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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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Jedrzejczak WW, Skarzynski PH, Raj-Koziak D, Sanfins MD, Hatzopoulos S, Kochanek K. ChatGPT for Tinnitus Information and Support: Response Accuracy and Retest after Three and Six Months. Brain Sci 2024; 14:465. [PMID: 38790444 PMCID: PMC11118795 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Testing of ChatGPT has recently been performed over a diverse range of topics. However, most of these assessments have been based on broad domains of knowledge. Here, we test ChatGPT's knowledge of tinnitus, an important but specialized aspect of audiology and otolaryngology. Testing involved evaluating ChatGPT's answers to a defined set of 10 questions on tinnitus. Furthermore, given the technology is advancing quickly, we re-evaluated the responses to the same 10 questions 3 and 6 months later. The accuracy of the responses was rated by 6 experts (the authors) using a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5. Most of ChatGPT's responses were rated as satisfactory or better. However, we did detect a few instances where the responses were not accurate and might be considered somewhat misleading. Over the first 3 months, the ratings generally improved, but there was no more significant improvement at 6 months. In our judgment, ChatGPT provided unexpectedly good responses, given that the questions were quite specific. Although no potentially harmful errors were identified, some mistakes could be seen as somewhat misleading. ChatGPT shows great potential if further developed by experts in specific areas, but for now, it is not yet ready for serious application.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Wiktor Jedrzejczak
- Department of Experimental Audiology, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, 05-830 Kajetany, Poland;
| | - Piotr H. Skarzynski
- Department of Teleaudiology and Screening, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, 05-830 Kajetany, Poland; (P.H.S.); (M.D.S.)
- Institute of Sensory Organs, 05-830 Kajetany, Poland
- Heart Failure and Cardiac Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 03-242 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Danuta Raj-Koziak
- Tinnitus Department, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, 05-830 Kajetany, Poland;
| | - Milaine Dominici Sanfins
- Department of Teleaudiology and Screening, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, 05-830 Kajetany, Poland; (P.H.S.); (M.D.S.)
- Speech-Hearing-Language Department, Audiology Discipline, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04023062, Brazil
| | - Stavros Hatzopoulos
- ENT and Audiology Unit, Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy;
| | - Krzysztof Kochanek
- Department of Experimental Audiology, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, 05-830 Kajetany, Poland;
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Montazeri K, Farhadi M, Majdabadi A, Akbarnejad Z, Fekrazad R, Shahbazi A, Mahmoudian S. Photobiomodulation therapy in improvement of harmful neural plasticity in sodium salicylate-induced tinnitus. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296607. [PMID: 38626075 PMCID: PMC11020422 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is a common annoying symptom without effective and accepted treatment. In this controlled experimental study, photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), which uses light to modulate and repair target tissue, was used to treat sodium salicylate (SS)-induced tinnitus in a rat animal model. Here, PBMT was performed simultaneously on the peripheral and central regions involved in tinnitus. The results were evaluated using objective tests including gap pre-pulse inhibition of acoustic startle (GPIAS), auditory brainstem response (ABR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Harmful neural plasticity induced by tinnitus was detected by doublecortin (DCX) protein expression, a known marker of neural plasticity. PBMT parameters were 808 nm wavelength, 165 mW/cm2 power density, and 99 J/cm2 energy density. In the tinnitus group, the mean gap in noise (GIN) value of GPIAS test was significantly decreased indicated the occurrence of an additional perceived sound like tinnitus and also the mean ABR threshold and brainstem transmission time (BTT) were significantly increased. In addition, a significant increase in DCX expression in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), dentate gyrus (DG) and the parafloccular lobe (PFL) of cerebellum was observed in the tinnitus group. In PBMT group, a significant increase in the GIN value, a significant decrease in the ABR threshold and BTT, and also significant reduction of DCX expression in the DG were observed. Based on our findings, PBMT has the potential to be used in the management of SS-induced tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katayoon Montazeri
- The Five Senses Health Institute, ENT and Head and Neck Research Center, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Farhadi
- The Five Senses Health Institute, ENT and Head and Neck Research Center, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Majdabadi
- Dentistry Research Institute, Laser Research Center of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zainab Akbarnejad
- The Five Senses Health Institute, ENT and Head and Neck Research Center, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Fekrazad
- Radiation Sciences Research Center, Laser Research Center in Medical Sciences, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Shahbazi
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeid Mahmoudian
- The Five Senses Health Institute, ENT and Head and Neck Research Center, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
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Martin-Lagos J, Bernal-Robledano A, Perez-Carpena P, Lamolda M, Escalera-Balsera A, Frejo L, Lopez-Escamez JA. Phenotypic spectrum of tinnitus patients bearing rare ANK2 gene variants. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2024:10.1007/s00405-024-08561-9. [PMID: 38507076 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-024-08561-9] [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: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To describe the clinical, audiological, and psychometric features observed in patients with chronic tinnitus and rare variants in the ANK2 gene. METHODS We report a case series of 12 patients with chronic tinnitus and heterozygous variants in the ANK2 gene. Tinnitus phenotyping included audiological (standard and high-frequency audiometry, Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) and Auditory Middle Latency Responses (AMLR)), psychoacoustic and psychometric assessment by a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for tinnitus annoyance, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), the test on Hypersensitivity to Sound (THS-GÜF), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). RESULTS All patients reported a persistent, unilateral noise-type tinnitus, mainly described as white noise or narrowband noise. Seven patients (58%) were considered to have extreme phenotype (THI score > 76), and all patients reported some degree of hyperacusis (THS-GÜF score > 18 in 75% of patients). Seven patients scored MoCA < 26, regardless of the age reported, suggesting a mild cognitive disorder. ABR showed no significant differences in latencies and amplitudes between ears with or without tinnitus. Similarly, the latencies of Pa, Pb waves, and NaPa complex in the AMLR did not differ based on the presence of tinnitus. However, there were statistical differences in the amplitudes of Pa waves in AMLR, with significantly greater amplitudes observed in ears with tinnitus. CONCLUSION Patients with ANK2 variants and severe tinnitus exhibit an endophenotype featuring hyperacusis, persistent noise-like tinnitus, high-frequency hearing loss, and decreased amplitudes in AMLR. However, anxiety, depression, and cognitive symptoms vary among individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Martin-Lagos
- Otology and Neurotology Group CTS495, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
- Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital Clínico Universitario San Cecilio, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.Granada, Granada, Spain
- Sensorineural Pathology Programme, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Bernal-Robledano
- Otology and Neurotology Group CTS495, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
- Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Sensorineural Pathology Programme, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Perez-Carpena
- Otology and Neurotology Group CTS495, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
- Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Sensorineural Pathology Programme, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Mar Lamolda
- Otology and Neurotology Group CTS495, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
- Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Sensorineural Pathology Programme, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alba Escalera-Balsera
- Otology and Neurotology Group CTS495, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
- Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Sensorineural Pathology Programme, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lidia Frejo
- Otology and Neurotology Group CTS495, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
- Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Sensorineural Pathology Programme, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Madrid, Spain
- Meniere's Disease Neuroscience Research Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Rm 611024, Level 11 Kolling Institute | 10 Westbourne St, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2064, Australia
| | - Jose A Lopez-Escamez
- Otology and Neurotology Group CTS495, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain.
- Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, ibs.GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.
- Sensorineural Pathology Programme, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Madrid, Spain.
- Meniere's Disease Neuroscience Research Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Rm 611024, Level 11 Kolling Institute | 10 Westbourne St, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW, 2064, Australia.
