Resting-state fMRI study and central regulation against auditory abnormal sensation and

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25462657
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Otorhinolaryngology
• Research Institution: 独立行政法人国立病院機構(東京医療センター臨床研究センター)
• Principal Investigator: Minami Shujiro 独立行政法人国立病院機構(東京医療センター臨床研究センター), 聴覚平衡覚研究部, 医長 (00399544)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 脳機能画像 / 耳鳴

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to investigate brain functional connectivity in tinnitus patients. and to develop objective diagnosis for tinnitus. Nineteen volunteers with normal hearing, 11 tinnitus patients without hearing loss, and 18 tinnitus patients with hearing loss were enrolled in this study. The subjects were evaluated with resting-state fMRI.
With a beta threshold of >0.5, 30% of all possible connections between auditory-related ROIs in the control group remained intact, whereas only 14% and 3% of such connections were present in the tinnitus groups. Between non-auditory-related ROIs, the rates of intact connections at a beta threshold of >0.5 were 3% in the control group and 3% and 2% in the tinnitus groups. The levels of functional connectivity between auditory-related regions were lower in the tinnitus group than in the control group. The data suggest that the associations between auditory-related networks are weakened in tinnitus patients, even if they have normal hearing.

Free Research Field

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