Group Of Tinnitus Patients Research Articles

Resting-state networks in chronic tinnitus: Increased connectivity between thalamus and visual areas

Tinnitus is thought to be associated with aberrant spontaneous activity in the central nervous system. Previous resting-state fMRI findings support this hypothesis and have shown a variety of alterations in neural activity in people with tinnitus compared to people without tinnitus. However, there is little replication of findings. Therefore, the current study aimed to extend on previous findings by investigating eight common resting-state networks (i.e. auditory, default mode, sensorimotor, visual, salience, dorsal attention, frontoparietal and language networks) using a a control group (n = 36) and a group of tinnitus patients (n = 46) matched for age, sex and years of education. Hearing profiles matched up to 2kHz and had a small but significant difference between groups in the high frequency range. Functional connectivity (FC) with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was also investigated separately for the first time, as this region is proposed to be core to tinnitus distress symptoms and most often used as a stimulation target in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) research. The results showed that tinnitus patients had increased FC between bilateral thalamus and right visual association cortex compared to control participants. No differences were found with DLPFC, or with any of the resting-state networks (RSN), contrary to previous studies which have reported alterations in several RSNs.

Upper Cervical Nerves Can Induce Tinnitus.

Treating cervical spine disorders can result in a reduction of tinnitus. The object of the study was to ascertain the benefit of therapy of the third and fourth cervical nerves in reducing tinnitus and to assess parameters indicating a long-term relief. Subjects were 37 tinnitus patients who were treated with infiltration of the third and fourth cervical nerves. Clinical data form these patients were reviewed retrospectively. An independent perceiver evaluated the long-term effect of the therapy by telephone interview. In a group of tinnitus patients, 19% of the patients reported less tinnitus after therapy of the third and fourth cervical nerves. Most of the patients had a moderate reduction of 25% to 50%. At 3.8 months, 50% of the successful treated patients still had a positive effect. No adverse events of the procedure were observed. The combination of an evident anterior spur at the third cervical vertebrae together with less hearing at 2 kHz indicate patients who responded the best to therapy of the third and fourth cervical nerves. Treating cervical spine disorders can reduce tinnitus. In a group of tinnitus patients, 19% of the patients had less tinnitus after therapy of the C3 and C4. Screening of tinnitus patients is needed for the proper selection of the ones who could benefit from a somatic approach. In our study, the combination of an evident anterior spur at the third cervical vertebrae together with less hearing at 2 kHz indicate patients who responded the best following therapy of the C3 and C4.

Relation of distortion product otoacoustic emission and tinnitus in normal hearing patients: a pilot study.

Tinnitus, the perception of the sound in the absence of an external acoustic source, disrupts the daily life 1 out of every 200 adults, yet its physiological basis remains largely a mystery. The generation of tinnitus is commonly linked with the impaired functioning of the outer hair cells (OHC) inside the cochlea. Otoacoustic emissions are the objective test used to assess their activity. The objective of the investigation was to study the features of Distortion product OtoAcoustic emissions (DPOAE) in a group of tinnitus patients with normal hearing and to find out whether there is any difference in DPOAE findings in the tinnitus patients with normal hearing and in persons with normal hearing with no complaint of tinnitus. The participants consisted of two groups. The subject group consisted of 16 ears of patients, in which 6 subjects were having tinnitus in both ears while 4 subjects were having tinnitus only in one ear. All subjects were aged between 20 to 60 years with complaint of tinnitus with audiometrically normal hearing. Control group was comprised of 16 audiometrically normal hearing ears of persons who were age and gender matched with the subject groups and had no complaint of tinnitus. Both the subject group as well as control group was subjected for DPOAE test. Findings of both the groups were compared using the unpaired t test. It was observed that the amplitudes of DPOAE were significantly lower in tinnitus patients than that of persons without complaint of tinnitus, at a frequency of 1281-1560, 5120-6250, 7243-8837 Hz, which imply that decrease of DPOAEs amplitudes may be related to the presence of tinnitus. It can be concluded that there is association between tinnitus and reduced OHC activity which indicate the OHC of cochlea are involved in the generation of tinnitus.

