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Fabrizio-Stover EM, Oliver DL, Burghard AL. Tinnitus mechanisms and the need for an objective electrophysiological tinnitus test. Hear Res 2024; 449:109046. [PMID: 38810373 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.109046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Tinnitus, the perception of sound with no external auditory stimulus, is a complex, multifaceted, and potentially devastating disorder. Despite recent advances in our understanding of tinnitus, there are limited options for effective treatment. Tinnitus treatments are made more complicated by the lack of a test for tinnitus based on objectively measured physiological characteristics. Such an objective test would enable a greater understanding of tinnitus mechanisms and may lead to faster treatment development in both animal and human research. This review makes the argument that an objective tinnitus test, such as a non-invasive electrophysiological measure, is desperately needed. We review the current tinnitus assessment methods, the underlying neural correlates of tinnitus, the multiple tinnitus generation theories, and the previously investigated electrophysiological measurements of tinnitus. Finally, we propose an alternate objective test for tinnitus that may be valid in both animal and human subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Fabrizio-Stover
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Douglas L Oliver
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Alice L Burghard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
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2
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Vasilkov V, Caswell-Midwinter B, Zhao Y, de Gruttola V, Jung DH, Liberman MC, Maison SF. Evidence of cochlear neural degeneration in normal-hearing subjects with tinnitus. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19870. [PMID: 38036538 PMCID: PMC10689483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46741-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus, reduced sound-level tolerance, and difficulties hearing in noisy environments are the most common complaints associated with sensorineural hearing loss in adult populations. This study aims to clarify if cochlear neural degeneration estimated in a large pool of participants with normal audiograms is associated with self-report of tinnitus using a test battery probing the different stages of the auditory processing from hair cell responses to the auditory reflexes of the brainstem. Self-report of chronic tinnitus was significantly associated with (1) reduced cochlear nerve responses, (2) weaker middle-ear muscle reflexes, (3) stronger medial olivocochlear efferent reflexes and (4) hyperactivity in the central auditory pathways. These results support the model of tinnitus generation whereby decreased neural activity from a damaged cochlea can elicit hyperactivity from decreased inhibition in the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viacheslav Vasilkov
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Benjamin Caswell-Midwinter
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Yan Zhao
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Victor de Gruttola
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - David H Jung
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - M Charles Liberman
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Stéphane F Maison
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
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Jacxsens L, De Pauw J, Cardon E, van der Wal A, Jacquemin L, Gilles A, Michiels S, Van Rompaey V, Lammers MJW, De Hertogh W. Brainstem evoked auditory potentials in tinnitus: A best-evidence synthesis and meta-analysis. Front Neurol 2022; 13:941876. [PMID: 36071905 PMCID: PMC9441610 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.941876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Accumulating evidence suggests a role of the brainstem in tinnitus generation and modulation. Several studies in chronic tinnitus patients have reported latency and amplitude changes of the different peaks of the auditory brainstem response, possibly reflecting neural changes or altered activity. The aim of the systematic review was to assess if alterations within the brainstem of chronic tinnitus patients are reflected in short- and middle-latency auditory evoked potentials (AEPs). Methods A systematic review was performed and reported according to the PRISMA guidelines. Studies evaluating short- and middle-latency AEPs in tinnitus patients and controls were included. Two independent reviewers conducted the study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. Meta-analysis was performed using a multivariate meta-analytic model. Results Twenty-seven cross-sectional studies were included. Multivariate meta-analysis revealed that in tinnitus patients with normal hearing, significantly longer latencies of auditory brainstem response (ABR) waves I (SMD = 0.66 ms, p < 0.001), III (SMD = 0.43 ms, p < 0.001), and V (SMD = 0.47 ms, p < 0.01) are present. The results regarding possible changes in middle-latency responses (MLRs) and frequency-following responses (FFRs) were inconclusive. Discussion The discovered changes in short-latency AEPs reflect alterations at brainstem level in tinnitus patients. More specifically, the prolonged ABR latencies could possibly be explained by high frequency sensorineural hearing loss, or other modulating factors such as cochlear synaptopathy or somatosensory tinnitus generators. The question whether middle-latency AEP changes, representing subcortical level of the auditory pathway, are present in tinnitus still remains unanswered. Future studies should identify and correctly deal with confounding factors, such as age, gender and the presence of somatosensory tinnitus components. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021243687, PROSPERO [CRD42021243687].