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Wertz J, Rüttiger L, Bender B, Klose U, Stark RS, Dapper K, Saemisch J, Braun C, Singer W, Dalhoff E, Bader K, Wolpert SM, Knipper M, Munk MHJ. Differential cortical activation patterns: pioneering sub-classification of tinnitus with and without hyperacusis by combining audiometry, gamma oscillations, and hemodynamics. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1232446. [PMID: 38239827 PMCID: PMC10794389 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1232446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The ongoing controversies about the neural basis of tinnitus, whether linked with central neural gain or not, may hamper efforts to develop therapies. We asked to what extent measurable audiometric characteristics of tinnitus without (T) or with co-occurrence of hyperacusis (TH) are distinguishable on the level of cortical responses. To accomplish this, electroencephalography (EEG) and concurrent functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) were measured while patients performed an attentionally demanding auditory discrimination task using stimuli within the individual tinnitus frequency (fTin) and a reference frequency (fRef). Resting-state-fMRI-based functional connectivity (rs-fMRI-bfc) in ascending auditory nuclei (AAN), the primary auditory cortex (AC-I), and four other regions relevant for directing attention or regulating distress in temporal, parietal, and prefrontal cortex was compiled and compared to EEG and concurrent fNIRS activity in the same brain areas. We observed no group differences in pure-tone audiometry (PTA) between 10 and 16 kHz. However, the PTA threshold around the tinnitus pitch was positively correlated with the self-rated tinnitus loudness and also correlated with distress in T-groups, while TH experienced their tinnitus loudness at minimal loudness levels already with maximal suffering scores. The T-group exhibited prolonged auditory brain stem (ABR) wave I latency and reduced ABR wave V amplitudes (indicating reduced neural synchrony in the brainstem), which were associated with lower rs-fMRI-bfc between AAN and the AC-I, as observed in previous studies. In T-subjects, these features were linked with elevated spontaneous and reduced evoked gamma oscillations and with reduced deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxy-Hb) concentrations in response to stimulation with lower frequencies in temporal cortex (Brodmann area (BA) 41, 42, 22), implying less synchronous auditory responses during active auditory discrimination of reference frequencies. In contrast, in the TH-group gamma oscillations and hemodynamic responses in temporoparietal regions were reversed during active discrimination of tinnitus frequencies. Our findings suggest that T and TH differ in auditory discrimination and memory-dependent directed attention during active discrimination at either tinnitus or reference frequencies, offering a test paradigm that may allow for more precise sub-classification of tinnitus and future improved treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Wertz
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Bender
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Uwe Klose
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Robert S. Stark
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Konrad Dapper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jörg Saemisch
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Wibke Singer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ernst Dalhoff
- Section of Physiological Acoustics and Communication, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katharina Bader
- Section of Physiological Acoustics and Communication, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan M. Wolpert
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias H. J. Munk
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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Morse K, Vander Werff K. The Effect of Tinnitus and Related Characteristics on Subcortical Auditory Processing. Ear Hear 2023; 44:1344-1353. [PMID: 37127904 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether individuals with tinnitus exhibited evidence of reduced inhibition and increased excitation at the subcortical auditory processing level. Based on the proposed mechanism of tinnitus generation, including peripheral auditory insult that triggers reduced inhibition and subcortical hyperactivity, it was hypothesized that a tinnitus group would yield reduced amplitudes for the most peripheral auditory brainstem response (ABR) component (wave I) and larger amplitudes for the most central ABR component (wave V) relative to controls matched on factors of age, sex, and hearing loss. Further, this study assessed the relative influence of tinnitus presence versus other related individual characteristics, including hearing loss, age, noise exposure history, and speech perception in noise on these ABR outcomes. DESIGN Subcortical processing was examined using click-evoked ABR in an independent groups experimental design. A group of adults who perceived daily unilateral or bilateral tinnitus were matched with a control group counterpart without tinnitus by age, hearing, and sex (in each group n = 18; 10 females, 8 males). Amplitudes for ABR waves I, III, V, and the V/I ratio were compared between groups by independent t-tests. The relative influence of tinnitus (presence/absence), age (in years), noise exposure history (subjective self-report), hearing loss (audiometric thresholds), and speech perception in noise (SNR-50) was determined based on the proportional reduction in error associated with accounting for each variable of interest using multiple regression. RESULTS Between-group trends were consistent with smaller amplitudes for all ABR components in individuals with tinnitus. Contrary to our hypotheses, however, none of the tinnitus compared with control group differences in ABR outcomes were statistically significant. In the multiple regression models, none of the factors including tinnitus presence, age, noise exposure history, hearing loss, and speech perception in noise significantly predicted ABR V/I ratio outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The presence of reduced inhibition and subcortical hyperactivity in the tinnitus group was not supported in the current study. There were trends in ABR outcomes consistent with reduced peripheral to central brainstem auditory activity in the tinnitus group, but none of the group differences reached significance. It should also be noted that the tinnitus group had poorer extended high-frequency thresholds compared with controls. Regardless, neither tinnitus presence nor any of the proposed related characteristics were found to significantly influence the ABR V/I ratio. These findings suggest that either reduced subcortical inhibition was not a primary underlying mechanism for the tinnitus perceived by these subjects, or that ABR was not a reliable indicator of reduced subcortical inhibition possibly due to characteristics of the sample including a skewed distributions toward young and normal hearing individuals with little tinnitus distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Morse
- Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Kathy Vander Werff
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
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Montazeri K, Farhadi M, Akbarnejad Z, Asadpour A, Majdabadi A, Fekrazad R, Mahmoudian S. Acoustic and optoacoustic stimulations in auditory brainstem response test in salicylate induced tinnitus. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11930. [PMID: 37488197 PMCID: PMC10366222 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39033-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
As a common debilitating disorder worldwide, tinnitus requires objective assessment. In the auditory brainstem response (ABR) test, auditory potentials can be evoked by acoustic or optoacoustic (induced by laser light) stimulations. In order to use the ABR test in the objective assessment of tinnitus, in this study, acoustic ABR (aABR) and optoacoustic ABR (oABR) were compared in the control and tinnitus groups to determine the changes caused by sodium salicylate (SS)-induced tinnitus in rat. In both aABR and oABR, wave II was the most prominent waveform, and the amplitude of wave II evoked by oABR was significantly higher than that of aABR. Brainstem transmission time (BTT), which represents the time required for a neural stimulation to progress from the auditory nerve ending to the inferior colliculus, was significantly shorter in oABR. In the tinnitus group, there was a significant increase in the threshold of both ABRs and a significant decrease in the amplitude of wave II only in the oABR. Based on our findings, the ABR test has the potential to be used in the assessment of SS-induced tinnitus, but oABR has the advantages of producing more prominent waveforms and significantly reducing the amplitude of wave II in tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katayoon Montazeri
- ENT and Head and Neck Research Center, The Five Senses Health Institute, School of Medicine, Hazrate Rasoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1445613131, Iran
| | - Mohammad Farhadi
- ENT and Head and Neck Research Center, The Five Senses Health Institute, School of Medicine, Hazrate Rasoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1445613131, Iran
| | - Zeinab Akbarnejad
- ENT and Head and Neck Research Center, The Five Senses Health Institute, School of Medicine, Hazrate Rasoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1445613131, Iran
| | - Abdoreza Asadpour
- Intelligent Systems Research Centre, Ulster University, Derry Campus, Derry~Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Abbas Majdabadi
- Laser Research Center of Dentistry, Dentistry Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Fekrazad
- Radiation Sciences Research Center, Laser Research Center in Medical Sciences, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeid Mahmoudian
- ENT and Head and Neck Research Center, The Five Senses Health Institute, School of Medicine, Hazrate Rasoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1445613131, Iran.
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Van Den Broucke A, Van Kerrebrouck J, Van Ransbeeck W, Pynckels R, Frater A, Torfs G, Verhulst S. Wireless and Wearable Auditory EEG Acquisition Hardware Using Around-The-Ear cEEGrid Electrodes. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023; 2023:1-4. [PMID: 38083060 DOI: 10.1109/embc40787.2023.10340180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Aside from a clinical interest in electroencephalography (EEG) measurements of real-time data with a high temporal resolution, there is a demand for acquisition systems that are operable outside the laboratory environment. In this study, we designed a wearable and low-power EEG system for multichannel EEG acquisition beyond the lab doors. Around-the-ear cEEGrid electrodes are used to capture 8 biopotential channels which are amplified by low-power precision instrumentation amplifiers and passed on to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). An ESP32 micro-controller captures the data from the ADC and stores it on an external SD card. The proposed system is compared to a state-of-the-art EEG acquisition system (BioSemi) to assess its diagnostic power for auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). The recordings with our portable system match, and even outperform, the baseline method's specifications. Our hardware opens up new avenues for fast sampling-rate auditory EEG recordings that can be used in hearing diagnostics, damage prevention and treatment follow up.
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Kim JM, Rim HS, Kim SS, Kim SH, Byun JY, Yeo SG. Comparative study of SSNHL with and without tinnitus: audiologic and hematologic differences. Acta Otolaryngol 2023; 143:589-595. [PMID: 37435834 DOI: 10.1080/00016489.2023.2229376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Tinnitus is one of the most common symptoms of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), with the incidence of tinnitus in patients with SSNHL ranging from 60% to 90%. Little is known, however, about the specific audiologic and hematologic factors that may be associated with the development of tinnitus. To better understand the relationship between tinnitus and SSNHL, the present study compared audiologic and hematologic factors in SSNHL patients with tinnitus and without tinnitus. SUBJECTS AND METHOD The present study compared 120 patients with SSNHL with tinnitus and 59 patients with SSNHL without tinnitus at their initial examination. Their audiology and hematologic test results were analyzed, and hearing recovery was determined by comparing the hearing thresholds before and after treatment. RESULTS 120 patients with tinnitus showed longer III and V latency in auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests, lower signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) at 2 kHz in transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) tests, and lower response rates at 2 kHz in distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) tests of the affected ear (p < 0.05 each) than the 59 patients without tinnitus. However, there were no significant between-group differences in the mean hearing threshold and hearing recovery rate of the affected ear. Patients with tinnitus had significantly worse mean hearing thresholds and hearing thresholds at 4 kHz in the nonaffected ear. The percentages of monocytes and large unstained cells (%LUCs) were higher in the group without tinnitus (p < 0.05), although there were no significant between-group differences in inflammatory markers, such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR). CONCLUSION Tinnitus accompanying SSNHL may be associated with baseline hearing level, as well as being an indicator of damage to outer hair cells and auditory nerves. Additional studies are needed to evaluate hematologic data in SSNHL patients with and without tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Min Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwa Sung Rim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Soo Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang Hoon Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Yong Byun
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Geun Yeo
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Manta O, Sarafidis M, Schlee W, Mazurek B, Matsopoulos GK, Koutsouris DD. Development of Machine-Learning Models for Tinnitus-Related Distress Classification Using Wavelet-Transformed Auditory Evoked Potential Signals and Clinical Data. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12113843. [PMID: 37298037 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12113843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is a highly prevalent condition, affecting more than 1 in 7 adults in the EU and causing negative effects on sufferers' quality of life. In this study, we utilised data collected within the "UNITI" project, the largest EU tinnitus-related research programme. Initially, we extracted characteristics from both auditory brainstem response (ABR) and auditory middle latency response (AMLR) signals, which were derived from tinnitus patients. We then combined these features with the patients' clinical data, and integrated them to build machine learning models for the classification of individuals and their ears according to their level of tinnitus-related distress. Several models were developed and tested on different datasets to determine the most relevant features and achieve high performances. Specifically, seven widely used classifiers were utilised on all generated datasets: random forest (RF), linear, radial, and polynomial support vector machines (SVM), naive bayes (NB), neural networks (NN), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Results showed that features extracted from the wavelet-scattering transformed AMLR signals were the most informative data. In combination with the 15 LASSO-selected clinical features, the SVM classifier achieved optimal performance with an AUC value, sensitivity, and specificity of 92.53%, 84.84%, and 83.04%, respectively, indicating high discrimination performance between the two groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ourania Manta
- Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Michail Sarafidis
- Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Winfried Schlee
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
- Institute for Information and Process Management, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, 9001 St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Birgit Mazurek
- Tinnitus Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - George K Matsopoulos
- Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios D Koutsouris
- Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece
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Park Y, Shin SH, Byun SW, Lee ZY, Lee HY. Audiological and psychological assessment of tinnitus patients with normal hearing. Front Neurol 2023; 13:1102294. [PMID: 36712420 PMCID: PMC9878854 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.1102294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study was performed to assess identifiable abnormalities in tinnitus patients with normal hearing. Methods The medical records of subjective non-pulsatile tinnitus patients with normal hearing confirmed by conventional pure-tone audiometry who visited our tinnitus clinic between March 2020 and May 2022 were reviewed. The loudness discomfort level (LDL), extended high-frequency hearing loss (EHFHL), summating potential (SP)/action potential (AP) ratio, distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), thresholds of auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave V, somatic modulation, and psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and stress were evaluated by questionnaires. Results Decreased LDL (n = 48, 59.8%) was the most frequent finding, followed by EHFHL (n = 29, 35.4%), increased SP/AP ratio (n = 27, 32.9%), psychiatric symptoms (n = 24, 29.3%), decreased DPOAE (n = 17, 20.7%), somatic modulation (n = 8, 9.8%), and increased ABR threshold (n = 3, 3.7%); 75.6% of patients had one or more of these findings. The presence of psychiatric symptoms was independently associated with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score. Conclusion Tinnitus in patients with normal hearing may be accompanied by a combination of various subclinical abnormal audiological findings. However, the presence of psychiatric symptoms alone was independently associated with tinnitus distress.
