The Auditory Sensitivity is Increased in Tinnitus Ears

• Published in: The Journal of neuroscience Vol. 33; no. 6; pp. 2356 - 2364
• Main Authors: Hébert, Sylvie, Fournier, Philippe, Noreña, Arnaud
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Society for Neuroscience 06.02.2013
• Subjects: Acoustic Stimulation - methods; Adult; Aged; Auditory Threshold - physiology; Ear - physiopathology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tinnitus - diagnosis; Tinnitus - physiopathology
• ISSN: 0270-6474; 1529-2401; 1529-2401
• DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3461-12.2013

Increased auditory sensitivity, also called hyperacusis, is a pervasive complaint of people with tinnitus. The high prevalence of hyperacusis in tinnitus subjects suggests that both symptoms have a common origin. It has been suggested that they may result from a maladjusted increase of central gain attributable to sensory deafferentation. More specifically, tinnitus and hyperacusis could result from an increase of spontaneous and stimulus-induced activity, respectively. One prediction of this hypothesis is that auditory sensitivity should be increased in tinnitus compared with non-tinnitus subjects. The purpose of this study was to test this prediction by examining the loudness functions in tinnitus ears ( n = 124) compared with non-tinnitus human ears ( n = 106). Because tinnitus is often accompanied by hearing loss and that hearing loss makes it difficult to disentangle hypersensitivity (hyperacusis) to loudness recruitment, tinnitus and non-tinnitus ears were carefully matched for hearing loss. Our results show that auditory sensitivity is enhanced in tinnitus subjects compared with non-tinnitus subjects, including subjects with normal audiograms. We interpreted these findings as compatible with a maladaptive central gain in tinnitus.