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Jacxsens
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
| | - Joke De Pauw
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Emilie Cardon
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annemarie van der Wal
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Laure Jacquemin
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annick Gilles
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Education, Health and Social Work, University College Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sarah Michiels
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
- Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, REVAL, University of Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Vincent Van Rompaey
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marc J W Lammers
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Edegem, Belgium
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Willem De Hertogh
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Edvall NK, Mehraei G, Claeson M, Lazar A, Bulla J, Leineweber C, Uhlén I, Canlon B, Cederroth CR. Alterations in auditory brainstem response distinguish occasional and constant tinnitus. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:155094. [PMID: 35077399 PMCID: PMC8884914 DOI: 10.1172/jci155094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The heterogeneity of tinnitus is thought to underlie the lack of objective diagnostic measures. METHODS Longitudinal data from 20,349 participants of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) cohort from 2008 to 2018 were used to understand the dynamics of transition between occasional and constant tinnitus. The second part of the study included electrophysiological data from 405 participants of the Swedish Tinnitus Outreach Project (STOP) cohort. RESULTS We determined that with increasing frequency of the occasional perception of self-reported tinnitus, the odds of reporting constant tinnitus after 2 years increases from 5.62 (95% CI, 4.83–6.55) for previous tinnitus (sometimes) to 29.74 (4.82–6.55) for previous tinnitus (often). When previous tinnitus was reported to be constant, the odds of reporting it as constant after 2 years rose to 603.02 (524.74–692.98), suggesting that once transitioned to constant tinnitus, the likelihood of tinnitus to persist was much greater. Auditory brain stem responses (ABRs) from subjects reporting nontinnitus (controls), occasional tinnitus, and constant tinnitus show that wave V latency increased in constant tinnitus when compared with occasional tinnitus or nontinnitus. The ABR from occasional tinnitus was indistinguishable from that of the nontinnitus controls. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the hypothesis that the transition from occasional to constant tinnitus is accompanied by neuronal changes in the midbrain leading to a persisting tinnitus, which is then less likely to remit. FUNDING This study was supported by the GENDER-Net Co-Plus Fund (GNP-182), the European Union’s Horizon 2020 grants no. 848261 (Unification of Treatments and Interventions for Tinnitus [UNITI]) and no. 722046 (European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Research [ESIT]).
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas K. Edvall
- Laboratory of Experimental Audiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Martin Claeson
- Stress Research Institute (Stressforksningsinsitutet), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andra Lazar
- Hörsel-och Balanskliniken, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Bulla
- University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Constanze Leineweber
- Stress Research Institute (Stressforksningsinsitutet), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Inger Uhlén
- Hörsel-och Balanskliniken, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Barbara Canlon
- Laboratory of Experimental Audiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christopher R. Cederroth
- Laboratory of Experimental Audiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, United Kingdom (UK)
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Johannesen PT, Lopez-Poveda EA. Age-related central gain compensation for reduced auditory nerve output for people with normal audiograms, with and without tinnitus. iScience 2021; 24:102658. [PMID: 34151241 PMCID: PMC8192693 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Central gain compensation for reduced auditory nerve output has been hypothesized as a mechanism for tinnitus with a normal audiogram. Here, we investigate if gain compensation occurs with aging. For 94 people (aged 12-68 years, 64 women, 7 tinnitus) with normal or close-to-normal audiograms, the amplitude of wave I of the auditory brainstem response decreased with increasing age but was not correlated with wave V amplitude after accounting for age-related subclinical hearing loss and cochlear damage, a result indicative of age-related gain compensation. The correlations between age and wave I/III or III/V amplitude ratios suggested that compensation occurs at the wave III generator site. For each one of the seven participants with non-pulsatile tinnitus, the amplitude of wave I, wave V, and the wave I/V amplitude ratio were well within the confidence limits of the non-tinnitus participants. We conclude that increased central gain occurs with aging and is not specific to tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter T Johannesen
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Calle Pintor Fernando Gallego 1, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Enrique A Lopez-Poveda
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Calle Pintor Fernando Gallego 1, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.,Departamento de Cirugía, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
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Domarecka E, Olze H, Szczepek AJ. Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) of Rats during Experimentally Induced Tinnitus: Literature Review. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10120901. [PMID: 33255266 PMCID: PMC7760291 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10120901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is a subjective phantom sound perceived only by the affected person and a symptom of various auditory and non-auditory conditions. The majority of methods used in clinical and basic research for tinnitus diagnosis are subjective. To better understand tinnitus-associated changes in the auditory system, an objective technique measuring auditory sensitivity-the auditory brainstem responses (ABR)-has been suggested. Therefore, the present review aimed to summarize ABR's features in a rat model during experimentally induced tinnitus. PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Scopus databanks were searched using Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms: auditory brainstem response, tinnitus, rat. The search identified 344 articles, and 36 of them were selected for the full-text analyses. The experimental protocols and results were evaluated, and the gained knowledge was synthesized. A high level of heterogeneity between the studies was found regarding all assessed areas. The most consistent finding of all studies was a reduction in the ABR wave I amplitude following exposure to noise and salicylate. Simultaneously, animals with salicylate-induced but not noise-induced tinnitus had an increased amplitude of wave IV. Furthermore, the present study identified a need to develop a consensus experimental ABR protocol applied in future tinnitus studies using the rat model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Domarecka
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany; (E.D.); (H.O.)
