Neural mechanisms of tinnitus: An exploration from the perspective of varying severity levels

Objective: To compare the brain functional changes in tinnitus patients of varying severities, in order to elucidate the complex relationship between tinnitus symptoms and neural mechanisms, providing a basis for personalized treatment for tinnitus patients with varying severity levels. Method: 62 p...

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Main Authors: Jiapei Xie, Weidong Zhang, Yan Bai, Wei Wei, Yu Shen, Wanyue Li, Xinhui Wang, Chen Yu, Jiayin Pan, Xiaodong Jia, Hongjian Liu, Meiyun Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Brain Research Bulletin
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923025000620
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author Jiapei Xie
Weidong Zhang
Yan Bai
Wei Wei
Yu Shen
Wanyue Li
Xinhui Wang
Chen Yu
Jiayin Pan
Xiaodong Jia
Hongjian Liu
Meiyun Wang
author_facet Jiapei Xie
Weidong Zhang
Yan Bai
Wei Wei
Yu Shen
Wanyue Li
Xinhui Wang
Chen Yu
Jiayin Pan
Xiaodong Jia
Hongjian Liu
Meiyun Wang
author_sort Jiapei Xie
collection DOAJ
description Objective: To compare the brain functional changes in tinnitus patients of varying severities, in order to elucidate the complex relationship between tinnitus symptoms and neural mechanisms, providing a basis for personalized treatment for tinnitus patients with varying severity levels. Method: 62 patients with chronic tinnitus were divided into severe and mild tinnitus group. 31 healthy controls (HC) matched for age, gender and education level were included. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed for all subjects, and the values of regional homogeneity (ReHo), amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF) and functional connectivity (FC) were calculated. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the differences among the three groups. Correlational analysis was conducted between imaging metrics and clinical information. Results: Compared to the mild tinnitus, the severe tinnitus shows increased ReHo and ALFF values in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG), middle temporal gyrus (MTG), supramarginal gyrus (SMG), angular gyrus (ANG), and middle occipital gyrus (MOG), as well as increased ReHo values in the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and ALFF values in the right ANG. In the severe tinnitus group, the FC between the bilateral ANG and the left MTG, the right ANG and the right medial SFG, the right ANG and the right anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), as well as between the left SFG and the left rectus gyrus, was increased compared to the mild tinnitus group. In mild tinnitus group, the ReHo of left STG is correlated with tinnitus severity by Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. Conclusion: Patients with different severity of tinnitus exhibit different compensatory mechanisms in brain function, highlighting the need for stratified analysis based on severity when investigating the underlying neural mechanisms.
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spelling doaj-art-112a787e9fae40d9b5e3afbc28d14e8d2025-08-20T02:47:21ZengElsevierBrain Research Bulletin1873-27472025-03-0122211125010.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111250Neural mechanisms of tinnitus: An exploration from the perspective of varying severity levelsJiapei Xie0Weidong Zhang1Yan Bai2Wei Wei3Yu Shen4Wanyue Li5Xinhui Wang6Chen Yu7Jiayin Pan8Xiaodong Jia9Hongjian Liu10Meiyun Wang11Department of Medical Imaging, The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Medical Imaging, Henan Provincial People's Hospital & The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Medical Imaging, Henan Provincial People's Hospital & The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Medical Imaging, Henan Provincial People's Hospital & The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Medical Imaging, Henan Provincial People's Hospital & The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Medical Imaging, Henan Provincial People's Hospital & The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Medical Imaging, The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Medical Imaging, The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Medical Imaging, The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital & The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital & The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Medical Imaging, Henan Provincial People's Hospital & The People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China; Biomedical Research Institute, Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou, China; Corresponding author at: Complete mailing address: Department of Medical Imaging, Zhengzhou University People’s Hospital & Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, 7 Weiwu Road, Zhengzhou 450000, China.Objective: To compare the brain functional changes in tinnitus patients of varying severities, in order to elucidate the complex relationship between tinnitus symptoms and neural mechanisms, providing a basis for personalized treatment for tinnitus patients with varying severity levels. Method: 62 patients with chronic tinnitus were divided into severe and mild tinnitus group. 31 healthy controls (HC) matched for age, gender and education level were included. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed for all subjects, and the values of regional homogeneity (ReHo), amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF) and functional connectivity (FC) were calculated. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the differences among the three groups. Correlational analysis was conducted between imaging metrics and clinical information. Results: Compared to the mild tinnitus, the severe tinnitus shows increased ReHo and ALFF values in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG), middle temporal gyrus (MTG), supramarginal gyrus (SMG), angular gyrus (ANG), and middle occipital gyrus (MOG), as well as increased ReHo values in the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and ALFF values in the right ANG. In the severe tinnitus group, the FC between the bilateral ANG and the left MTG, the right ANG and the right medial SFG, the right ANG and the right anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), as well as between the left SFG and the left rectus gyrus, was increased compared to the mild tinnitus group. In mild tinnitus group, the ReHo of left STG is correlated with tinnitus severity by Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. Conclusion: Patients with different severity of tinnitus exhibit different compensatory mechanisms in brain function, highlighting the need for stratified analysis based on severity when investigating the underlying neural mechanisms.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923025000620TinnitusMildSevereNeural mechanismsRs-fMRI
spellingShingle Jiapei Xie
Weidong Zhang
Yan Bai
Wei Wei
Yu Shen
Wanyue Li
Xinhui Wang
Chen Yu
Jiayin Pan
Xiaodong Jia
Hongjian Liu
Meiyun Wang
Neural mechanisms of tinnitus: An exploration from the perspective of varying severity levels
Brain Research Bulletin
Tinnitus
Mild
Severe
Neural mechanisms
Rs-fMRI
title Neural mechanisms of tinnitus: An exploration from the perspective of varying severity levels
title_full Neural mechanisms of tinnitus: An exploration from the perspective of varying severity levels
title_fullStr Neural mechanisms of tinnitus: An exploration from the perspective of varying severity levels
title_full_unstemmed Neural mechanisms of tinnitus: An exploration from the perspective of varying severity levels
title_short Neural mechanisms of tinnitus: An exploration from the perspective of varying severity levels
title_sort neural mechanisms of tinnitus an exploration from the perspective of varying severity levels
topic Tinnitus
Mild
Severe
Neural mechanisms
Rs-fMRI
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923025000620
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