Does enriched acoustic environment in humans abolish chronic tinnitus clinically and electrophysiologically? A double blind placebo controlled study

Animal research has shown that loss of normal acoustic stimulation can increase spontaneous firing in the central auditory system and induce cortical map plasticity. Enriched acoustic environment after noise trauma prevents map plasticity and abolishes neural signs of tinnitus. In humans, the tinnitus spectrum overlaps with the area of hearing loss. Based on these findings it can be hypothesized that stimulating the auditory system by presenting music compensating specifically for the hearing loss might also suppress chronic tinnitus. To verify this hypothesis, a study was conducted in three groups of tinnitus patients. One group listened just to unmodified music (i.e. active control group), one group listened to music spectrally tailored to compensate for their hearing loss, and a third group received music tailored to overcompensate for their hearing loss, associated with one (in presbycusis) or two notches (in audiometric dip) at the edge of hearing loss. Our data indicate that applying overcompensation to the hearing loss worsens the patients' tinnitus loudness, the tinnitus annoyance and their depressive feelings. No significant effects were obtained for the control group or for the compensation group. These clinical findings were associated with an increase in current density within the left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in the alpha2 frequency band and within the left pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in beta1 and beta2 frequency band. In addition, a region of interest analysis also demonstrated an associated increase in gamma band activity in the auditory cortex after overcompensation in comparison to baseline measurements. This was, however, not the case for the control or the compensation groups. In conclusion, music therapy compensating for hearing loss is not beneficial in suppressing tinnitus, and overcompensating hearing loss actually worsens tinnitus, both clinically and electrophysiologically.

The Distressed Brain: A Group Blind Source Separation Analysis on Tinnitus

BackgroundTinnitus, the perception of a sound without an external sound source, can lead to variable amounts of distress.MethodologyIn a group of tinnitus patients with variable amounts of tinnitus related distress, as measured by the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), an electroencephalography (EEG) is performed, evaluating the patients' resting state electrical brain activity. This resting state electrical activity is compared with a control group and between patients with low (N = 30) and high distress (N = 25). The groups are homogeneous for tinnitus type, tinnitus duration or tinnitus laterality. A group blind source separation (BSS) analysis is performed using a large normative sample (N = 84), generating seven normative components to which high and low tinnitus patients are compared. A correlation analysis of the obtained normative components' relative power and distress is performed. Furthermore, the functional connectivity as reflected by lagged phase synchronization is analyzed between the brain areas defined by the components. Finally, a group BSS analysis on the Tinnitus group as a whole is performed.ConclusionsTinnitus can be characterized by at least four BSS components, two of which are posterior cingulate based, one based on the subgenual anterior cingulate and one based on the parahippocampus. Only the subgenual component correlates with distress. When performed on a normative sample, group BSS reveals that distress is characterized by two anterior cingulate based components. Spectral analysis of these components demonstrates that distress in tinnitus is related to alpha and beta changes in a network consisting of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex extending to the pregenual and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex as well as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex/orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and parahippocampus. This network overlaps partially with brain areas implicated in distress in patients suffering from pain, functional somatic syndromes and posttraumatic stress disorder, and might therefore represent a specific distress network.

Neuro-otological findings in tinnitus patients with normal hearing

Tinnitus is usually associated with hearing loss, and patients with tinnitus and normal hearing are unusual. Neuro-otological findings have not previously been described in tinnitus patients with normal hearing. To analyse neuro-otological examination results from a group of tinnitus patients with normal hearing. Seventeen normal-hearing tinnitus patients seen over a 10-year period were retrospectively evaluated. Their results were compared with those of a control group of 17 normal subjects without tinnitus. The main neuro-otological finding in the tinnitus patients was caloric test abnormality: a unilateral canal paresis was present in 15 of the 17 patients. Caloric tests were normal in 15 of the 17 control subjects. We may infer from these results that tinnitus could be the only clinical manifestation of a cochlear - and presumably cochleo-vestibular - lesion, and that unilateral canal paresis may be the only abnormal finding on neuro-otological examination.

DPOAE in estimation of the function of the cochlea in tinnitus patients with normal hearing

Objective The most probable place generating tinnitus in the auditory pathway is the outer hair cells (OHCs) inside the cochlea. Otoacoustic emissions are used to assess their activity. The objective of the investigation was to measure the features of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) in a group of tinnitus patients without hearing loss, estimate the diagnostic value of the parameters for the analysis of cochlear function in the patients, emphasizing those most useful in localizing tinnitus generators, and determine the hypothetical influence of hyperacusis and misophony on DPOAE parameters in tinnitus patients. Patients and methods The material consisted of 44 patients with tinnitus and without hearing loss. In the control group were 33 patients without tinnitus with the same state of hearing. The tinnitus patients were divided into three subgroups: those with hyperacusis, those with misophonia, and those with neither. After collecting medical history and performing clinical examination of all the patients, tonal and impedance audiometry, ABR, and discomfort level were evaluated. Then DPOAE were measured using three procedures. First the amplitudes of two points per octave were assessed, second the “fine structure” method with 16–20 points per octave ( f2/ f1 = 1.22, L1 = L2 = 70 dB), and the third procedure included recording the growth function in three series for input tones of f2 = 2002, 4004, and 6006 Hz ( f2/ f1 = 1.22) and L1 = L2 levels increasing by increments of 5 dB in each series. Results and conclusions Hyperacusis was found in 63% and misophonia in 10% of the tinnitus patients with no hearing loss. DPOAE amplitudes in recordings with two points per octave and the fine structure method are very valuable parameters for estimating cochlear function in tinnitus patients with normal hearing. Function growth rate cannot be the only parameter in measuring DPOAE in tinnitus patients, including subjects with hyperacusis and misophonia. The markedly higher DPOAE amplitudes in the group of tinnitus patients without hearing loss suggest that tinnitus may be caused by increased motility of the OHCs induced by decreasing efferent fiber activity, and not by OHC failure. Hyperacusis significantly increases the amplitude of DPOAE in tinnitus patients with no hearing loss.

