Structural Brain Pattern Abnormalities in Tinnitus with and without Hearing Loss

[Nick47]

Conclusions: Our findings revealed that tinnitus-related structural brain patterns involve regions such as the middle frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area (SMA), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), with these changes negatively correlating with tinnitus distress, suggesting adaptive mechanisms in tinnitus perception. Moreover, the structural brain pattern involving the insula, putamen, and superior temporal gyrus appears to be primarily driven by hearing loss. These findings support audiometric-based subgrouping in tinnitus management.

Structural brain pattern abnormalities in tinnitus with and without hearing loss - PubMed

Our findings revealed that tinnitus-related structural brain patterns involve regions such as the middle frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area (SMA), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), with these changes negatively correlating with tinnitus distress, suggesting adaptive mechanisms in...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Scruffiey]

So, what is the takeaway from this for us as patients? Does it open up any potential new avenues?

 

[Joeseph Stope]

A Tiny Piece of Mouse Brain Has Finally Been Mapped in Mindblowing Detail

Trying to grasp the brain's complexity is a little like trying to comprehend the vastness of space – it feels way beyond our scope of understanding.

www.sciencealert.com

Just a quick note to say that the scientific community is buzzing with the publication of an extensive study on a portion of a mouse brain. It includes all the electrical activity, wiring, and what could be described as the plumbing of the brain.

The scientists seem absolutely thrilled about it.

If you are a mouse, then congratulations — a cure for tinnitus may be within reach, or at least within hearing!

Maybe @Nick47 or @Markku can explain the significance more clearly. Perhaps this study will help advance research on other species' brains or make the process more efficient.

If the cure for tinnitus or hyperacusis lies in the brain, then there is certainly value in pursuing research in this direction.

 

[vehementapathy]

So, what is the takeaway from this for us as patients? Does it open up any potential new avenues?

It's an interesting question. The conclusions from the study aren't definitive enough and the limitations they acknowledge (and the ones I could independently think of) are such that I wouldn't mess with parts of my brain on the guidance of this study alone. That being said—and please take this with a mountain of salt, I am not yet a doctor and this is not medical advice—I wonder if doing transcranial magnetic stimulation specifically targeting the independent component 7 they identify could work as a kind of "reset" button at least temporarily and decrease tinnitus...

 

[Nick47]

Maybe @Nick47 or @Markku can explain the significance more clearly. Perhaps this study will help advance research on other species' brains or make the process more efficient.

If the cure for tinnitus or hyperacusis lies in the brain, then there is certainly value in pursuing research in this direction.

Hi @Joeseph Stope, it is really just a step in subtyping, comparing individuals with hearing loss to those without, and examining the subsequent changes in brain activity. The authors noted some differences between the groups, which may have future implications for the treatment of subtypes.