Tinnitus: presence and future

被引:127
作者
Moller, Aage R. [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Texas Dallas, Sch Behav & Brain Sci, Richardson, TX 75083 USA
来源
TINNITUS: PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND TREATMENT | 2007年 / 166卷
关键词
tinnitus; neural plasticity; phantom sounds; hyperacusis; tinnitus treatment;
D O I
10.1016/S0079-6123(07)66001-4
中图分类号
Q189 [神经科学];
学科分类号
071006 ;
摘要
Tinnitus has many forms; it can be caused by sounds generated in the body (objective tinnitus) that reaches the ear through conduction in body tissue, but much more common is the tinnitus that occurs without any physical sound reaching the ear. Such tinnitus (subjective tinnitus) is a phantom sensation, where abnormal neural activity is generated in the ear, the auditory nerve, or the central nervous system. There are many forms of subjective tinnitus and it can occur with different severity. Subjective tinnitus often occurs in connection with hearing loss such as may occur after exposure to loud sounds (noise), or after administration of drugs such as certain antibiotics, but often no cause can be found. Tinnitus often occurs together with presbycusis and it can occur in deafness. Tinnitus is a part of the symptoms of Meniere's disease and individuals with vestibular Schwannoma almost always have tinnitus. Some individuals who have severe tinnitus hear sounds as distorted and some have hyperacusis (reduced tolerance to sounds) or phonophobia (fear of sounds). Tinnitus can be referred to one ear, or both ears, or to a location inside the head. The anatomical location of the physiological abnormality of chronic subjective tinnitus, however, is rarely in the ear but more often in the auditory nervous system. There are indications that the pathophysiology of unilateral and bilateral tinnitus is different. There is considerable evidence that expression of neural plasticity plays a central role in the development of the abnormalities that cause many forms of chronic subjective tinnitus. Expression of neural plasticity can change the balance between excitation and inhibition in the nervous system, promote hyperactivity, and it can cause reorganization of specific parts of the nervous system or redirection of information to parts of the nervous system not normally involved in processing of sounds (non-classical or extralemniscal pathways). Since there are many kinds of subjective tinnitus, search for a (single) cure for tinnitus is futile. Testing of new treatments is hampered by the fact that it is not possible to distinguish between different forms of tinnitus for which different treatments may be effective.
引用
收藏
页码:3 / 16
页数:14
相关论文
共 91 条
  • [1] Tinnitus in the older adult - Epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment options
    Ahmad, N
    Seidman, M
    [J]. DRUGS & AGING, 2004, 21 (05) : 297 - 305
  • [2] Aitkin L., 1986, AUDITORY MIDBRAIN ST
  • [3] EXTERNAL NUCLEUS OF INFERIOR COLLICULUS - AUDITORY AND SPINAL SOMATOSENSORY AFFERENTS AND THEIR INTERACTIONS
    AITKIN, LM
    DICKHAUS, H
    SCHULT, W
    ZIMMERMANN, M
    [J]. JOURNAL OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, 1978, 41 (04) : 837 - 847
  • [4] Hyperacusis
    Baguley, DM
    [J]. JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF MEDICINE, 2003, 96 (12) : 582 - 585
  • [5] Behavioral model of chronic tinnitus in rats
    Bauer, CA
    Brozoski, TJ
    Rojas, R
    Boley, J
    Wyder, M
    [J]. OTOLARYNGOLOGY-HEAD AND NECK SURGERY, 1999, 121 (04) : 457 - 462
  • [6] BJORNE A, 1993, OTOLARYNG HEAD NECK, V109, P558
  • [7] Vigabatrin, a GABA transaminase inhibitor, reversibly eliminates tinnitus in an animal model
    Brozoski, Thomas J.
    Spires, T. Joseph D.
    Bauer, Carol A.
    [J]. JARO-JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH IN OTOLARYNGOLOGY, 2007, 8 (01): : 105 - 118
  • [8] ANOMALOUS CROSS-MODAL PLASTICITY FOLLOWING POSTERIOR-FOSSA SURGERY - SOME SPECULATIONS ON GAZE-EVOKED TINNITUS
    CACACE, AT
    LOVELY, TJ
    MCFARLAND, DJ
    PARNES, SM
    WINTER, DF
    [J]. HEARING RESEARCH, 1994, 81 (1-2) : 22 - 32
  • [9] Age-related changes in the inhibitory response properties of dorsal cochlear nucleus output neurons: Role of inhibitory inputs
    Caspary, DM
    Schatteman, TA
    Hughes, LF
    [J]. JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, 2005, 25 (47) : 10952 - 10959
  • [10] Age-related changes in GABAA receptor subunit composition and function in rat auditory system
    Caspary, DM
    Holder, TM
    Hughes, LF
    Milbrandt, JC
    McKernan, RM
    Naritoku, DK
    [J]. NEUROSCIENCE, 1999, 93 (01) : 307 - 312