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Casolani C, Harte JM, Epp B. Categorization of tinnitus listeners with a focus on cochlear synaptopathy. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277023. [PMID: 36512555 PMCID: PMC9746990 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is a complex and not yet fully understood phenomenon. Often the treatments provided are effective only for subgroups of sufferers. We are presently not able to predict benefit with the currently available diagnostic tools and analysis methods. Being able to identify and specifically treat sub-categories of tinnitus would help develop and implement more targeted treatments with higher success rate. In this study we use a clustering analysis based on 17 predictors to cluster an audiologically homogeneous group of normal hearing participants, both with and without tinnitus. The predictors have been chosen to be either tinnitus-specific measures or measures that are thought to be connected to cochlear synaptopathy. Our aim was to identify a subgroup of participants with characteristics consistent with the current hypothesized impact of cochlear synaptopathy. Our results show that this approach can separate the listeners into different clusters. But not in all cases could the tinnitus sufferers be separated from the control group. Another challenge is the use of categorical measures which seem to dominate the importance analysis of the factors. The study showed that data-driven clustering of a homogeneous listener group based on a mixed set of experimental outcome measures is a promising tool for tinnitus sub-typing, with the caveat that sample sizes might need to be sufficiently high, and higher than in the present study, to keep a meaningful sample size after clustering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Casolani
- Auditory Physics Group, Hearing Systems Section, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- Interacoustics Research Unit, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - James Michael Harte
- Interacoustics Research Unit, Lyngby, Denmark
- Eriksholm Research Centre, Snekkersten, Denmark
| | - Bastian Epp
- Auditory Physics Group, Hearing Systems Section, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- * E-mail:
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13
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Wang K, Lu X, Sun S. Application of auditory mismatch negativity in tinnitus patients based on high-resolution electroencephalogram signals. Transl Neurosci 2022; 13:460-469. [PMID: 36561287 PMCID: PMC9743199 DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2022-0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of mismatch negativity (MMN) by comparing high-resolution electroencephalogram signals from tinnitus patients and healthy controls. Methods The study included eight subjects with chronic subjective idiopathic tinnitus and seven healthy controls. Participants with clinical speech (512-2,000 Hz) hearing thresholds less than 25 dB HL and with negative Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores were included in the study. The E-Prime 2.0 software and a 256-electrode EGI Net Station system were used to evoke and record the MMN signal, and the amplitude and latency parameters of the MMN responses were compared between the two groups. Results From 150 ms, there was a significant difference between the amplitude of standard stimulation and deviation stimulation, and the event-related potential amplitude under deviation stimulation in the tinnitus patient group was significantly different from that in the healthy group. The MMN amplitude of the FCz electrode was statistically significantly lower in the tinnitus patients compared to healthy controls. Conclusion MMN has application value in the evaluation of abnormal electrical activity in the auditory pathway, and electroencephalograms are feasible for follow-up monitoring after acoustic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunkun Wang
- ENT Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaoling Lu
- ENT Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Shan Sun
- ENT Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
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14
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Manta O, Sarafidis M, Vasileiou N, Schlee W, Consoulas C, Kikidis D, Vassou E, Matsopoulos GK, Koutsouris DD. Development and Evaluation of Automated Tools for Auditory-Brainstem and Middle-Auditory Evoked Potentials Waves Detection and Annotation. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12121675. [PMID: 36552135 PMCID: PMC9775187 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12121675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) are brain-derived electrical signals, following an auditory stimulus, utilised to examine any obstructions along the brain neural-pathways and to diagnose hearing impairment. The clinical evaluation of AEPs is based on the measurements of the latencies and amplitudes of waves of interest; hence, their identification is a prerequisite for AEP analysis. This process has proven to be complex, as it requires relevant clinical experience, and the existing software for this purpose has little practical use. The aim of this study was the development of two automated annotation tools for ABR (auditory brainstem response)- and AMLR (auditory middle latency response)-tests. After the acquisition of 1046 raw waveforms, appropriate pre-processing and implementation of a four-stage development process were performed, to define the appropriate logical conditions and steps for each algorithm. The tools' detection and annotation results, regarding the waves of interest, were then compared to the clinicians' manual annotation, achieving match rates of at least 93.86%, 98.51%, and 91.51% respectively, for the three ABR-waves of interest, and 93.21%, 92.25%, 83.35%, and 79.27%, respectively, for the four AMLR-waves. The application of such tools in AEP analysis is expected to assist towards an easier interpretation of these signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ourania Manta
- Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence:
| | - Michail Sarafidis
- Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Vasileiou
- Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Winfried Schlee
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Christos Consoulas
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitris Kikidis
- 1st Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Hippocrateion General Hospital, 15772 Athens, Greece
| | - Evgenia Vassou
- 1st Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Hippocrateion General Hospital, 15772 Athens, Greece
| | - George K. Matsopoulos
- Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios D. Koutsouris
- Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece
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Jeong YJ, Oh KH, Lim SJ, Park DH, Rah YC, Choi J. Analysis of auditory brain stem response and otoacoustic emission in unilateral tinnitus patients with normal hearing. Auris Nasus Larynx 2022:S0385-8146(22)00228-0. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anl.2022.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Pinsonnault-Skvarenina A, Soucy W, Noël J, Doucet F, Lévesque É, Fuente A, Leroux T. Supra-threshold deficits in normal hearing military recruits exposed to impulse noise. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:2419. [PMID: 36319241 DOI: 10.1121/10.0014829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of impulse noise exposure on various proxy measures of cochlear synaptopathy in young military recruits. A total of 27 military recruits with exposure to firearm and artillery noise and 13 non exposed participants were recruited. All presented with normal hearing thresholds and the presence of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). The Noise Exposure Structured Interview (NESI) was used to quantify noise exposure. Speech perception in noise (SPiN), equivalent rectangular bandwidth (ERB) of auditory filters, auditory brainstem response wave I amplitude, wave I amplitude growth function, wave I/V amplitude ratio, wave V latency, wave V latency shift with ipsilateral noise, and the summating potential/action potential ratio of the electrocochleography were measured. In military participants, SPiN was worse, ERB at 4 kHz was larger, wave I amplitude at 75 dBnHL was reduced, and wave V latency was delayed. However, no significant correlations were observed between NESI and auditory measures, once multiplicity of tests was controlled for. These results suggest that military recruits may exhibit supra-threshold deficits, despite presenting with normal hearing thresholds and presence of DPOAEs. Future studies should include a measure of auditory filters in their test battery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William Soucy
- École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Jonathan Noël
- École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Félicia Doucet
- École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Élise Lévesque
- École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Adrian Fuente
- École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Tony Leroux
- École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada
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Special Issue "New Insights into Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Tinnitus". Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101330. [PMID: 36291264 PMCID: PMC9599459 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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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: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [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
- *Correspondence: Laura Jacxsens
| | - 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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Polonenko MJ, Maddox RK. Optimizing Parameters for Using the Parallel Auditory Brainstem Response to Quickly Estimate Hearing Thresholds. Ear Hear 2022; 43:646-658. [PMID: 34593686 PMCID: PMC8881303 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Timely assessments are critical to providing early intervention and better hearing and spoken language outcomes for children with hearing loss. To facilitate faster diagnostic hearing assessments in infants, the authors developed the parallel auditory brainstem response (pABR), which presents randomly timed trains of tone pips at five frequencies to each ear simultaneously. The pABR yields high-quality waveforms that are similar to the standard, single-frequency serial ABR but in a fraction of the recording time. While well-documented for standard ABRs, it is yet unknown how presentation rate and level interact to affect responses collected in parallel. Furthermore, the stimuli are yet to be calibrated to perceptual thresholds. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the optimal range of parameters for the pABR and to establish the normative stimulus level correction values for the ABR stimuli. DESIGN Two experiments were completed, each with a group of 20 adults (18-35 years old) with normal-hearing thresholds (≤20 dB HL) from 250 to 8000 Hz. First, pABR electroencephalographic (EEG) responses were recorded for six stimulation rates and two intensities. The changes in component wave V amplitude and latency were analyzed, as well as the time required for all responses to reach a criterion signal-to-noise ratio of 0 dB. Second, behavioral thresholds were measured for pure tones and for the pABR stimuli at each rate to determine the correction factors that relate the stimulus level in dB peSPL to perceptual thresholds in dB nHL. RESULTS The pABR showed some adaptation with increased stimulation rate. A wide range of rates yielded robust responses in under 15 minutes, but 40 Hz was the optimal singular presentation rate. Extending the analysis window to include later components of the response offered further time-saving advantages for the temporally broader responses to low-frequency tone pips. The perceptual thresholds to pABR stimuli changed subtly with rate, giving a relatively similar set of correction factors to convert the level of the pABR stimuli from dB peSPL to dB nHL. CONCLUSIONS The optimal stimulation rate for the pABR is 40 Hz but using multiple rates may prove useful. Perceptual thresholds that subtly change across rate allow for a testing paradigm that easily transitions between rates, which may be useful for quickly estimating thresholds for different configurations of hearing loss. These optimized parameters facilitate expediency and effectiveness of the pABR to estimate hearing thresholds in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Polonenko
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester, NY, USA
- Center for Visual Sciences, University of Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ross K Maddox
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, NY, USA
- Center for Visual Sciences, University of Rochester, NY, USA
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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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Mechanism and Protection of Radiotherapy Induced Sensorineural Hearing Loss for Head and Neck Cancer. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2021:3548706. [PMID: 34970625 PMCID: PMC8714384 DOI: 10.1155/2021/3548706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Radiotherapy-induced sensorineural hearing loss (RISNHL) is a common adverse effect in patients with head and neck cancer. Given that there are few studies on the pathogenesis of RISNHL at present, we summarized the possible pathogenesis of RISNHL and possible protective measures found at present by referring to relevant literatures. Methods We performed a comprehensive literature search in the PubMed database, using keywords “sensorineural hearing loss,” “radiotherapy,” and “cancer,” among others. The literature was examined for the possible mechanism and preventive measures of sensorineural hearing loss induced by radiotherapy. Results We found that the incidence of RISNHL was closely related to the damage directly caused by ionizing radiation and the radiation-induced bystander effect. It also depends on the dose of radiation and the timing of chemotherapy. Studies confirmed that RISNHL is mainly involved in post-RT inflammatory response and changes in reactive oxygen species, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and p53 signaling pathways, leading to specific manners of cell death. We expect to reduce the incidence of hearing loss through advanced radiotherapy techniques, dose limitation of organs at risk, application of cell signaling inhibitors, use of antioxidants, induction of cochlear hair cell regeneration, and cochlear implantation. Conclusion RISNHL is associated with radiation damage to DNA, oxidative stress, and inflammation of cochlear cells, stria vascularis endothelial cells, vascular endothelial cells, spiral ganglion neurons, and other supporting cells. At present, the occurrence mechanism of RISNHL has not been clearly illustrated, and further studies are needed to better understand the underlying mechanism, which is crucial to promote the formulation of better strategies and prevent the occurrence of RISNHL.
