Department of Neurosurgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Hear Res. 2020 Dec;398:108081. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.108081. Epub 2020 Sep 23.
The cerebellum is historically considered to be involved in motor control and motor learning. However, it is also a site of multimodal sensory and sensory-motor integration, implicated in auditory processing. The flocculus and paraflocculus are small lobes of the cerebellum, in humans located in the cerebellopontine angle. The last two decades, both structures have been a subject of interest in hearing loss and tinnitus research. The current review summarizes insights on the auditory function of the (para)flocculus and its contribution to hearing loss and tinnitus. This leads to the hypothesis of a feedback loop between the paraflocculus and the auditory cortex. Disruption of this loop may be instrumental in both maintaining tinnitus and reducing tinnitus. Although the research mostly has been performed in animals, the implications in humans are also discussed. If the (para)flocculus indeed comprises an auditory function and is part of a tinnitus-mechanism, this would potentially open up new treatment options that involve direct intervention at the (para)flocculus.
小脑在历史上被认为与运动控制和运动学习有关。然而，它也是多模态感觉和感觉运动整合的部位，参与听觉处理。小脑的绒球小结叶和旁绒球小结叶是小脑的小叶，在人类中位于小脑脑桥角。在过去的二十年中，这两个结构一直是听力损失和耳鸣研究的关注对象。目前的综述总结了（旁）绒球小结叶的听觉功能及其对听力损失和耳鸣的贡献的见解。这导致了一个假设，即旁绒球小结叶和听觉皮层之间存在一个反馈回路。该回路的中断可能对维持耳鸣和减少耳鸣都有重要作用。尽管该研究主要在动物中进行，但也讨论了其在人类中的意义。如果（旁）绒球小结叶确实具有听觉功能，并且是耳鸣机制的一部分，那么这将为涉及直接干预（旁）绒球小结叶的新治疗方法开辟可能性。