Future thinking in tinnitus patients

Objective The purpose of the study was to investigate future thinking in a group of tinnitus patients. It was predicted that participants in the tinnitus group would report fewer positive future events. Methods A cross-sectional design was used. Two groups of participants completed the test session: tinnitus patients ( n=20) and healthy controls ( n=20) without tinnitus. Participants completed measures of anticipation of future positive and negative experiences, anxiety and depression. In addition, participants with tinnitus completed a test of tinnitus annoyance. Results Tinnitus participants generated a greater number of negative future events compared to the controls. There was no difference between the groups on positive future events or on self-reported anxiety, but the tinnitus group scored higher on a depression measure. Controlling for depression scores removed the group difference. Conclusions While the groups differed on future thinking, the difference concerned negative events, which suggests that anxious information processing might be important in explaining tinnitus annoyance. Levels of depressive symptoms should, however, be considered.

Spontaneous Otoacoustic Emissions in Tinnitus Patients

Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are believed to be the products of active cochlear mechanics. They are generally associated with relatively intact outer hair cell function. OAEs usually decrease or become undetectable when hearing loss of cochlear origin exceeds 40-50 dB HL. Subjective tinnitus is a perception of sound without detectable corresponding source. It is most often seen in patients with hearing loss. It is also frequently seen in patients with head injuries. Studies have suggested that the prevalence of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions(SOAEs) is lower in patients with hearing loss and tinnitus than in normal population. There have also been reports on association between tinnitus and SOAEs of unusually high amplitudes, which can be controlled by aspirin administration. The current paper is a preliminary review of clinical data collected from a group of tinnitus patients in an attempt to elucidate on the relationship between SOAEs and tinnitus from a clinical point of view. Audiometric, tinnitus and SOAE data from 59 patients seen at the Oregon Health & Science University Tinnitus Clinic were retrospectively studied. Fifty-four of these 59 patients showed sensorineural hearing loss of various degrees at the time of evaluation, mostly affecting high frequencies. SOAEs were detected in 26 ears (22%) of 18 patients(30.5%). There was no difference in SOAE prevalence between male and female patients. SOAEs were recorded in four of the five patients whose pure tone thresholds were within normal limits up to 8000 Hz. SOAEs appeared to be recorded at a higher rate in patients whose tinnitus started following motor vehicle accidents or head injuries(5/10) than in other patients. Time course of tinnitus did not appear to affect SOAE detection rate. There were no correlations between SOAE frequency and matched tinnitus pitch or frequency of maximum hearing loss. Significance of these findings is discussed.

Psychologic Profile of Tinnitus Patients Using the SCL-90-R and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory

To correlate the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and the Symptom Checklist-90-R results on a group of tinnitus patients and to compare the average scores of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and SCL-90-R for help-seeking and non-help-seeking patients with tinnitus. A prospective study in which tinnitus patients were administered the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and the Symptom Checklist-90-R. Tertiary referral center. Patients with tinnitus seeking audiological services. Rehabilitative. Results of Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and Symptom Checklist-90-R. Fifty-three consecutive patients having tinnitus were administered the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and the Symptom Checklist-90-R. There was a significant correlation between the Symptom Checklist-90-R and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (rs = 0.43). Furthermore, 25% of these patients scored abnormally high on the Symptom Checklist-90-R, which is substantially more than the general medical population of patients. Based on this sample of 53 patients, the Symptom Checklist-90-R does seem to be a useful tool in identifying distress among tinnitus patients. The Global Severity Index of the Symptom Checklist-90-R has a defined cutoff score indicating significant distress levels, which makes it a useful screening tool for identifying those who would benefit from psychologic or psychiatric intervention.

Evaluation of a tinnitus masking program: a follow-up study of 598 patients.

A follow-up study of two groups of tinnitus patients was conducted in an attempt to evaluate the tinnitus masking program. Results are discussed separately for a group of patients seen during the first three years of the program (1976 through 1978) and during the last year (1979). These results suggest an improvement in the management of the tinnitus patient and support this procedure as a viable technique in providing relief for selected tinnitus patients.