reorganization of cochlear efferent and afferent fibers occurs leading to the mature innervation of inner and outer hair cells. This mature hair cell innervation is the basis of accurate sound processing along the ascending pathway up to the auditory cortex. We describe here, a protocol for detecting excitatory and inhibitory marker proteins along the ascending auditory pathway, which could be a useful tool for detecting changes in auditory signal processing during various forms of hearing disorders. Our protocol uses fluorescence immunohistochemistry in combination with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy in cochlear and brain tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wibke Singer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hearing Research Centre Tübingen (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, ENT Clinic, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Hyun-Soon Geisler
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hearing Research Centre Tübingen (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, ENT Clinic, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Rama Panford-Walsh
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hearing Research Centre Tübingen (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, ENT Clinic, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, Tübingen, 72076, Germany.,DNA Genotek Inc., Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hearing Research Centre Tübingen (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, ENT Clinic, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, Tübingen, 72076, Germany.
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Knipper M, Van Dijk P, Nunes I, Rüttiger L, Zimmermann U. Advances in the neurobiology of hearing disorders: Recent developments regarding the basis of tinnitus and hyperacusis. Prog Neurobiol 2013; 111:17-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Revised: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 08/20/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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The reduced cochlear output and the failure to adapt the central auditory response causes tinnitus in noise exposed rats. PLoS One 2013; 8:e57247. [PMID: 23516401 PMCID: PMC3596376 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2012] [Accepted: 01/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is proposed to be caused by decreased central input from the cochlea, followed by increased spontaneous and evoked subcortical activity that is interpreted as compensation for increased responsiveness of central auditory circuits. We compared equally noise exposed rats separated into groups with and without tinnitus for differences in brain responsiveness relative to the degree of deafferentation in the periphery. We analyzed (1) the number of CtBP2/RIBEYE-positive particles in ribbon synapses of the inner hair cell (IHC) as a measure for deafferentation; (2) the fine structure of the amplitudes of auditory brainstem responses (ABR) reflecting differences in sound responses following decreased auditory nerve activity and (3) the expression of the activity-regulated gene Arc in the auditory cortex (AC) to identify long-lasting central activity following sensory deprivation. Following moderate trauma, 30% of animals exhibited tinnitus, similar to the tinnitus prevalence among hearing impaired humans. Although both tinnitus and no-tinnitus animals exhibited a reduced ABR wave I amplitude (generated by primary auditory nerve fibers), IHCs ribbon loss and high-frequency hearing impairment was more severe in tinnitus animals, associated with significantly reduced amplitudes of the more centrally generated wave IV and V and less intense staining of Arc mRNA and protein in the AC. The observed severe IHCs ribbon loss, the minimal restoration of ABR wave size, and reduced cortical Arc expression suggest that tinnitus is linked to a failure to adapt central circuits to reduced cochlear input.
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Singer W, Geisler HS, Knipper M. The Geisler method: tracing activity-dependent cGMP plasticity changes upon double detection of mRNA and protein on brain slices. Methods Mol Biol 2013; 1020:223-33. [PMID: 23709037 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-459-3_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
We recently demonstrated that an increase of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) signaling could protect the inner ear from noise-induced hair cell damage. Noise exposure not only damages hair cells but also alters the central responsiveness to sound leading to plasticity changes. cGMP signaling has long been known to play a crucial role for plasticity changes and long-term potentiation (LTP). To get a first insight into the role of cGMP for noise-induced plasticity changes we aimed to co-trace the mRNA and protein of plasticity-related genes as, e.g., the immediate early gene Arc (activity-regulated cytoskeletal protein) with markers for the cGMP pathway. We developed a method that permits the simultaneous monitoring of mRNA and protein through light microscopy to visualize gene expression in neurons and synapses of its processes. Accordingly, different from previous fluorescence-based assays that detect, e.g., fluorochrome-labeled Arc antibodies and Arc mRNA, we describe here a methodology that allows the detection of mRNA and protein of synaptic genes using nonfluorescent stable tracers for high-resolution observation of activity-dependent plasticity changes using light microscopy even after weeks or months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wibke Singer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hearing Research Centre Tübingen (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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