Haemodynamic profile of young subjects with transient tinnitus

A genome-wide association study of tinnitus reveals shared genetic links to neuropsychiatric disorders

Tinnitus, a phantom perception of sound in the absence of any external sound source, is a prevalent health condition often accompanied by psychiatric comorbidities. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) highlighted a polygenic nature of tinnitus susceptibility. A shared genetic component between tinnitus and psychiatric conditions remains elusive. Here we present a GWAS using the UK Biobank to investigate the genetic processes linked to tinnitus and tinnitus-related distress, followed by gene-set enrichment analyses. The UK Biobank sample comprised 132,438 individuals with tinnitus and genotype data. Among the study sample, 38,525 individuals reported tinnitus, and 26,889 participants mentioned they experienced tinnitus-related distress in daily living. The genome-wide association analyses were conducted on tinnitus and tinnitus-related distress. We conducted enrichment analyses using FUMA to further understand the genetic processes linked to tinnitus and tinnitus-related distress. A genome-wide significant locus (lead SNP: rs71595470) for tinnitus was obtained in the vicinity of GPM6A. Nineteen independent loci reached suggestive association with tinnitus. Fifteen independent loci reached suggestive association with tinnitus-related distress. The enrichment analysis revealed a shared genetic component between tinnitus and psychiatric traits, such as bipolar disorder, feeling worried, cognitive ability, fast beta electroencephalogram, and sensation seeking. Metabolic, cardiovascular, hematological, and pharmacological gene sets revealed a significant association with tinnitus. Anxiety and stress-related gene sets revealed a significant association with tinnitus-related distress. The GWAS signals for tinnitus were enriched in the hippocampus and cortex, and for tinnitus-related distress were enriched in the brain and spinal cord. This study provides novel insights into genetic processes associated with tinnitus and tinnitus-related distress and demonstrates a shared genetic component underlying tinnitus and psychiatric conditions. Further collaborative attempts are necessary to identify genetic components underlying the phenotypic heterogeneity in tinnitus and provide biological insight into the etiology.

Omega-3 fatty acids: a promising possible treatment for Meniere's disease and other inner ear disorders of unknown origin?

A consolidated therapy for "idiopathic" acute disorders of the inner ear, including Meniere's Disease (MD), does not exist despite the long-lasting and widespread attempts: this lack is strictly linked to pathogenic uncertainties. According to the theoretical model that our group developed and tested over the years, a possible cause of labyrinthine damage could be identified in systemic hemodynamic changes followed by an abnormal peripheral vasoconstriction: the latter could be responsible for a more or less prolonged ischemia able to threaten a highly energy-requiring and complicated organ as the inner ear. A possible way to treat MD attacks - as well as other inner ear disorders that possibly share the same origin - according to our model should be addressed to modulate the peripheral circulation and to maintain the balance of ion exchange, acting both on systemic hemodynamics and on cell and organelle membranes. Despite the absence of such a proposal in the English literature, a reliable solution could derive from the supplementation of the intake of a nutritional principle as Omega-3 (omega-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that seem to theoretically fulfil all the requirements necessary to achieve a homeostasis of the inner ear.

Diuretics in Meniere disease: a therapy or a potential cause of harm?

Despite the lack of clear evidence for their effectiveness in treating vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss and aural fullness, diuretics, represent a common treatment for Meniere disease (MD), as they are supposed to decrease volume and pressure in the endolymphatic partition of the labyrinth. Our group have outlined the possibility of an adverse effect on inner ear function derived from an abrupt lowering of blood pressure: a subsequent exaggerated vasomotor response inducing local ischemia could be responsible for more or less permanent damage. The inner ear, owing both to its terminal vascular supply and to the necessity of a steady metabolism, seems a reliable target for any hemodynamic imbalance that acutely affect its perfusion. In our opinion, the complexity of the inner ear anatomy and function argues against the usefulness of diuretics to reduce endolymphatic volume, in analogy to their effect on the volemia: too many active mechanisms and "buffer" systems are involved in the labyrinth. Even considering that the finding of mean low pressure values is relatively common in subjects with MD, an attempt should be to maintain a stable blood perfusion to the labyrinth; in fact, an abrupt decrease in systemic blood pressure can trigger an adverse sympathetic reaction and transmit misleading information to the cochlear vasopressin receptors.