About this Research Topic
Tinnitus is the perception of a sound without any external source. In many cases, psychological disorders co-exist with tinnitus such as depression, and result in the inability to work or even suicide. Tinnitus is often accompanied by a hearing loss where those patients have poor speech understanding which might be related to the diminished sensory input. Recent studies revealed the possibility of having mild acoustic trauma which may lead to a loss of inner hair cell (IHC) synapses (synaptopathy) causing what is called hidden hearing loss. This finding might explain the difficulties reported by tinnitus patients who have apparent normal hearing. Those patients usually have difficulty understanding speech, especially in the presence of background noise.
The difficulty associated with tinnitus is not confined to the periphery; it extends to the central auditory system where the peripheral hearing loss is followed by central tonotopic reorganization, in which neurons in the region of hearing loss in the primary auditory cortex (A1) begin to be responsive to neighboring neurons. Additionally, there will be an imbalance between inhibition and excitation in the cortical auditory pathways, increased spontaneous activity of neurons in the central auditory system structures, increased activity of these central structures, and an increase in synchronous activity in cortical neurons affected by hearing loss.
Several models for tinnitus development have been proposed. Among these models is the homeostatic plasticity (HP) which proposes that the changes in the mean firing rates of the auditory nerve that occur after HL can be readjusted to the pre-trauma levels by means of increased neuronal gain. An alternative model is the stochastic resonance (SR) which refers to the detection of a weak signal (for a given sensor or synapse) at a sub-threshold level if noise is added to the sensory input.
In individuals with tinnitus, the auditory processing functions (such as sound localization, pitch perception, temporal processing, and speech understanding) are influenced by the presence of tinnitus. Additionally, tinnitus can capture attention and divert cognitive resources. This can result in decreased performance in complex auditory tasks, such as speech comprehension in noise or following rapid speech.
Several studies have investigated the complex interaction of tinnitus generation with central and peripheral deficits. Despite advanced tools used for such purposes, gaps remain in understanding the underlying mechanisms and relationships between these factors, as well as the development of effective treatments and management strategies for tinnitus.
This Research Topic aims to further investigate the connections between auditory processing and tinnitus development in relation to the hearing level. The main goal is to improve our understanding of these complex relationships and contribute to the development of effective intervention approaches.
To gather further insights in this field, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Temporal processing of auditory information in relation to tinnitus perception
- The tinnitus development models and their implications for tinnitus perception
- Various degrees of hearing loss (including hidden hearing loss) and their impact on tinnitus perception
- The relationship between noise exposure and tinnitus development
- The psychological aspects of tinnitus and their impact on the cognitive function in tinnitus patients.
The difficulty associated with tinnitus is not confined to the periphery; it extends to the central auditory system where the peripheral hearing loss is followed by central tonotopic reorganization, in which neurons in the region of hearing loss in the primary auditory cortex (A1) begin to be responsive to neighboring neurons. Additionally, there will be an imbalance between inhibition and excitation in the cortical auditory pathways, increased spontaneous activity of neurons in the central auditory system structures, increased activity of these central structures, and an increase in synchronous activity in cortical neurons affected by hearing loss.
Several models for tinnitus development have been proposed. Among these models is the homeostatic plasticity (HP) which proposes that the changes in the mean firing rates of the auditory nerve that occur after HL can be readjusted to the pre-trauma levels by means of increased neuronal gain. An alternative model is the stochastic resonance (SR) which refers to the detection of a weak signal (for a given sensor or synapse) at a sub-threshold level if noise is added to the sensory input.
In individuals with tinnitus, the auditory processing functions (such as sound localization, pitch perception, temporal processing, and speech understanding) are influenced by the presence of tinnitus. Additionally, tinnitus can capture attention and divert cognitive resources. This can result in decreased performance in complex auditory tasks, such as speech comprehension in noise or following rapid speech.
Several studies have investigated the complex interaction of tinnitus generation with central and peripheral deficits. Despite advanced tools used for such purposes, gaps remain in understanding the underlying mechanisms and relationships between these factors, as well as the development of effective treatments and management strategies for tinnitus.
This Research Topic aims to further investigate the connections between auditory processing and tinnitus development in relation to the hearing level. The main goal is to improve our understanding of these complex relationships and contribute to the development of effective intervention approaches.
To gather further insights in this field, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Temporal processing of auditory information in relation to tinnitus perception
- The tinnitus development models and their implications for tinnitus perception
- Various degrees of hearing loss (including hidden hearing loss) and their impact on tinnitus perception
- The relationship between noise exposure and tinnitus development
- The psychological aspects of tinnitus and their impact on the cognitive function in tinnitus patients.
Keywords: Tinnitus, auditory processing, Hearing loss, noise exposure, Psychological aspects of tinnitus
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