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22
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Chen F, Zhao F, Mahafza N, Lu W. Detecting Noise-Induced Cochlear Synaptopathy by Auditory Brainstem Response in Tinnitus Patients With Normal Hearing Thresholds: A Meta-Analysis. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:778197. [PMID: 34987358 PMCID: PMC8721093 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.778197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy (CS) is defined as a permanent loss of synapses in the auditory nerve pathway following noise exposure. Several studies using auditory brainstem response (ABR) have indicated the presence of CS and increased central gain in tinnitus patients with normal hearing thresholds (TNHT), but the results were inconsistent. This meta-analysis aimed to review the evidence of CS and its pathological changes in the central auditory system in TNHT. Published studies using ABR to study TNHT were reviewed. PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were selected to search for relevant literature. Studies (489) were retrieved, and 11 were included for meta-analysis. The results supported significantly reduced wave I amplitude in TNHT, whereas the alternations in wave V amplitude were inconsistent among the studies. Consistently increased V/I ratio indicated noise-induced central gain enhancement. The results indicated the evidence of noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy in tinnitus patients with normal hearing. However, inconsistent changes in wave V amplitude may be explained by that the failure of central gain that triggers the pathological neural changes in the central auditory system and/or that increased central gain may be necessary to generate tinnitus but not to maintain tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifan Chen
- Centre for Speech and Language Therapy and Hearing Science, Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Fei Zhao
- Centre for Speech and Language Therapy and Hearing Science, Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Department of Hearing and Speech Science, Guangzhou Xinhua College, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nadeem Mahafza
- Centre for Speech and Language Therapy and Hearing Science, Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Lu
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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23
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Knipper M, Mazurek B, van Dijk P, Schulze H. Too Blind to See the Elephant? Why Neuroscientists Ought to Be Interested in Tinnitus. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2021; 22:609-621. [PMID: 34686939 PMCID: PMC8599745 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-021-00815-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
A curative therapy for tinnitus currently does not exist. One may actually exist but cannot currently be causally linked to tinnitus due to the lack of consistency of concepts about the neural correlate of tinnitus. Depending on predictions, these concepts would require either a suppression or enhancement of brain activity or an increase in inhibition or disinhibition. Although procedures with a potential to silence tinnitus may exist, the lack of rationale for their curative success hampers an optimization of therapeutic protocols. We discuss here six candidate contributors to tinnitus that have been suggested by a variety of scientific experts in the field and that were addressed in a virtual panel discussion at the ARO round table in February 2021. In this discussion, several potential tinnitus contributors were considered: (i) inhibitory circuits, (ii) attention, (iii) stress, (iv) unidentified sub-entities, (v) maladaptive information transmission, and (vi) minor cochlear deafferentation. Finally, (vii) some potential therapeutic approaches were discussed. The results of this discussion is reflected here in view of potential blind spots that may still remain and that have been ignored in most tinnitus literature. We strongly suggest to consider the high impact of connecting the controversial findings to unravel the whole complexity of the tinnitus phenomenon; an essential prerequisite for establishing suitable therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlies Knipper
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Birgit Mazurek
- Tinnitus Center Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pim van Dijk
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Holger Schulze
- Experimental Otolaryngology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Waldstrasse 1, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
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Han MS, Jeong YJ, Im GJ, Song JJ, Chae SW, Chan Rah Y, Choi J. Auditory brainstem response test results in normal hearing adolescents with subjective tinnitus. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2021; 146:110775. [PMID: 34022656 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2021.110775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The objective of the study was to analyze the auditory brainstem response (ABR) test results of adolescents with normal hearing threshold who have subjective tinnitus in an effort to determine the probable site of origin of tinnitus. METHODS Among the patients who visited the outpatient clinic of the Department of Otolaryngology at our tertiary hospital from January 2016 to December 2019, adolescents aged 13-18 years with the chief complaint of unilateral subjective tinnitus and pure tone audiometry (PTA) within 25 dB HL were enrolled and retrospectively reviewed. The ABR test parameters (amplitudes and latencies of waves I, III, and V and interpeak latencies [IPLs] of waves I-III, III-V, and I-V) were analyzed and compared between tinnitus ears and contralateral ears without tinnitus. Study participants were divided into the chronic tinnitus (tinnitus duration ≥6 months) and non-chronic tinnitus (tinnitus duration <6 months) groups, and the difference between the two groups was analyzed. RESULTS Ten adolescents were included in the study, and their ABR test results were reviewed. IPL III-V was significantly prolonged in tinnitus ears compared to non-tinnitus ears (p = 0.035). Although other parameters were found to be statistically non-significant, there was preponderance in ABR wave I amplitude; it was smaller in tinnitus ears of chronic tinnitus adolescents than in those of non-chronic tinnitus adolescents (p = 0.114). CONCLUSION The probable site of origin of tinnitus in adolescents with normal hearing might be in the upper brainstem of the auditory pathway. Further analysis of ABR test results in adolescents with tinnitus and normal hearing can help clarify the pathophysiology of tinnitus in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mun Soo Han
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, South Korea
| | - Yong Jun Jeong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, South Korea
| | - Gi Jung Im
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jae-Jun Song
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sung-Won Chae
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yoon Chan Rah
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, South Korea
| | - June Choi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, South Korea.
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25
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Joo JW, Jeong YJ, Han MS, Chang YS, Rah YC, Choi J. Analysis of Auditory Brainstem Response Change, according to Tinnitus Duration, in Patients with Tinnitus with Normal Hearing. J Int Adv Otol 2021; 16:190-196. [PMID: 32784156 DOI: 10.5152/iao.2020.7951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to analyze auditory brainstem response (ABR) waveforms of patients with tinnitus with normal hearing, according to tinnitus duration, and demonstrate the possible pathophysiological mechanisms of tinnitus. MATERIALS AND METHODS From January 2016 to December 2017, patients who presented to our hospital with tinnitus as their chief complaint were enrolled and reviewed retrospectively. Pure tone audiometry and ABR tests were performed. The patients were classified into three groups according to tinnitus duration: acute (<1 month), subacute (1-6 months), and chronic (>6 months). The amplitudes of waves I and V and the latencies of waves I, III, and V were evaluated. In this study, 177 ears of 128 patients with tinnitus with normal hearing were evaluated. RESULTS Wave V amplitude was significantly lower during the subacute phase than during the acute phase. The absolute latency value of wave V was greater during the subacute phase than during the acute phase. The interpeak latency I-V was significantly prolonged during the subacute phase compared with the acute and chronic phases. Wave V amplitude, wave V absolute latency, and interpeak latency I-V varied significantly between cases with a 1-month and 6-month tinnitus history. CONCLUSION The compensatory response to tinnitus decreased sharply after 1 month of symptoms. Early tinnitus identification and treatment initiation are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Woo Joo
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Jun Jeong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mun Soo Han
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Soo Chang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Chan Rah
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - June Choi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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26
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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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27
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Jiang Y, Samuel OW, Zhang H, Chen S, Li G. Towards effective assessment of normal hearing function from ABR using a time-variant sweep-tone stimulus approach. Physiol Meas 2021; 42. [PMID: 33238252 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6579/abcdf2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective. The auditory brainstem response (ABR) audiometry is a means of assessing the functional status of the auditory neural pathway in the clinic. The conventional click ABR test lacks good neural synchrony and it mainly evaluates high-frequency hearing while the common tone-burst ABR test only detects hearing loss of a certain frequency at a time. Additionally, the existing chirp stimuli are designed based on average data of cochlear characteristics, ignoring individual differences amongst subjects.Approach. Therefore, this study designed a new stimulus approach based on a sweep-tone concept with a time variant and spectrum characteristics that could be customized based on an individual's cochlear characteristics. To validate the efficiency of the proposed method, we compared its performance with the click and tone-bursts using ABR recordings from 11 normal-hearing adults.Main results. Experimental results showed that the proposed sweep-tone ABR achieved a higher amplitude compared with those elicited by the click and tone-bursts. When the stimulus level or rate was varied, the sweep-tone ABR consistently elicited a larger response than the corresponding click ABR. Moreover, the sweep-tone ABR appeared earlier than the click ABR under the same conditions. Specifically, the mean wave V peak-to-peak amplitude of the sweep-tone ABR was 1.3 times that of the click ABR at 70 dB nHL (normal hearing level) and a rate of 20 s-1, in which the former saved 40% of test time.Significance. In summary, the proposed sweep-tone approach is found to be more efficient than the traditional click and tone-burst in eliciting ABR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbing Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and the SIAT Branch, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.,Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Oluwarotimi Williams Samuel
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and the SIAT Branch, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Haoshi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and the SIAT Branch, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.,Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Shixiong Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and the SIAT Branch, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.,Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanglin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and the SIAT Branch, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.,Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
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28
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Kang HJ, Kang DW, Kim SS, Oh TI, Kim SH, Yeo SG. Analysis of Chronic Tinnitus in Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Presbycusis. J Clin Med 2021; 10:1779. [PMID: 33921850 PMCID: PMC8074034 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10081779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The most frequent causes of tinnitus associated with hearing loss are noise-induced hearing loss and presbycusis. The mechanism of tinnitus is not yet clear, although several hypotheses have been suggested. Therefore, we aimed to analyze characteristics of chronic tinnitus between noise-induced hearing loss and presbycusis. Materials and Methods: This paper is a retrospective chart review and outpatient clinic-based study of 248 patients with chronic tinnitus from 2015 to 2020 with noise-induced or presbycusis. Pure tone audiometry (PTA), auditory brainstem response (ABR), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE), and tinnitograms were conducted. Results: PTA showed that hearing thresholds at all frequencies were higher in patients with noise-induced hearing loss than the presbycusis group. ABR tests showed that patients with presbycusis had longer wave I and III latencies (p < 0.05 each) than patients with noise-induced hearing loss. TEOAE tests showed lower values in patients with noise-induced hearing loss than presbycusis at 1.5, 2, 3, and 4 kHz (p < 0.05 each). DPOAE tests showed that response rates in both ears at 1.5, 2, and 3 kHz were significantly higher in patients with presbycusis than noise-induced hearing loss (p < 0.05 each). Discussion: This study showed that hearing thresholds were higher, the loudness of tinnitus was smaller, and the degree of damage to outer hair cells was lower in patients with presbycusis than with noise-induced hearing loss. Moreover, wave I and III latencies were more prolonged in patients with presbycusis despite their having lower hearing thresholds. These phenomena may reflect the effects of aging or degeneration of the central nervous system with age. Further studies are needed to evaluate the etiologies of tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee Jin Kang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea; (H.J.K.); (D.W.K.); (S.H.K.)
| | - Dae Woong Kang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea; (H.J.K.); (D.W.K.); (S.H.K.)
| | - Sung Su Kim
- Medical Research Center for Bioreaction to Reactive Oxygen Species and Biomedical Science Institute, School of Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;
| | - Tong In Oh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;
| | - Sang Hoon Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea; (H.J.K.); (D.W.K.); (S.H.K.)
| | - Seung Geun Yeo
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea; (H.J.K.); (D.W.K.); (S.H.K.)