| | - Heidi Olze
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany; (E.D.); (H.O.)
| | - Agnieszka J. Szczepek
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany; (E.D.); (H.O.)
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zielona Gora, 65-046 Zielona Gora, Poland
- Correspondence:
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7
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Tzounopoulos T, Balaban C, Zitelli L, Palmer C. Towards a Mechanistic-Driven Precision Medicine Approach for Tinnitus. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2019; 20:115-131. [PMID: 30825037 PMCID: PMC6453992 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-018-00709-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In this position review, we propose to establish a path for replacing the empirical classification of tinnitus with a taxonomy from precision medicine. The goal of a classification system is to understand the inherent heterogeneity of individuals experiencing and suffering from tinnitus and to identify what differentiates potential subgroups. Identification of different patient subgroups with distinct audiological, psychophysical, and neurophysiological characteristics will facilitate the management of patients with tinnitus as well as the design and execution of drug development and clinical trials, which, for the most part, have not yielded conclusive results. An alternative outcome of a precision medicine approach in tinnitus would be that additional mechanistic phenotyping might not lead to the identification of distinct drivers in each individual, but instead, it might reveal that each individual may display a quantitative blend of causal factors. Therefore, a precision medicine approach towards identifying these causal factors might not lead to subtyping these patients but may instead highlight causal pathways that can be manipulated for therapeutic gain. These two outcomes are not mutually exclusive, and no matter what the final outcome is, a mechanistic-driven precision medicine approach is a win-win approach for advancing tinnitus research and treatment. Although there are several controversies and inconsistencies in the tinnitus field, which will not be discussed here, we will give a few examples, as to how the field can move forward by exploring the major neurophysiological tinnitus models, mostly by taking advantage of the common features supported by all of the models. Our position stems from the central concept that, as a field, we can and must do more to bring studies of mechanisms into the realm of neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanos Tzounopoulos
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center and Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
| | - Carey Balaban
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center and Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Lori Zitelli
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center and Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Catherine Palmer
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center and Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
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Le Prell CG. Effects of noise exposure on auditory brainstem response and speech-in-noise tasks: a review of the literature. Int J Audiol 2018; 58:S3-S32. [DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2018.1534010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Colleen G. Le Prell
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
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9
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Milloy V, Fournier P, Benoit D, Noreña A, Koravand A. Auditory Brainstem Responses in Tinnitus: A Review of Who, How, and What? Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 9:237. [PMID: 28785218 PMCID: PMC5519563 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) in tinnitus subjects has been extensively investigated over the last decade with the hopes of finding possible abnormalities related to the pathology. Despite this effort, the use of the ABR for tinnitus diagnosis or as an outcome measure is under debate. The present study reviewed published literature on ABR and tinnitus. The authors searched PubMed, MedLine, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL, and identified additional records through manually searching reference lists and gray literature. There were 4,566 articles identified through database searching and 151 additional studies through the manual search (4,717 total): 2,128 articles were removed as duplicates, and 2,567 records did not meet eligibility criteria. From the final 22 articles that were included, ABR results from 1,240 tinnitus subjects and 664 control subjects were compiled and summarized with a focus on three main areas: the participant characteristics, the methodology used, and the outcome measures of amplitude and/or latency of waves I, III, and V. The results indicate a high level of heterogeneity between the studies for all the assessed areas. Amplitude and latency differences between tinnitus and controls were not consistent between studies. Nevertheless, the longer latency and reduced amplitude of wave I for the tinnitus group with normal hearing compared to matched controls was the most consistent finding across studies. These results support the need for greater stratification of the tinnitus population and the importance of a standardized ABR method to make comparisons between studies possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Milloy
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of OttawaOttawa, ON, Canada
| | - Philippe Fournier
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille UniversityMarseille, France
| | - Daniel Benoit
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of OttawaOttawa, ON, Canada
| | - Arnaud Noreña
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille UniversityMarseille, France
| | - Amineh Koravand
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of OttawaOttawa, ON, Canada
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10
