Research team discovers a way to measure tinnitus from inside the brain
Tinnitus treatment Mesa AZ
Tinnitus is a condition sometimes known as “ringing in the ears.” Sufferers hear a consistent background sound, such as ringing, buzzing, or whooshing. Tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss.
Only the tinnitus sufferer hears the sound of their tinnitus, and so there is no easy way to quantify tinnitus for the clinician. This makes it difficult to know how well treatments are working, or to develop ways to scientifically determine which treatments work best. A research team in Australia sought to address this. They discovered a way to measure tinnitus by looking inside of the brain.
Measuring blood flow in the brain
The researchers used a technique called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). This technique uses light to measure changes in blood flow and blood oxygen levels in different parts of the brain. It’s completely non-invasive, and allows researchers to know which parts of the brain are most active. (The brain automatically directs extra blood flow towards those regions that are most active; the oxygen levels will also drop in those regions, as the brain cells use up the oxygen due to their activity.) While measuring these features in the brain, the researchers also asked the subjects to rate their tinnitus symptoms.
Another important component of the study was the use of machine learning. This means that a computer program analyzes data to detect patterns. Rather than starting with an idea of what patterns would indicate tinnitus, they simply fed the data into the computer and allowed it to look for any pattern that emerged.
Correlation with tinnitus
The patterns that emerged were interesting. In people with tinnitus, there was more connectivity between the occipital and temporal lobes of the brain. The occipital lobe analyzes visual data, while the temporal lobe analyzes auditory data. In addition, those with tinnitus showed smaller visual and auditory evoked responses. This means that the brain was less reactive to stimuli. In both cases, those with more severe tinnitus showed more changes than those with only mild symptoms.
What does this mean?
This study raises the intriguing possibility that researchers could objectively quantify the symptoms of tinnitus. This could help to develop better treatments of tinnitus, and to know whether a particular treatment is working well for a particular patient. Right now, there’s no good way of measuring tinnitus, and so it’s difficult to know whether a person’s symptoms are better after a few weeks of treatment. There’s simply no way to compare current symptoms with the past. With a way to measure tinnitus in the brain, we would have an objective measurement that we could track, allowing us to better help tinnitus sufferers.
At the same time, it’s important to note that this is only a start. There’s still not a commercially available technology that measures tinnitus. The study offers hope that this will be developed over the coming years, but it’s not ready yet.
Tinnitus treatment Mesa AZ
Although we’ll have to wait for the brain scan that quantifies tinnitus, there are treatments currently available that can help. If you suffer from tinnitus, please contact our office to book an appointment. After an exam and a discussion of your symptoms, our highly qualified audiologists can offer treatment options that might help to improve your quality of life. Call us at 480-456-0176 or use the form conveniently located at the bottom of this page to get in touch with us.