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Macrostructural Changes of the Acoustic Radiation in Humans with Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Revealed with Fixel-Based Analysis. J Neurosci 2021; 41:3958-3965. [PMID: 33795427 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2996-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related hearing loss is the most prevalent sensory impairment in the older adult population and is related to noise-induced damage or age-related deterioration of the peripheral auditory system. Hearing loss may affect the central auditory pathway in the brain, which is a continuation of the peripheral auditory system located in the ear. A debilitating symptom that frequently co-occurs with hearing loss is tinnitus. Strikingly, investigations into the impact of acquired hearing loss, with and without tinnitus, on the human central auditory pathway are sparse. This study used diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to investigate changes in the largest central auditory tract, the acoustic radiation, related to hearing loss and tinnitus. Participants with hearing loss, with and without tinnitus, and a control group were included. Both conventional diffusion tensor analysis and higher-order fixel-based analysis were applied. The fixel-based analysis was used as a novel framework providing insight into the axonal density and macrostructural morphologic changes of the acoustic radiation in hearing loss and tinnitus. The results show tinnitus-related atrophy of the left acoustic radiation near the medial geniculate body. This finding may reflect a decrease in myelination of the auditory pathway, instigated by more profound peripheral deafferentation or reflecting a preexisting marker of tinnitus vulnerability. Furthermore, age was negatively correlated with the axonal density in the bilateral acoustic radiation. This loss of fiber density with age may contribute to poorer speech understanding observed in older adults.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Age-related hearing loss is the most prevalent sensory impairment in the older adult population. Older individuals are subject to the cumulative effects of aging and noise exposure on the auditory system. A debilitating symptom that frequently co-occurs with hearing loss is tinnitus: the perception of a phantom sound. In this large DWI-study, we provide evidence that in hearing loss, the additional presence of tinnitus is related to degradation of the acoustic radiation. Additionally, older age was related to axonal loss in the acoustic radiation. It appears that older adults have the aggravating circumstances of age, hearing loss, and tinnitus on central auditory processing, which may partly be because of the observed deterioration of the acoustic radiation with age.
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30
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Michniewicz B, Wroblewska-Seniuk K, Amara JA, Al-Saad SR, Szyfter W, Karbowski LM, Gadzinowski J, Szymankiewicz M, Szpecht D. Hearing Impairment in Infants with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Treated with Hypothermia. Ther Hypothermia Temp Manag 2021; 12:8-15. [PMID: 33512300 DOI: 10.1089/ther.2020.0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic hypothermia acts as the standard of care for infants with moderate to severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). A proportion of neonates who undergo hypothermia due to HIE have shown to develop various degrees of hearing impairment. Analyzing and identifying infants at high risk of developing hearing difficulties is fundamental for early intervention of such auditory complications. The aim was to assess clinical factors in the development of hearing impairment following therapeutic hypothermia in HIE infants. A retrospective analysis was performed on infants hospitalized in our neonatology department in Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland. All infants experienced moderate to severe HIE, and were treated with therapeutic hypothermia. Risk factors for hearing impairment were identified in all infants included in the study. Clinical data during hospital stay and follow-up hearing status were analyzed. A total of 87 HIE infants were included in the study. Seventy-six infants (40 male and 36 female) had otoacoustic emission (OAE) examination following birth, of which 14 (18.4%) demonstrated abnormal (positive) results. Infants with abnormal OAE results had significantly lower blood pH (6.86 ± 0.16, p = 0.001) and base excess (BE) (-22.46 ± 2.59, p = 0.006). Of the 49 infants who returned for follow-up assessment, 4 (8.2%) were diagnosed with sensorineural bilateral hearing impairment (1 infant, mild [<40 dB], 2 moderate [41-70 dB], and 1 profound [>90 dB]). The biochemical analysis following birth revealed significantly lower umbilical BE levels (-23.90 ± 4.99, p = 0.041) and higher lactate levels (160.67 ± 4.93, p = 0.019) in the infants with eventual sensorineural hearing deficit. Infants with moderate or severe HIE are at risk of delayed onset hearing loss. Diligent efforts to monitor auditory status are required, even if early screening results for hearing are insignificant. Exploring biochemical parameters, such as lactate, BE, and blood pH, can prove beneficial in identifying HIE infants at risk of developing a hearing impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Michniewicz
- Chair and Department of Neonatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Jasmine A Amara
- Students' Research Group at the Department of Neonatology, and Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Salwan R Al-Saad
- Students' Research Group at the Department of Neonatology, and Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Witold Szyfter
- Department of Otolaryngology and Oncological Laryngology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Lukasz M Karbowski
- Students' Research Group at the Department of Neonatology, and Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Janusz Gadzinowski
- Chair and Department of Neonatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Marta Szymankiewicz
- Chair and Department of Neonatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Dawid Szpecht
- Chair and Department of Neonatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
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31
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The Neural Bases of Tinnitus: Lessons from Deafness and Cochlear Implants. J Neurosci 2021; 40:7190-7202. [PMID: 32938634 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1314-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Subjective tinnitus is the conscious perception of sound in the absence of any acoustic source. The literature suggests various tinnitus mechanisms, most of which invoke changes in spontaneous firing rates of central auditory neurons resulting from modification of neural gain. Here, we present an alternative model based on evidence that tinnitus is: (1) rare in people who are congenitally deaf, (2) common in people with acquired deafness, and (3) potentially suppressed by active cochlear implants used for hearing restoration. We propose that tinnitus can only develop after fast auditory fiber activity has stimulated the synapse formation between fast-spiking parvalbumin positive (PV+) interneurons and projecting neurons in the ascending auditory path and coactivated frontostriatal networks after hearing onset. Thereafter, fast auditory fiber activity promotes feedforward and feedback inhibition mediated by PV+ interneuron activity in auditory-specific circuits. This inhibitory network enables enhanced stimulus resolution, attention-driven contrast improvement, and augmentation of auditory responses in central auditory pathways (neural gain) after damage of slow auditory fibers. When fast auditory fiber activity is lost, tonic PV+ interneuron activity is diminished, resulting in the prolonged response latencies, sudden hyperexcitability, enhanced cortical synchrony, elevated spontaneous γ oscillations, and impaired attention/stress-control that have been described in previous tinnitus models. Moreover, because fast processing is gained through sensory experience, tinnitus would not exist in congenital deafness. Electrical cochlear stimulation may have the potential to reestablish tonic inhibitory networks and thus suppress tinnitus. The proposed framework unites many ideas of tinnitus pathophysiology and may catalyze cooperative efforts to develop tinnitus therapies.
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Lu J, West MB, Du X, Cai Q, Ewert DL, Cheng W, Nakmali D, Li W, Huang X, Kopke RD. Electrophysiological assessment and pharmacological treatment of blast-induced tinnitus. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0243903. [PMID: 33411811 PMCID: PMC7790300 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus, the phantom perception of sound, often occurs as a clinical sequela of auditory traumas. In an effort to develop an objective test and therapeutic approach for tinnitus, the present study was performed in blast-exposed rats and focused on measurements of auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response, and presynaptic ribbon densities on cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs). Although the exact mechanism is unknown, the “central gain theory” posits that tinnitus is a perceptual indicator of abnormal increases in the gain (or neural amplification) of the central auditory system to compensate for peripheral loss of sensory input from the cochlea. Our data from vehicle-treated rats supports this rationale; namely, blast-induced cochlear synaptopathy correlated with imbalanced elevations in the ratio of centrally-derived ABR wave V amplitudes to peripherally-derived wave I amplitudes, resulting in behavioral evidence of tinnitus. Logistic regression modeling demonstrated that the ABR wave V/I amplitude ratio served as a reliable metric for objectively identifying tinnitus. Furthermore, histopathological examinations in blast-exposed rats revealed tinnitus-related changes in the expression patterns of key plasticity factors in the central auditory pathway, including chronic loss of Arc/Arg3.1 mobilization. Using a formulation of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and disodium 2,4-disulfophenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (HPN-07) as a therapeutic for addressing blast-induced neurodegeneration, we measured a significant treatment effect on preservation or restoration of IHC ribbon synapses, normalization of ABR wave V/I amplitude ratios, and reduced behavioral evidence of tinnitus in blast-exposed rats, all of which accorded with mitigated histopathological evidence of tinnitus-related neuropathy and maladaptive neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzhong Lu
- Hough Ear Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Matthew B. West
- Hough Ear Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Xiaoping Du
- Hough Ear Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Qunfeng Cai
- Hough Ear Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Donald L. Ewert
- Hough Ear Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Weihua Cheng
- Hough Ear Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Don Nakmali
- Hough Ear Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Wei Li
- Hough Ear Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Xiangping Huang
- Hough Ear Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Richard D. Kopke
- Hough Ear Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
- Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
- Departments of Physiology and Otolaryngology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Soni A, Dubey A. Chronic Primary Tinnitus: A Management Dilemma. Audiol Res 2020; 10:55-66. [PMID: 33255533 PMCID: PMC7768479 DOI: 10.3390/audiolres10020010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus often described as sound in the ear in absence of any external stimulus. It poses a challenge to the psychological and mental wellbeing of the patient and professional unsatisfaction to the clinician. The patient often an old aged individual usually approaches the outpatient department with various sounds in the ear, making him feel ill or unable to have a sound sleep. The middle-aged patient often complains of professional incapability and lack of concentration due to tinnitus. Despite vast academic research and advances, the efficiency of available treatment is debatable, often compelling the clinician to convey the message that “you may have to learn to live with it”. In the present overview of reviews, we tend to look into the management of tinnitus and present a comprehensive outlook of various evidence-based reviews from Cochrane and augmented with various studies from PubMed.