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Tugumia D, Samelli AG, Matas CG, Magliaro FCL, Rabelo CM. Auditory training program in subjects with tinnitus. Codas 2016; 28:27-33. [PMID: 27074186 DOI: 10.1590/2317-1782/20162015113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Tinnitus may be defined as the conscious perception of sound or noise, without the presence of external acoustic stimulation. Given the damage caused by tinnitus and the lack of effective treatment, alternatives are necessary to rehabilitate subjects with tinnitus. There is an assumption that auditory training (AT) could lead to a plastic reorganization of this system, thus promoting an improvement of the symptom. OBJECTIVE To verify the effect of an AT program in subjects with tinnitus in the perception of this symptom. METHODS Twelve subjects with tinnitus were included in the study and divided into two groups: Study Group (SG) and Control Group (CG). All of them underwent audiometric and electrophysiological assessments; acuphenometry; Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and auditory processing assessment (GIN - Gaps in Noise, Frequency Pattern Test and Speech-in-Noise). Afterward, trainings began and the SG was submitted to the formal AT, and the CG to the visual training. RESULTS In the characterization of the groups, no statistically significant difference was found for the variables such as age, pitch, and loudness of tinnitus, or for hearing thresholds in conventional audiometry and high frequencies. Comparisons were performed between the groups, before and after the trainings, regarding electrophysiological, behavioral, and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory tests, and no statistically significant differences were found between them for any of the evaluations. CONCLUSION Findings showed no statistically significant differences between groups in the comparison between the moments pre- and post-trainings (auditory or visual), nor for the electrophysiological findings or behavioral assessment of the auditory processing and for the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, although some specific differences in the individual analysis have occurred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Tugumia
- Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Carla Gentile Matas
- Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Camila Maia Rabelo
- Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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11
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Tziridis K, Ahlf S, Jeschke M, Happel MFK, Ohl FW, Schulze H. Noise Trauma Induced Neural Plasticity Throughout the Auditory System of Mongolian Gerbils: Differences between Tinnitus Developing and Non-Developing Animals. Front Neurol 2015; 6:22. [PMID: 25713557 PMCID: PMC4322711 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we describe differences between neural plasticity in auditory cortex (AC) of animals that developed subjective tinnitus (group T) after noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) compared to those that did not [group non-tinnitus (NT)]. To this end, our analysis focuses on the input activity of cortical neurons based on the temporal and spectral analysis of local field potential (LFP) recordings and an in-depth analysis of auditory brainstem responses (ABR) in the same animals. In response to NIHL in NT animals we find a significant general reduction in overall cortical activity and spectral power as well as changes in all ABR wave amplitudes as a function of loudness. In contrast, T-animals show no significant change in overall cortical activity as assessed by root mean square analysis of LFP amplitudes, but a specific increase in LFP spectral power and in the amplitude of ABR wave V reflecting activity in the inferior colliculus (IC). Based on these results, we put forward a refined model of tinnitus prevention after NIHL that acts via a top-down global (i.e., frequency-unspecific) inhibition reducing overall neuronal activity in AC and IC, thereby counteracting NIHL-induced bottom-up frequency-specific neuroplasticity suggested in current models of tinnitus development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Tziridis
- Experimental Otolaryngology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg , Erlangen , Germany
| | - Sönke Ahlf
- Experimental Otolaryngology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg , Erlangen , Germany
| | - Marcus Jeschke
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology , Magdeburg , Germany
| | - Max F K Happel
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology , Magdeburg , Germany ; Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University , Magdeburg , Germany
| | - Frank W Ohl
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology , Magdeburg , Germany ; Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University , Magdeburg , Germany ; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences , Magdeburg , Germany
| | - Holger Schulze
- Experimental Otolaryngology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg , Erlangen , Germany
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12
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Auerbach BD, Rodrigues PV, Salvi RJ. Central gain control in tinnitus and hyperacusis. Front Neurol 2014; 5:206. [PMID: 25386157 PMCID: PMC4208401 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2014.00206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 262] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensorineural hearing loss induced by noise or ototoxic drug exposure reduces the neural activity transmitted from the cochlea to the central auditory system. Despite a reduced cochlear output, neural activity from more central auditory structures is paradoxically enhanced at suprathreshold intensities. This compensatory increase in the central auditory activity in response to the loss of sensory input is referred to as central gain enhancement. Enhanced central gain is hypothesized to be a potential mechanism that gives rise to hyperacusis and tinnitus, two debilitating auditory perceptual disorders that afflict millions of individuals. This review will examine the evidence for gain enhancement in the central auditory system in response to cochlear damage. Further, it will address the potential cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this enhancement and discuss the contribution of central gain enhancement to tinnitus and hyperacusis. Current evidence suggests that multiple mechanisms with distinct temporal and spectral profiles are likely to contribute to central gain enhancement. Dissecting the contributions of these different mechanisms at different levels of the central auditory system is essential for elucidating the role of central gain enhancement in tinnitus and hyperacusis and, most importantly, the development of novel treatments for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D Auerbach
