Special Events

Richard Salvi
Center for Hearing &  Deafness
University at Buffalo (SUNY)

The Ringing in Your Ear (Tinnitus) is in Your Brain

Hearing loss from traumatic noise, ototoxic drugs and aging often gives rise to a loud, persistent and inescapable phantom sound (ringing, rushing or buzzing) that can be severe and emotionally disabling.  The neural generator responsible for tinnitus was originally thought to originate in the cochlea because most patients localize the phantom sensation to their damaged ear.  However, recent brain imaging studies in humans as well as electrophysiological studies in animals indicate that the neural generator for tinnitus most likely resides in the brain.  Our PET imaging studies in humans have identified several regions in the central auditory pathway that are correlated with the perception of tinnitus.  However, in some patients with debilitating tinnitus activity has also been observed in the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with memory and emotion.  The development of animal models that can "tell us" if they are experiencing tinnitus and what it "sounds like" has allowed researchers to investigate the neural and biological mechanisms of tinnitus and to screen drugs that might be used to suppress tinnitus in humans.  In addition, recent animal studies indicate that intense sounds and ototoxic drugs that damage the inner ear and induce tinnitus can adversely affect the hippocampus, a region that lies outside the classical auditory pathway.