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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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Abstract
Many individuals with tinnitus report experiencing hyperacusis (enhanced sensitivity to sounds). However, estimates of the association between hyperacusis and tinnitus is lacking. Here, we investigate this relationship in a Swedish study. A total of 3645 participants (1984 with tinnitus and 1661 without tinnitus) were enrolled via LifeGene, a study from the general Swedish population, aged 18-90 years, and provided information on socio-demographic characteristics, as well as presence of hyperacusis and its severity. Tinnitus presence and severity were self-reported or assessed using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Phenotypes of tinnitus with (n = 1388) or without (n = 1044) hyperacusis were also compared. Of 1661 participants without tinnitus, 1098 (66.1%) were women and 563 were men (33.9%), and the mean (SD) age was 45.1 (12.9). Of 1984 participants with tinnitus, 1034 (52.1%) were women and 950 (47.9%) were men, and the mean (SD) age was 47.7 (14.0) years. Hyperacusis was associated with any tinnitus [Odds ratio (OR) 3.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.99-4.13], self-reported severe tinnitus (OR 7.43, 95% CI 5.06-10.9), and THI ≥ 58 (OR 12.1, 95% CI 7.06-20.6). The association with THI ≥ 58 was greater with increasing severity of hyperacusis, the ORs being 8.15 (95% CI 4.68-14.2) for moderate and 77.4 (95% CI 35.0-171.3) for severe hyperacusis. No difference between sexes was observed in the association between hyperacusis and tinnitus. The occurrence of hyperacusis in severe tinnitus is as high as 80%, showing a very tight relationship. Discriminating the pathophysiological mechanisms between the two conditions in cases of severe tinnitus will be challenging, and optimized study designs are necessary to better understand the mechanisms behind the strong relationship between hyperacusis and tinnitus.
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Sanchez TG, Roberts LE. Total remission or persistence of tinnitus and decreased sound level tolerance in adolescents with normal audiograms: A follow-up study. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2020; 260:253-268. [PMID: 33637221 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tinnitus may reflect hidden cochlear synaptic injury that does not express in the audiogram, but leads to neuroplastic changes in auditory pathways that, in turn, reduce tolerance to sounds. Such injury may follow the exposure to loud sounds. The aim of this study was to follow-up adolescents enrolled in a private school to evaluate the prevalence of tinnitus and reduced sound level tolerance (SLT) with 1-year interval, as well as to observe rates of tinnitus persistence, remission and incidence of new cases by repeat measurements. METHODS In Study 1 (Sanchez et al., 2016), we evaluated 170 adolescents by a questionnaire about tinnitus and reduced tolerance to ordinary sounds and by measurements in a sound booth: audiometry (0.25-16kHz), Loudness Discomfort Levels (LDL, 0.5-4kHz) and tinnitus pitch/loudness matching (if present). Tinnitus measured in the booth was then called "confirmed tinnitus." In Study 2, we revaluated 54 adolescents who returned voluntarily 1 year later to repeat all measurements. RESULTS From Study 1 to 2, the prevalence of confirmed tinnitus reduced from 28.8% (49/170) to 14.9% (8/54) in retested subjects, which includes the cases of persisting tinnitus (confirmed tinnitus in both studies, n=6/54=11.2%) and the new cases of tinnitus (confirmed tinnitus just at Study 2, n=2/54=3.7%). Among the 15 adolescents with confirmed tinnitus at Study 1 who returned for Study 2, 40% had persistent tinnitus (n=6) and 60% did not (remitted tinnitus, n=9). SLT was reduced by 17.3dB in cases with persistent tinnitus (P<0.0002), similar to the findings of Study 1, and returned to normal levels in subjects with remitted tinnitus. Hearing thresholds averaged 4.37dBHL and were <20dBHL in 97% of ears and all frequencies. At 14 and 16kHz thresholds were bilaterally elevated at Study 1 (5.07dB) and 2 (5.56dB) in adolescents with confirmed tinnitus. CONCLUSIONS Tinnitus and reduced sound tolerance could feature early signals of hidden synaptic injury that is prevalent among adolescents and hidden from the audiogram. The strong relationship between both symptoms, in addition to low-level increases in hearing thresholds at high frequencies in the extended audiogram, poses a challenge for future hearing health and should be further evaluated as a possible intrinsic vulnerability for lesions following exposure to loud sounds. Moreover, the relationship between their spontaneous remissions may signal a possible synaptic repair, which has been reported in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanit Ganz Sanchez
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto Ganz Sanchez, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Larry E Roberts
- Department of Psychology Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Congenital hearing impairment associated with peripheral cochlear nerve dysmyelination in glycosylation-deficient muscular dystrophy. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008826. [PMID: 32453729 PMCID: PMC7274486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hearing loss (HL) is one of the most common sensory impairments and etiologically and genetically heterogeneous disorders in humans. Muscular dystrophies (MDs) are neuromuscular disorders characterized by progressive degeneration of skeletal muscle accompanied by non-muscular symptoms. Aberrant glycosylation of α-dystroglycan causes at least eighteen subtypes of MD, now categorized as MD-dystroglycanopathy (MD-DG), with a wide spectrum of non-muscular symptoms. Despite a growing number of MD-DG subtypes and increasing evidence regarding their molecular pathogeneses, no comprehensive study has investigated sensorineural HL (SNHL) in MD-DG. Here, we found that two mouse models of MD-DG, Largemyd/myd and POMGnT1-KO mice, exhibited congenital, non-progressive, and mild-to-moderate SNHL in auditory brainstem response (ABR) accompanied by extended latency of wave I. Profoundly abnormal myelination was found at the peripheral segment of the cochlear nerve, which is rich in the glycosylated α-dystroglycan–laminin complex and demarcated by “the glial dome.” In addition, patients with Fukuyama congenital MD, a type of MD-DG, also had latent SNHL with extended latency of wave I in ABR. Collectively, these findings indicate that hearing impairment associated with impaired Schwann cell-mediated myelination at the peripheral segment of the cochlear nerve is a notable symptom of MD-DG. Hearing loss (HL) is one of the most common sensory impairments and heterogeneous disorders in humans. Up to 60% of HL cases are caused by genetic factors, and approximately 30% of genetic HL cases are syndromic. Although 400–700 genetic syndromes are associated with sensorineural HL (SNHL), caused due to problems in the nerve pathways from the cochlea to the brain, only about 45 genes are known to be associated with syndromic HL. Muscular dystrophies (MDs) are neuromuscular disorders characterized by progressive degeneration of skeletal muscle accompanied by non-muscular symptoms. MD-dystroglycanopathy (MD-DG), caused by aberrant glycosylation of α-dystroglycan, is an MD subtype with a wide spectrum of non-muscular symptoms. Despite a growing number of MD-DG subtypes (at least 18), no comprehensive study has investigated SNHL in MD-DG. Here, we found that hearing impairment was associated with abnormal myelination of the peripheral segment of the cochlear nerve caused by impaired dystrophin–dystroglycan complex in two mouse models (type 3 and 6) of MD-DG and in patients (type 4) with MD-DG. This is the first comprehensive study investigating SNHL in MD-DG. Our findings may provide new insights into understanding the pathogenic characteristics and mechanisms underlying inherited syndromic hearing impairment.
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Gabr TA, Lasheen RM. Binaural Interaction in Tinnitus Patients. Audiol Neurootol 2020; 25:315-322. [PMID: 32403111 DOI: 10.1159/000507274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is a commonly used objective clinical measure for hearing evaluation. It can be also used to draw conclusions about the functioning of distinct stages of the auditory pathway including the binaural processing stages using the binaural interaction component (BIC) of the ABR. OBJECTIVE To study binaural processing in normal hearing subjects complaining of tinnitus. METHODS Sixty cases with bilateral normal peripheral hearing were included in this work, divided into 2 groups, i.e., group 1 (comprised of 30 healthy subjects representing the control group) and group 2 (comprised of 30 subjects with tinnitus representing the study group). All of the subjects were submitted to a basic audiological evaluation (including pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, and immittancemetry) and ABR audiometry recorded in monaural and then binaural conditions. RESULTS In monaural recording, the tinnitus group showed significantly delayed latencies of waves I, III, and V in addition to significantly reduced wave I and III amplitudes when compared with the controls. Similar significant findings were found when binaural ABR responses were compared between both groups. Comparing BIC between both groups showed significant earlier BIC for latencies of waves I and V in the control group, while the BIC for amplitudes showed similar results in both groups. CONCLUSIONS These finding suggest the presence of binaural processing deficits in tinnitus patients at different levels along the ascending auditory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takwa A Gabr
- Audiovestibular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Shaikh, Egypt
| | - Reham M Lasheen
- Audiovestibular Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt,
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Sánchez-Benito D, Hyppolito MA, Alvarez-Morujo AJ, López DE, Gómez-Nieto R. Morphological and molecular correlates of altered hearing sensitivity in the genetically audiogenic seizure-prone hamster GASH/Sal. Hear Res 2020; 392:107973. [PMID: 32402894 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.107973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Rodent models of audiogenic seizures, in which seizures are precipitated by an abnormal response of the brain to auditory stimuli, are crucial to investigate the neural bases underlying ictogenesis. Despite significant advances in understanding seizure generation in the inferior colliculus, namely the epileptogenic nucleus, little is known about the contribution of lower auditory stations to the seizure-prone network. Here, we examined the cochlea and cochlear nucleus of the genetic audiogenic seizure hamster from Salamanca (GASH/Sal), a model of reflex epilepsy that exhibits generalized tonic-clonic seizures in response to loud sound. GASH/Sal animals under seizure-free conditions were compared with matched control hamsters in a multi-technical approach that includes auditory brainstem responses (ABR) testing, histology, scanning electron microscopy analysis, immunohistochemistry, quantitative morphometry and gene expression analysis (RT-qPCR). The cochlear histopathology of the GASH/Sal showed preservation of the sensory hair cells, but a significant loss of spiral ganglion neurons and mild atrophy of the stria vascularis. At the electron microscopy level, the reticular lamina exhibited disarray of stereociliary tufts with blebs, loss or elongated stereocilia as well as non-parallel rows of outer hair cells due to protrusions of Deiters' cells. At the molecular level, the abnormal gene expression patterns of prestin, cadherin 23, protocadherin 15, vesicular glutamate transporters 1 (Vglut1) and -2 (Vglut2) indicated that the hair-cell mechanotransduction and cochlear amplification were markedly altered. These were manifestations of a cochlear neuropathy that correlated to ABR waveform I alterations and elevated auditory thresholds. In the cochlear nucleus, the distribution of VGLUT2-immunolabeled puncta was differently affected in each subdivision, showing significant increases in magnocellular regions of the ventral cochlear nucleus and drastic reductions in the granule cell domain. This modified inputs lead to disruption of Vglut1 and Vglut2 gene expression in the cochlear nucleus. In sum, our study provides insight into the morphological and molecular traits associated with audiogenic seizure susceptibility in the GASH/Sal, suggesting an upward spread of abnormal glutamatergic transmission throughout the primary acoustic pathway to the epileptogenic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Sánchez-Benito
- Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Miguel A Hyppolito
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Hearing, Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Antonio J Alvarez-Morujo
- Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Dolores E López
- Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ricardo Gómez-Nieto
- Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
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Duda V, Scully O, Baillargeon MS, Hébert S. Does Tinnitus Fill in the Gap Using Electrophysiology? A Scoping Review. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 2020; 53:563-582. [PMID: 32334868 DOI: 10.1016/j.otc.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The results showed a trend of increased post-gap amplitudes and reduced gap salience; however, the small number of articles yield and limited consensus prohibit any conclusions for clinical use. Nevertheless, gap-induced EPs may be further explored as a potential tool for tinnitus detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Duda
- École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Pavillon 7077, Parc, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montreal H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Olivia Scully
- École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Pavillon 7077, Parc, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montreal H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Marie-Sarah Baillargeon
- École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Pavillon 7077, Parc, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montreal H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Sylvie Hébert
- École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Pavillon 7077, Parc, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montreal H3C 3J7, Canada; International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Outremont, Quebec, Canada.