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York , Buffalo, NY , USA
| | - Paulo V Rodrigues
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York , Buffalo, NY , USA
| | - Richard J Salvi
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York , Buffalo, NY , USA
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Santos-Filha VAVD, Samelli AG, Matas CG. Noise-induced tinnitus: auditory evoked potential in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2014; 69:487-90. [PMID: 25029581 PMCID: PMC4081887 DOI: 10.6061/clinics/2014(07)08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We evaluated the central auditory pathways in workers with noise-induced tinnitus with normal hearing thresholds, compared the auditory brainstem response results in groups with and without tinnitus and correlated the tinnitus location to the auditory brainstem response findings in individuals with a history of occupational noise exposure. METHOD Sixty individuals participated in the study and the following procedures were performed: anamnesis, immittance measures, pure-tone air conduction thresholds at all frequencies between 0.25-8 kHz and auditory brainstem response. RESULTS The mean auditory brainstem response latencies were lower in the Control group than in the Tinnitus group, but no significant differences between the groups were observed. Qualitative analysis showed more alterations in the lower brainstem in the Tinnitus group. The strongest relationship between tinnitus location and auditory brainstem response alterations was detected in individuals with bilateral tinnitus and bilateral auditory brainstem response alterations compared with patients with unilateral alterations. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest the occurrence of a possible dysfunction in the central auditory nervous system (brainstem) in individuals with noise-induced tinnitus and a normal hearing threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valdete Alves Valentins dos Santos-Filha
- Speech-language Pathology and Audiology, Occupational Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Giannella Samelli
- Speech-language Pathology and Audiology, Occupational Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Carla Gentile Matas
- Speech-language Pathology and Audiology, Occupational Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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14
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Gold JR, Bajo VM. Insult-induced adaptive plasticity of the auditory system. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:110. [PMID: 24904256 PMCID: PMC4033160 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain displays a remarkable capacity for both widespread and region-specific modifications in response to environmental challenges, with adaptive processes bringing about the reweighing of connections in neural networks putatively required for optimizing performance and behavior. As an avenue for investigation, studies centered around changes in the mammalian auditory system, extending from the brainstem to the cortex, have revealed a plethora of mechanisms that operate in the context of sensory disruption after insult, be it lesion-, noise trauma, drug-, or age-related. Of particular interest in recent work are those aspects of auditory processing which, after sensory disruption, change at multiple—if not all—levels of the auditory hierarchy. These include changes in excitatory, inhibitory and neuromodulatory networks, consistent with theories of homeostatic plasticity; functional alterations in gene expression and in protein levels; as well as broader network processing effects with cognitive and behavioral implications. Nevertheless, there abounds substantial debate regarding which of these processes may only be sequelae of the original insult, and which may, in fact, be maladaptively compelling further degradation of the organism's competence to cope with its disrupted sensory context. In this review, we aim to examine how the mammalian auditory system responds in the wake of particular insults, and to disambiguate how the changes that develop might underlie a correlated class of phantom disorders, including tinnitus and hyperacusis, which putatively are brought about through maladaptive neuroplastic disruptions to auditory networks governing the spatial and temporal processing of acoustic sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua R Gold
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford Oxford, UK
| | - Victoria M Bajo
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford Oxford, UK
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15
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Gu JW, Herrmann BS, Levine RA, Melcher JR. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials suggest a role for the ventral cochlear nucleus in tinnitus. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2012; 13:819-33. [PMID: 22869301 PMCID: PMC3505586 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-012-0344-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Accepted: 07/19/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have demonstrated elevated spontaneous and sound-evoked brainstem activity in animal models of tinnitus, but data on brainstem function in people with this common clinical condition are sparse. Here, auditory nerve and brainstem function in response to sound was assessed via auditory brainstem responses (ABR) in humans with tinnitus and without. Tinnitus subjects showed reduced wave I amplitude (indicating reduced auditory nerve activity) but enhanced wave V (reflecting elevated input to the inferior colliculi) compared with non-tinnitus subjects matched in age, sex, and pure-tone threshold. The transformation from reduced peripheral activity to central hyperactivity in the tinnitus group was especially apparent in the V/I and III/I amplitude ratios. Compared with a third cohort of younger, non-tinnitus subjects, both tinnitus, and matched, non-tinnitus groups showed elevated thresholds above 4 kHz and reduced wave I amplitude, indicating that the differences between tinnitus and matched non-tinnitus subjects occurred against a backdrop of shared peripheral dysfunction that, while not tinnitus specific, cannot be discounted as a factor in tinnitus development. Animal lesion and human neuroanatomical data combine to indicate that waves III and V in humans reflect activity in a pathway originating in the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) and with spherical bushy cells (SBC) in particular. We conclude that the elevated III/I and V/I amplitude ratios in tinnitus subjects reflect disproportionately high activity in the SBC pathway for a given amount of peripheral input. The results imply a role for the VCN in tinnitus and suggest the SBC pathway as a target for tinnitus treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwen Wendy Gu
