Altered Intra- and Interregional Synchronization in Resting-State Cerebral Networks Associated with Chronic Tinnitus

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Subjective tinnitus is hypothesized to arise from aberrant neural activity; however, its neural bases are poorly understood. To identify aberrant neural networks involved in chronic tinnitus, we compared the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) patterns of tinnitus patients and healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Resting-state fMRI measurements were obtained from a group of chronic tinnitus patients (n = 29) with normal hearing and well-matched healthy controls (n = 30). Regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis and functional connectivity analysis were used to identify abnormal brain activity; these abnormalities were compared to tinnitus distress. RESULTS: Relative to healthy controls, tinnitus patients had significant greater ReHo values in several brain regions including the bilateral anterior insula (AI), left inferior frontal gyrus, and right supramarginal gyrus. Furthermore, the left AI showed enhanced functional connectivity with the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), while the right AI had enhanced functional connectivity with the right MFG; these measures were positively correlated with Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaires (r = 0.459, P = 0.012 and r = 0.479, P = 0.009, resp.). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic tinnitus patients showed abnormal intra- and interregional synchronization in several resting-state cerebral networks; these abnormalities were correlated with clinical tinnitus distress. These results suggest that tinnitus distress is exacerbated by attention networks that focus on internally generated phantom sounds.

Source: Neural Plasticity

DOI: 10.1155/2015/475382

Authors: Yu-Chen Chen, Jian Zhang, Xiao-Wei Li, Wenqing Xia, Xu Feng, Cheng Qian, Xiang-Yu Yang, Chun-Qiang Lu, Jian Wang, Richard Salvi, Gao-Jun Teng

Institutions: Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Southeast University, University of Pennsylvania, Dalhousie University

Language: English

Topic: Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics

Subfield: Sensory Systems

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,830

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Government of Jiangsu Province, China Scholarship Council, Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

OpenAlex ID: W1978701273