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Cunha AOS, Moradi M, de Deus JL, Ceballos CC, Benites NM, de Barcellos Filho PCG, de Oliveira JAC, Garcia-Cairasco N, Leão R. Alterations in brainstem auditory processing, the acoustic startle response and sensorimotor gating of startle in Wistar audiogenic rats (WAR), an animal model of reflex epilepsies. Brain Res 2020; 1727:146570. [PMID: 31811837 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
While acute audiogenic seizures in response to acoustic stimulus appear as an alteration in sensory-motor processing in the brainstem, the repetition of the stimulus leads to the spread of epileptic activity to limbic structures. Here, we investigated whether animals of the Wistar Audiogenic Rat (WAR) strain, genetically selected by inbreeding for seizure susceptibility, would have alterations in their auditory response, assessed by the auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and sensory-motor gating, measured as pre-pulse inhibition (PPI), which could be related to their audiogenic seizures susceptibility or severity. We did not find differences between the amplitudes and latencies of ABR waves in response to clicks for WARs when compared to Wistars. Auditory gain and symmetry between ears were also similar. However, hearing thresholds in response to some tones were lower and amplitudes of wave II were larger in WARs. WARs had smaller acoustic startle reflex amplitudes and the percentages of startle inhibited by an acoustic prepulse were higher for WARs than for Wistars. However, no correlation was found between these alterations and brainstem-dependent seizure severity or limbic seizure frequency during audiogenic kindling. Our data show that while WARs present moderate alterations in primary auditory processing, the sensory motor gating measured in startle/PPI tests appears to be more drastically altered. The observed changes might be correlated with audiogenic seizure susceptibility but not seizures severity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marzieh Moradi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Junia Lara de Deus
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Cesar Celis Ceballos
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Nikollas Moreira Benites
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Norberto Garcia-Cairasco
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Leão
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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Auditory Brainstem Response in Patients of Tinnitus with Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2019; 71:1495-1499. [PMID: 31750203 DOI: 10.1007/s12070-018-1568-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is defined as phantom auditory perception without corresponding acoustic or mechanical correlates in cochlea. Existing evidence on its physiological basis is wide ranging, but its origin is still under exploration. To objectify this subjective phenomenon, Auditory Brainstem response test is used. The primary purpose of our study was to ascertain any significant difference in auditory electrophysiological response parameters in sensorineural hearing loss with tinnitus group when compared to controls (normal hearing subjects). Secondary aim was to find correlation of these parameters with degree of hearing loss and severity of tinnitus. This was a case control study conducted in the department of Otorhinolaryngology in tertiary care hospital, New Delhi over a period of one and half years. The study comprised of one hundred and sixty patients out of which, fifty-five patients were sensorineural hearing loss with tinnitus and fifty-one patients were normal hearing subjects. General medical and audiological assessment was done. Significant increase in latency of wave I, III, V and increase in inter peak latency of I-III, III-V, I-V was observed in tinnitus with sensorineural hearing loss group when compared to controls. It was reported that on increasing degree of hearing loss, there was increase in latency of wave I, III, V and increase in inter peak latency of wave I-III, I-V in the former group.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate how tinnitus affects the processing of speech and non-speech stimuli at the subcortical level. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional analytical study. SETTING Academic, tertiary referral center. PATIENTS Eighteen individuals with tinnitus and 20 controls without tinnitus matched based on their age and sex. All subjects had normal hearing sensitivity. INTERVENTION Diagnostic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The effect of tinnitus on the parameters of auditory brainstem responses (ABR) to non-speech (click-ABR), and speech (sABR) stimuli was investigated. RESULTS Latencies of click ABR in waves III, V, and Vn, as well as inter-peak latency (IPL) of I to V were significantly longer in individuals with tinnitus compared with the controls. Individuals with tinnitus demonstrated significantly longer latencies of all sABR waves than the control group. The tinnitus patients also exhibited a significant decrease in the slope of the V-A complex and reduced encoding of the first and higher formants. A significant difference was observed between the two groups in the spectral magnitudes, the first formant frequency range (F1) and a higher frequency region (HF). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that maladaptive neural plasticity resulting from tinnitus can be subcortically measured and affects timing processing of both speech and non-speech stimuli. The findings have been discussed based on models of maladaptive plasticity and the interference of tinnitus as an internal noise in synthesizing speech auditory stimuli.
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44
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McFerran DJ, Stockdale D, Holme R, Large CH, Baguley DM. Why Is There No Cure for Tinnitus? Front Neurosci 2019; 13:802. [PMID: 31447630 PMCID: PMC6691100 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is unusual for such a common symptom in that there are few treatment options and those that are available are aimed at reducing the impact rather than specifically addressing the tinnitus percept. In particular, there is no drug recommended specifically for the management of tinnitus. Whilst some of the currently available interventions are effective at improving quality of life and reducing tinnitus-associated psychological distress, most show little if any effect on the primary symptom of subjective tinnitus loudness. Studies of the delivery of tinnitus services have demonstrated considerable end-user dissatisfaction and a marked disconnect between the aims of healthcare providers and those of tinnitus patients: patients want their tinnitus loudness reduced and would prefer a pharmacological solution over other modalities. Several studies have shown that tinnitus confers a significant financial burden on healthcare systems and an even greater economic impact on society as a whole. Market research has demonstrated a strong commercial opportunity for an effective pharmacological treatment for tinnitus, but the amount of tinnitus research and financial investment is small compared to other chronic health conditions. There is no single reason for this situation, but rather a series of impediments: tinnitus prevalence is unclear with published figures varying from 5.1 to 42.7%; there is a lack of a clear tinnitus definition and there are multiple subtypes of tinnitus, potentially requiring different treatments; there is a dearth of biomarkers and objective measures for tinnitus; treatment research is associated with a very large placebo effect; the pathophysiology of tinnitus is unclear; animal models are available but research in animals frequently fails to correlate with human studies; there is no clear definition of what constitutes meaningful change or “cure”; the pharmaceutical industry cannot see a clear pathway to distribute their products as many tinnitus clinicians are non-prescribing audiologists. To try and clarify this situation, highlight important areas for research and prevent wasteful duplication of effort, the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) has developed a Map of Tinnitus. This is a repository of evidence-based tinnitus knowledge, designed to be free to access, intuitive, easy to use, adaptable and expandable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don J McFerran
- Colchester General Hospital, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Colchester, United Kingdom.,British Tinnitus Association, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ralph Holme
- Action on Hearing Loss, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charles H Large
- Autifony Therapeutics Limited, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Stevenage, United Kingdom
| | - David M Baguley
- British Tinnitus Association, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Nottingham Audiology Services, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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45
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Knipper M, Hofmeier B, Singer W, Wolpert S, Klose U, Rüttiger L. [Differentiating cochlear synaptopathies into different hearing disorders]. HNO 2019; 67:406-416. [PMID: 30963221 DOI: 10.1007/s00106-019-0660-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Due to demographic change and altered recreational behavior, a rapid increase in hearing deficits is expected in the next 20-30 years. Consequently, the risk of age-related loss of speech discrimination, tinnitus, hyperacusis, or-as recently shown-dementia, will also increase. There are increasing indications that the loss of specific hearing fibers in humans and animals is involved in various hearing disorders. This fiber loss can be caused by cochlear synaptopathy or deafferentation and does not necessarily lead to clinically measurable threshold changes. Animal experiments have shown that reduced auditory nerve activity due to acoustic trauma or aging can be centrally compensated by disproportionately elevated and faster auditory brainstem responses (ABR). The analysis of the suprathreshold amplitudes of auditory evoked brain stem potentials and their latency in combination with non-invasive imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging can help to identify the central compensatory ability of subjects and to assign defined hearing deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Knipper
- Universitätsklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Plastische Operationen, Sektion Molekulare Hörphysiologie, Hörforschungszentrum Tübingen (THRC), Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076, Tübingen, Deutschland.