- />Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114 USA
- />Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology Program, Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Barbara S. Herrmann
- />Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology Program, Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
- />Audiology Department, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA USA
- />Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Robert A. Levine
- />Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114 USA
- />Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
- />Neurology Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA
| | - Jennifer R. Melcher
- />Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114 USA
- />Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology Program, Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
- />Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
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16
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Dehmel S, Eisinger D, Shore SE. Gap prepulse inhibition and auditory brainstem-evoked potentials as objective measures for tinnitus in guinea pigs. Front Syst Neurosci 2012; 6:42. [PMID: 22666193 PMCID: PMC3364697 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2012.00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2012] [Accepted: 05/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus or ringing of the ears is a subjective phantom sensation necessitating behavioral models that objectively demonstrate the existence and quality of the tinnitus sensation. The gap detection test uses the acoustic startle response elicited by loud noise pulses and its gating or suppression by preceding sub-startling prepulses. Gaps in noise bands serve as prepulses, assuming that ongoing tinnitus masks the gap and results in impaired gap detection. This test has shown its reliability in rats, mice, and gerbils. No data exists for the guinea pig so far, although gap detection is similar across mammals and the acoustic startle response is a well-established tool in guinea pig studies of psychiatric disorders and in pharmacological studies. Here we investigated the startle behavior and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the guinea pig and showed that guinea pigs have a reliable startle response that can be suppressed by 15 ms gaps embedded in narrow noise bands preceding the startle noise pulse. After recovery of auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds from a unilateral noise over-exposure centered at 7 kHz, guinea pigs showed diminished gap-induced reduction of the startle response in frequency bands between 8 and 18 kHz. This suggests the development of tinnitus in frequency regions that showed a temporary threshold shift (TTS) after noise over-exposure. Changes in discharge rate and synchrony, two neuronal correlates of tinnitus, should be reflected in altered ABR waveforms, which would be useful to objectively detect tinnitus and its localization to auditory brainstem structures. Therefore, we analyzed latencies and amplitudes of the first five ABR waves at suprathreshold sound intensities and correlated ABR abnormalities with the results of the behavioral tinnitus testing. Early ABR wave amplitudes up to N3 were increased for animals with tinnitus possibly stemming from hyperactivity and hypersynchrony underlying the tinnitus percept. Animals that did not develop tinnitus after noise exposure showed the opposite effect, a decrease in wave amplitudes for the later waves P4–P5. Changes in latencies were only observed in tinnitus animals, which showed increased latencies. Thus, tinnitus-induced changes in the discharge activity of the auditory nerve and central auditory nuclei are represented in the ABR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Dehmel
- Department of Otolaryngology, Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, USA
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17
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Nageris BI, Attias J, Raveh E. Test-retest tinnitus characteristics in patients with noise-induced hearing loss. Am J Otolaryngol 2010; 31:181-4. [PMID: 20015738 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2008.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2008] [Accepted: 12/31/2008] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to examine the test-retest value of tinnitus pitch and loudness in patients with tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). MATERIALS AND METHODS The study sample consisted of 30 patients of mean age 35 +/- 6.7 years with long-standing tinnitus and hearing loss due to exposure to noise during military service. Ten patients had unilateral tinnitus, and 20 had bilateral tinnitus. All presented with a typical NIHL audiogram on the affected side(s). None of the patients was receiving drug therapy. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference in tinnitus pitch or loudness between the 2 tests for the whole group and separately in patients with unilateral or bilateral tinnitus. CONCLUSION Subjective testing of pitch and loudness of tinnitus secondary to NIHL is accurate and reproducible, making it a valuable tool for diagnosis and follow-up. The lack of differences between patients with unilateral or bilateral tinnitus indicates that both types may be managed in a similar manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben I Nageris
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqwa, Israel.
