Pitt-led Study Says Tinnitus Possibly Caused by Too Little Inhibition of Brain Auditory Circuits
Tinnitus, a relentless ringing in the ears that affects lovers of loud music, soldiers exposed to explosion noise and millions of others, is due to the under-inhibition of major neural pathways in the auditory center of the brain. According to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the connection between tinnitus and too little inhibition of brain auditory circuits was reported in this week’s online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The connection was found with a new technique to visualize auditory pathways utilizing slices of brain tissue and leads the way to more research, drug development and effective treatment of a condition that currently has no cure.
Previous studies have shown that auditory circuits in the brain are more excitable in those suffering from tinnitus. Until not, it was unclear if this auditory circuit excitability was due to hyperactivity of excitatory neural pathways, decreased activity of inhibitory neural pathways, or a combination of both. Thanos Tzounopoulos, Ph.D., senior investigator and assistant professor of otolaryngology and neurobiology at the Pitt School of Medicine, explained:
“This auditory imbalance leaves the patient hearing a constant ringing, buzzing of other irritating noise even when there is no actual sound. Tinnitus drowns out music, television, co-workers, friends and family, and it profoundly changes how the patient perceives and interacts with the world.”
Tinnitus is the most prevalent disability associated with military service in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Out of 50 million veterans experiencing tinnitus, 16 million experience symptoms severe enough to seek medical attention and 2 million are unable to carry out daily activities.
Dr. Tzounopoulos’ team created tinnitus in a mouse model to pinpoint what goes wrong in the brain’s auditory circuits.
For more on tinnitus and inhibition of brain auditory circuits, read the original Audiology Online article here: http://bit.ly/qUmmyA.