| | - B Hofmeier
- Universitätsklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Plastische Operationen, Sektion Molekulare Hörphysiologie, Hörforschungszentrum Tübingen (THRC), Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - W Singer
- Universitätsklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Plastische Operationen, Sektion Molekulare Hörphysiologie, Hörforschungszentrum Tübingen (THRC), Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - S Wolpert
- Universitätsklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Plastische Operationen, Sektion Molekulare Hörphysiologie, Hörforschungszentrum Tübingen (THRC), Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - U Klose
- MR-Forschung, Abteilung für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Neuroradiologie, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - L Rüttiger
- Universitätsklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Plastische Operationen, Sektion Molekulare Hörphysiologie, Hörforschungszentrum Tübingen (THRC), Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076, Tübingen, Deutschland
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46
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Morse K, Vander Werff KR. Comparison of Silent Gap in Noise Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials in Matched Tinnitus and No-Tinnitus Control Subjects. Am J Audiol 2019; 28:260-273. [PMID: 31184965 DOI: 10.1044/2018_aja-18-0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Previous research suggests the existence of gap detection impairments because of tinnitus. The current study aimed to determine whether there was objective evidence of gap impairment in individuals with tinnitus by recording silent gap in white noise cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) in a chronic tinnitus group and a no-tinnitus group. The results were compared to previous gap-evoked potential and behavioral gap detection studies. Method Chronic tinnitus and no-tinnitus groups were formed by matching pairs of subjects ( n = 26) based on age, gender, and hearing thresholds. Behaviorally determined gap detection thresholds were used to define the electrophysiological gap duration conditions of subthreshold, threshold, and suprathreshold gaps in white noise. Amplitude, latency, and area of the CAEP were analyzed by group and condition using mixed-model analyses of variance. Results Across all participants, as the duration of the gap increased, amplitude and area of the CAEP increased. There were no significant differences by tinnitus status between groups for any outcome measures, except for a significant interaction between group and gap duration for P1 latency. Conclusions Silent gap-evoked CAEPs can be recorded in adults with and without tinnitus. Amplitude and area were sensitive to gap duration across groups; latency was not. Contrary to hypotheses, there was little evidence supporting differences in gap-evoked CAEPs between the tinnitus and control groups. Stimulus and other factors that may have contributed to the lack of a group difference in the current study are discussed, as well as implications for future studies of objective measures of tinnitus perception. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.7822601.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Morse
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Syracuse University, New York
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47
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Qu T, Qi Y, Yu S, Du Z, Wei W, Cai A, Wang J, Nie B, Liu K, Gong S. Dynamic Changes of Functional Neuronal Activities Between the Auditory Pathway and Limbic Systems Contribute to Noise-Induced Tinnitus with a Normal Audiogram. Neuroscience 2019; 408:31-45. [PMID: 30946875 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.03.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Tinnitus is thought to be triggered by aberrant neural activity in the central auditory pathway and is often accompanied by comorbidities of emotional distress and anxiety, which imply maladaptive functional connectivity to limbic structures, such as the amygdala and hippocampus. Tinnitus patients with normal audiograms can also have accompanying anxiety and depression, clinically. To test the role of functional connectivity between the central auditory pathway and limbic structures in patients with tinnitus with normal audiograms, we developed a murine noise-induced tinnitus model with a temporary threshold shift (TTS). Tinnitus mice exhibited reduced auditory brainstem response wave I amplitude, and an enhanced wave IV amplitude and wave IV/I amplitude ratio, as compared with control and non-tinnitus mice. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to identify abnormal connectivity of the amygdala and hippocampus and to determine the relationship with tinnitus characteristics. We found increased fMRI responses with amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in the auditory cortex and decreased ALFF in the amygdala and hippocampus at day 1, but decreased ALFF in the auditory cortex and increased ALFF in the amygdala at day 28 post-noise exposure in tinnitus mice. Decreased functional connectivity between auditory brain regions and limbic structures was demonstrated at day 28 in tinnitus mice. Therefore, aberrant neural activities in tinnitus mice with TTS involved not only the central auditory pathway, but also limbic structures, and there was maladaptive functional connectivity between the central auditory pathway and limbic structures, such as the amygdala and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengfei Qu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yue Qi
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Shukui Yu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Zhengde Du
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Otology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Aoling Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Wuhan Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Jie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Wuhan Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Binbin Nie
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Shusheng Gong
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
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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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49
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Hofmeier B, Wolpert S, Aldamer ES, Walter M, Thiericke J, Braun C, Zelle D, Rüttiger L, Klose U, Knipper M. Reduced sound-evoked and resting-state BOLD fMRI connectivity in tinnitus. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 20:637-649. [PMID: 30202725 PMCID: PMC6128096 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The exact neurophysiological basis of chronic tinnitus, which affects 10-15% of the population, remains unknown and is controversial at many levels. It is an open question whether phantom sound perception results from increased central neural gain or not, a crucial question for any future therapeutic intervention strategies for tinnitus. We performed a comprehensive study of mild hearing-impaired participants with and without tinnitus, excluding participants with co-occurrences of hyperacusis. A right-hemisphere correlation between tinnitus loudness and auditory perceptual difficulty was observed in the tinnitus group, independent of differences in hearing thresholds. This correlation was linked to reduced and delayed sound-induced suprathreshold auditory brain responses (ABR wave V) in the tinnitus group, suggesting subsided rather than exaggerated central neural responsiveness. When anatomically predefined auditory regions of interest were analysed for altered sound-evoked BOLD fMRI activity, it became evident that subcortical and cortical auditory regions and regions involved in sound detection (posterior insula, hippocampus), responded with reduced BOLD activity in the tinnitus group, emphasizing reduced, rather than increased, central neural gain. Regarding previous findings of evoked BOLD activity being linked to positive connectivities at rest, we additionally analysed r-fcMRI responses in anatomically predefined auditory regions and regions associated with sound detection. A profound reduction in positive interhemispheric connections of homologous auditory brain regions and a decline in the positive connectivities between lower auditory brainstem regions and regions involved in sound detection (hippocampus, posterior insula) were observed in the tinnitus group. The finding went hand-in-hand with the emotional (amygdala, anterior insula) and temporofrontal/stress-regulating regions (prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus) that were no longer positively connected with auditory cortex regions in the tinnitus group but were instead positively connected to lower-level auditory brainstem regions. Delayed sound processing, reduced sound-evoked BOLD fMRI activity and altered r-fcMRI in the auditory midbrain correlated in the tinnitus group and showed right hemisphere dominance as did tinnitus loudness and perceptual difficulty. The findings suggest that reduced central neural gain in the auditory stream may lead to phantom perception through a failure to energize attentional/stress-regulating networks for contextualization of auditory-specific information. Reduced auditory-specific information flow in tinnitus has until now escaped detection in humans, as low-level auditory brain regions were previously omitted from neuroimaging studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION German Clinical Trials Register DRKS0006332.
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Key Words
- ABR wave
- ABR, auditory brainstem response
- BA, Brodmann area
- BA13A, anterior insula
- BA13P, posterior insula
- BA28, entorhinal cortex
- BB-chirp, broadband chirp
- BERA, brainstem-evoked response audiometry
- CN, cochlear nucleus
- CSF, cerebrospinal fluid
- Cortisol
- DL, dorsolateral
- EFR, envelope-followed responses
- ENT, ear, nose and throat
- FA, flip angle
- FDR, false discovery rate
- FOV, field of view
- FWHM, full width at half maximum
- G-H-S, Goebel-Hiller-Score
- HF-chirp, high-frequency chirp
- HPA, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
- High-SR AF, high-spontaneous firing rates auditory fibers
- IC, inferior colliculus
- L, left
- LF-chirp, low-frequency chirp
- Low-SR AF, low-spontaneous firing rates auditory fibers
- M, medial
- MGB, medial geniculate body
- MNI, Montreal Neurological Institute
- PFC, prefrontal cortex
- PTA, pure tone audiogram
- R, right
- ROI, region of interest
- SD, standard deviation
- SOC, superior olivary complex
- SPL, sound pressure level
- SPM, Statistical Parametric Mapping
- TA, acquisition time
- TE, echo time
- TR, repetition time
- Tinnitus
- VBM, voxel-based morphometry
- fMRI
- r-fcMRI
- rCBF, resting-state cerebral blood flow
- rCBV, resting-state cerebral blood volume
- zFC, z-values functional connectivity
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Hofmeier
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hearing Research Center Tübingen, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan Wolpert
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hearing Research Center Tübingen, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ebrahim Saad Aldamer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hearing Research Center Tübingen, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Moritz Walter
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hearing Research Center Tübingen, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - John Thiericke
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hearing Research Center Tübingen, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany/HNO Ärzte Praxis Part GmbB, Aschaffenburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Braun
- MEG Center, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 47, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dennis Zelle
- Section of Physiological Acoustics and Communication, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hearing Research Center Tübingen, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Uwe Klose
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, D-73076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hearing Research Center Tübingen, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 5, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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50
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Dewey RS, Hall DA, Guest H, Prendergast G, Plack CJ, Francis ST. The Physiological Bases of Hidden Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Protocol for a Functional Neuroimaging Study. JMIR Res Protoc 2018. [PMID: 29523503 PMCID: PMC5866298 DOI: 10.2196/resprot.9095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rodent studies indicate that noise exposure can cause permanent damage to synapses between inner hair cells and high-threshold auditory nerve fibers, without permanently altering threshold sensitivity. These demonstrations of what is commonly known as hidden hearing loss have been confirmed in several rodent species, but the implications for human hearing are unclear. Objective Our Medical Research Council–funded program aims to address this unanswered question, by investigating functional consequences of the damage to the human peripheral and central auditory nervous system that results from cumulative lifetime noise exposure. Behavioral and neuroimaging techniques are being used in a series of parallel studies aimed at detecting hidden hearing loss in humans. The planned neuroimaging study aims to (1) identify central auditory biomarkers associated with hidden hearing loss; (2) investigate whether there are any additive contributions from tinnitus or diminished sound tolerance, which are often comorbid with hearing problems; and (3) explore the relation between subcortical functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures and the auditory brainstem response (ABR). Methods Individuals aged 25 to 40 years with pure tone hearing thresholds ≤20 dB hearing level over the range 500 Hz to 8 kHz and no contraindications for MRI or signs of ear disease will be recruited into the study. Lifetime noise exposure will be estimated using an in-depth structured interview. Auditory responses throughout the central auditory system will be recorded using ABR and fMRI. Analyses will focus predominantly on correlations between lifetime noise exposure and auditory response characteristics. Results This paper reports the study protocol. The funding was awarded in July 2013. Enrollment for the study described in this protocol commenced in February 2017 and was completed in December 2017. Results are expected in 2018. Conclusions This challenging and comprehensive study will have the potential to impact diagnostic procedures for hidden hearing loss, enabling early identification of noise-induced auditory damage via the detection of changes in central auditory processing. Consequently, this will generate the opportunity to give personalized advice regarding provision of ear defense and monitoring of further damage, thus reducing the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Susan Dewey
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Deborah A Hall
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Guest
- Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,National Institute for Health Research Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Garreth Prendergast
- Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,National Institute for Health Research Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J Plack
- Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,National Institute for Health Research Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Susan T Francis
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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