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18
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Santos AS, Castro Júnior ND. Brainstem evoked response in bus drivers with noise-induced hearing loss. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2009; 75:753-9. [PMID: 19893947 PMCID: PMC9442223 DOI: 10.1016/s1808-8694(15)30529-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2008] [Accepted: 08/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies carried out by Brainstem Evoked Auditory Potentials (BEAP) in Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) workers show different results in relation to neuronal involvement, not involving bus drivers as study object. Aim to use BEAP in a prospective case/control clinical study to check whether or not there is neural auditory pathway involvement in bus drivers with NIHL. Materials and Methods we selected 50 bus drivers between 27 and 40 years with mild to moderate NIHL, and 20 individuals between 29 and 40 years with normal hearing and without prior history of noise exposure. BEAP tests were carried out and the traces were analyzed. Results in the NIHL group, the auditory thresholds in 3, 4 and 6 kHz were significantly higher in the left ear. In the NIHL group, potentials PI, PIII and/or PV were not present in a small number of the individuals; we observed a statistically significant increase in PI, PIII and PV absolute latencies, (LIP) LIP I-III interpeak latencies, bilaterally and LIP I-V in the left ear. Conclusion in the NIHL group, besides sensorial injury, changes in BEAP latencies suggest an early functional injury of the first auditory pathway afferent neuron.
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19
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Attias J, Zwecker-Lazar I, Nageris B, Keren O, Groswasser Z. Dysfunction of the auditory efferent system in patients with traumatic brain injuries with tinnitus and hyperacusis. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 2005; 16:117-26. [PMID: 16285464 DOI: 10.1515/jbcpp.2005.16.2-3.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Tinnitus, hyperacusis and difficulty listening in background noise are common symptoms reported by patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim of this study was to explore the function of the auditory system in TBI patients with and without auditory complaints but having normal pure-tone audiograms. METHODS The study consisted of 24 TBI patients with and 10 TBI patients without auditory complaints. In addition, 15 normal controls were included in the study. The function of the auditory system was tested by recording transient otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) during the presentation of increasing levels of white noise in the contralateral ear. RESULTS Most of the TBI patients with auditory complaints (87%) showed absent or significantly reduced effect of the auditory efferent system as compared with the TBI patients without auditory complaints and to normal controls. However, the global amplitude of the TEOAE was significantly higher in TBI patients with auditory complaints compared to those without. CONCLUSIONS Due to its role in peripheral and central auditory activity, dysfunction of the efferent system may be at least partially responsible for these auditory complaints. This study underscores the importance of testing and evaluating the functional integrity of the medial efferent system by an objective and non-invasive method in patients with TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Attias
- Department of Communication Disorders, Haifa University, Petach Tikva, Israel.
