Auditory Resting-State Network Connectivity in Tinnitus: A Functional MRI Study

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 7; no. 5; p. e36222
• Main Authors: Maudoux, Audrey, Lefebvre, Philippe, Cabay, Jean-Evrard, Demertzi, Athena, Vanhaudenhuyse, Audrey, Laureys, Steven, Soddu, Andrea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 04.05.2012; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Aged; Basal ganglia; Basal Metabolism; Biology; Brain; Brain - metabolism; Brain - pathology; Brain - physiology; Brain - physiopathology; Brain architecture; Brain research; Brain stem; Case-Control Studies; Cerebellum; Chronic Disease; Cochlear implants; Coma; Cortex (auditory); Cortex (occipital); Cortex (parietal); Cortex (temporal); Female; Functional anatomy; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Ganglia; Geographical variations; Hearing - physiology; Humans; Independent component analysis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical imaging; Medical research; Medicine; Memory; Middle Aged; Neck; Nerve Net - metabolism; Nerve Net - pathology; Nerve Net - physiology; Nerve Net - physiopathology; Neural networks; Neurophysiology; Otolaryngology; Pain; Parahippocampal gyrus; Patients; Prefrontal cortex; Science; Sensorimotor system; Studies; Surgery; Temporal lobe; Tinnitus; Tinnitus - diagnosis; Tinnitus - metabolism; Tinnitus - pathology; Tinnitus - physiopathology; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; Young Adult; Belgium
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036222
• ISSN: 1932-6203

The underlying functional neuroanatomy of tinnitus remains poorly understood. Few studies have focused on functional cerebral connectivity changes in tinnitus patients. The aim of this study was to test if functional MRI "resting-state" connectivity patterns in auditory network differ between tinnitus patients and normal controls. Thirteen chronic tinnitus subjects and fifteen age-matched healthy controls were studied on a 3 tesla MRI. Connectivity was investigated using independent component analysis and an automated component selection approach taking into account the spatial and temporal properties of each component. Connectivity in extra-auditory regions such as brainstem, basal ganglia/NAc, cerebellum, parahippocampal, right prefrontal, parietal, and sensorimotor areas was found to be increased in tinnitus subjects. The right primary auditory cortex, left prefrontal, left fusiform gyrus, and bilateral occipital regions showed a decreased connectivity in tinnitus. These results show that there is a modification of cortical and subcortical functional connectivity in tinnitus encompassing attentional, mnemonic, and emotional networks. Our data corroborate the hypothesized implication of non-auditory regions in tinnitus physiopathology and suggest that various regions of the brain seem involved in the persistent awareness of the phenomenon as well as in the development of the associated distress leading to disabling chronic tinnitus.