New Switch Mechanism Found That Triggers Tinnitus (Brai3n)

[Christiaan]

The Brai3n clinic recently posted about a breakthrough in tinnitus research on their website. The research team, led by Dr. Vanneste, Dr. Ost, and colleagues, discovered that tinnitus involves a complex brain mechanism capable of switching symptoms on or off. This mechanism is specifically linked to brain activity in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC).

Our perception of tinnitus is influenced by the theta and alpha rhythms in the pgACC, which play a crucial role in turning tinnitus on and off. The researchers suggest that stimulating alpha activity in certain brain areas and inhibiting it in others, potentially through medication or neuromodulation, could help reduce tinnitus. They believe this new insight could lead to more effective treatments for tinnitus.

Here's the article in English (translated by ChatGPT):

Breakthrough in Tinnitus Research: New Switch Mechanism in the Brain Discovered
New Brain Switch Mechanism Discovered (Vanneste, et al., 2024)

Tinnitus can have many causes. One well-known factor is hearing loss, which is often associated with the onset of tinnitus. However, hearing loss is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for experiencing tinnitus. Some people without hearing loss still report tinnitus, while others with hearing loss do not experience it.

Searching for Other Causes
Researchers set out to find other factors that play a role in the experience of tinnitus. Lead researcher Sven Vanneste, from the Lab for Clinical & Integrative Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, together with colleagues, examined the electroencephalograms (EEG) of people who experienced tinnitus on certain days and not on others. These were compared with the EEG data of healthy individuals, hoping to gain insights into the brain activity associated with the presence and absence of tinnitus.

Tinnitus as a Result of a Switch Mechanism
The EEG analyses showed that when tinnitus started, there was increased theta activity in a specific brain region, while theta connectivity between this region and the auditory cortex, the part of the brain that processes sound, decreased. This latter finding appeared to be related to the intensity of the tinnitus. These neurophysiological changes may point to a defect in the brain's noise suppression system.

When the participants did not perceive tinnitus, the researchers observed increased alpha activity in another brain region, as well as increased alpha connectivity between that region and the auditory cortex.

The results suggest that tinnitus is triggered by a type of switch mechanism. Interestingly, the brain activity of patients without tinnitus was different from that of healthy individuals.

Parallels with Chronic Neuropathic Pain
The scientists, who published their findings in NeuroImage, noted that the mechanisms involved in tinnitus appear similar to those of chronic neuropathic pain—a pain that arises from damage or disease in the nervous system. This could indicate that treatments for tinnitus are possible. The researchers suggest that stimulating alpha activity in certain areas of the brain and inhibiting it in others, for example through medication or neuromodulation, could reduce tinnitus.

Conclusion
The research by Vanneste and his colleagues provides more insight into the complex neurophysiological processes underlying tinnitus. It shows that specific brain areas are involved in switching this symptom on and off, which could pave the way for new treatments for the millions of people worldwide suffering from tinnitus. However, further research is needed before such treatments become available.

→ Website
→ Research Article

 

[grate_biff]

Interesting, but what exactly is new here?

 

[Joeseph Stope]

It's nice to hear some good news! Of course, we are all hoping this leads to a "fix" that is not too invasive, not too dangerous, not too far in the future, and not too expensive.

I also hope they find the trigger for hyperacusis and reactive tinnitus, too.

 

[Fields]

It's good to see that they are exploring new avenues for research, which could lead to future treatments.

I live about two hours away from the Brai3n clinic, so I'll keep an eye out for any potential trials in the future.

 

[kingsfan]

Hold on a minute. I'm gonna go grab my jumper cables real quick.

 

[sergerold]

Interesting, but what exactly is new here?

The idea of gating mechanism certainly isn't. I think the identification of this part of the brain as being responsible is new.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

The idea of gating mechanism certainly isn't. I think the identification of this part of the brain as being responsible is new.

The boys in white coats are getting closer, then. What's that phrase? It's all about location, location, location.

 

[Wouter De Blaere]

The boys in white coats are getting closer, then. What's that phrase? It's all about location, location, location.

I literally asked Brai3n what additional research needs to be done to make use of this information (like medication, etc.). Their response was simply, "more," which is disappointing. I have an appointment with Dr. De Ridder in November, and I'll ask him for more specific information then.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

I'm not sure whether this post belongs in the Bionics Institute thread or here, but an idea occurred to me—and a person has to think, right? Especially when you have that constant ringing in your ear 24/7/365.

If or when the Bionics Institute gets their system up and running, allowing them to objectively measure both the presence and volume of a patient's tinnitus—and objectively detect when a person hears a given sound—it could revolutionize the field of audiograms.

What am I imagining? Suppose they could measure the sounds a patient hears even while asleep—not just standard notes like do-re-mi, but also the half-tones, quarter-tones, or even smaller fractions in between. It's not far-fetched to envision them creating a schematic map of the patient's cochlea or identifying specific areas of cochlear damage.

For instance, they could inform the patient upon waking that they have damage in the lower frequencies at 500 Hz, 501 Hz, and 603 Hz, with everything fine after that until reaching 6,020 Hz, and then fine again until the hidden hearing frequencies.

Would this cure tinnitus, deafness, or hyperacusis? Unfortunately, no. But it would be a significant milestone to obtain a detailed and comprehensive picture of the damage. And, of course, there's also the brain's role to consider in all of this.