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20
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Attias J, Reshef I, Shemesh Z, Salomon G. Support for the central theory of tinnitus generation: a military epidemiological study. Int J Audiol 2002; 41:301-7. [PMID: 12166690 DOI: 10.3109/14992020209077190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Tinnitus is poorly reflected by audiometric (cochlear) data, indicating that central nervous system (CNS) components are involved in its development. This study aimed to provide support for the neurophysiological theory of tinnitus as a result of combined peripheral and central nervous dysfunctions. Our main findings were the sudden. significant, stepwise increase in tinnitus after 10 years of service, as opposed to the almost linear increase in noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) with age. Furthermore, the absence of a correlation between the incidence of tinnitus and the severity of tinnitus was linked to the NIHL. We suggest that, in tinnitus, the central screening apparatus which normally inhibits conscious awareness of irrelevant, spurious and non-informative internal and external noise shows a possibly fatigue- or age-related deterioration over time. Further support was provided by low blood levels of vitamin B1 and B12. which are essential to CNS function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Attias
- Institute for Noise Hazards Research and Evoked Potentials Laboratory, Medical Corps, Petach-Tikva, Israel.
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21
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Abstract
Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and middle latency responses (MLRs) recorded from problem-tinnitus patients were compared with responses from normal hearing, hearing loss, and elderly subjects. Ten stimulus frequencies were presented in counterbalanced sequence and all frequencies were presented before any given frequency was presented again. The variables of importance were problem-tinnitus, hearing loss, subject age and stimulus frequency. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant difference only in the latency of ABR wave 7. The intrinsically high variability in the problem-tinnitus and elderly groups rendered standard statistical analyses ineffective with the sample sizes used. Alternative analyses were employed in which the MLR waves of the normal hearing subjects were taken as the standard against which the other groups were compared. Very large MLR waves occurred in some, but not all, of the subjects in the problem-tinnitus and elderly groups. Different MLR waves were large in different subjects without correspondingly large ABR potentials. These results suggest: (1) selective alteration of MLR generators in different forms of tinnitus; and (2) differing effects of age on auditory physiology. Stimulus frequency and hearing loss contributed to this multivariate picture. Another variable, the average sound pressure level of the long-term acoustic environment, may also be important.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Gerken
- Collier Center for Communications Disorders, University of Texas at Dallas, 75235, USA.
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22
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Abstract
The utricle and saccule contain hair cells, which are the peripheral sensors of change in gravity that transmit signals regarding these changes to the neural components of the vestibular system. Although the fundamental neural pathways, especially the vestibular reflex pathways, have been investigated extensively, the principals underlying the functional development of this system are under study at present. The objective of this review is to identify the gravity-sensing components of the vestibular system and to present an overview of the research performed on their development. The second part of this review is focused on one important aspect of development, the emergence of electrical excitability using the chick tangential vestibular nucleus as a model. The importance of this research to understanding vestibular compensation and vestibular disturbance during spaceflight is considered. Because there is a conservation of the fundamental pathways and function in vertebrate phylogeny from birds through mammals, findings from studies on avians should contribute significantly to understanding the mechanisms operating in mammals. Also, we expect that as the events and basic mechanisms underlying normal vestibular development are revealed, these will provide practical tools to investigate the pattern of recovery from dysfunction of the vestibular system. This is related to the evidence suggesting that recovery of function in different systems and cell lines, including neurons, involves repeating certain patterns established during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- K D Peusner
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, George Washington University Medical Center, 2300 I Street N.W., Washington, DC 20037, USA.
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Mirz F, Pedersen B, Ishizu K, Johannsen P, Ovesen T, Stødkilde-Jørgensen H, Gjedde A. Positron emission tomography of cortical centers of tinnitus. Hear Res 1999; 134:133-44. [PMID: 10452383 DOI: 10.1016/s0378-5955(99)00075-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Tinnitus is associated with a wide variety of disorders in the auditory system. Whether generated peripherally or centrally, tinnitus is believed to be associated with activity in specific cortical regions. The present study tested the hypothesis that these cortical centers subserve the generation, perception and processing of the tinnitus stimulus and that these processes are suppressed by lidocaine and masking. Positron emission tomography was used to map the tinnitus-specific central activity. By subtracting positron emission tomography images of regional cerebral blood flow distribution obtained during suppression of the tinnitus from positron emission tomography images obtained during the habitual tinnitus sensation, we were able to identify brain areas concerned with the cerebral representation of tinnitus. Increased neuronal activity caused by tinnitus occurred predominantly in the right hemisphere with significant foci in the middle frontal and middle temporal gyri, in addition to lateral and mesial posterior sites. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the sensation of tinnitus is associated with activity in cortical regions functionally linked to subserve attention, emotion and memory. For the first time, the functional anatomy of conditions with and without the habitual tinnitus sensation was obtained and compared in the same subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Mirz
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
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