Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006 Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Department of Otolaryngology, People's Hospital of Shangrao City, 334000 Shangrao, Jiangxi, China.
J Integr Neurosci. 2022 Jun 21;21(4):116. doi: 10.31083/j.jin2104116.
The difference in spontaneous brain activity between acute subjective tinnitus patients (with or without hearing loss) and control participants was explored using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and degree centrality methods through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The study aimed to provide an objective basis for clinical diagnosis and pathogenesis of patients with acute subjective tinnitus.
Fourteen acute subjective tinnitus (AST) patients with hearing loss (AST-HL), 6 AST patients with no hearing loss (AST-NHL), and 14 healthy controls (HCs) with age, sex, and education status matched were recruited for this study. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) examinations were performed in a resting state and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and degree centrality (DC) values of each group were acquired. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the ALFF and DC values of different brain areas of the participants (AST-HL and AST-NHL were compared with HCs, but AST-HL and AST-NHL were not).
Patients with acute subjective tinnitus and hearing loss showed a significantly increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation values in the left middle temporal gyrus and bilateral frontal gyrus/marginal lobe/cingulate gyrus but a decreased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations values in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus/anterior cerebellar lobe in comparison with healthy controls. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation values of patients with acute subjective tinnitus and hearing loss in the right posterior lobe of the cerebellum, bilateral temporal gyrus, bilateral lenticular nucleus, bilateral frontal gyrus, right inferior occipital gyrus, were higher, but were significantly lower in the bilateral anterior lobe of cerebellum/superior temporal gyrus and left posterior cerebellar lobe as compared with those of healthy controls. Degree centrality values in the healthy controls group were increased in the right superior marginal gyrus and decreased in the right thalamus in patients with acute subjective tinnitus and hearing loss, while patients with acute subjective tinnitus with no hearing loss presented significantly higher degree centrality values in the left frontal lobe and lower degree centrality values in the left center rear return.
Aberrant amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and values exist in various brain regions, indicating abnormal spontaneous brain activity in both acute subjective tinnitus and hearing loss and acute subjective tinnitus no hearing loss patients. The pathogenesis of acute subjective tinnitus may be related to abnormalities in both the auditory cortex and nonauditory cortex. These findings provide more evidence to help clarify the neuronal symptoms of acute subjective tinnitus patients.
本研究采用静息态功能磁共振成像中的低频振幅和度中心度方法，探讨了急性主观性耳鸣患者（伴或不伴听力损失）与对照组之间自发脑活动的差异。本研究旨在为急性主观性耳鸣患者的临床诊断和发病机制提供客观依据。
本研究纳入了 14 名伴有听力损失的急性主观性耳鸣患者（AST-HL）、6 名不伴听力损失的急性主观性耳鸣患者（AST-NHL）和 14 名年龄、性别和受教育程度相匹配的健康对照者（HCs）。对所有参与者进行静息态功能磁共振成像（fMRI）检查，获取各组低频振幅（ALFF）和度中心度（DC）值。统计分析比较了 AST-HL 和 AST-NHL 与 HCs 之间的 ALFF 和 DC 值，但未比较 AST-HL 和 AST-NHL 之间的差异。
与 HCs 相比，急性主观性耳鸣伴听力损失患者左中颞回及双侧额/缘/扣带回低频振幅值升高，双侧颞上回/小脑前叶/蚓部低频振幅值降低；急性主观性耳鸣伴听力损失患者右侧小脑后叶、双侧颞叶、双侧豆状核、双侧额回、右侧枕下回低频振幅值升高，双侧小脑前叶/颞上回、左侧小脑后叶低频振幅值降低；与 HCs 相比，急性主观性耳鸣伴听力损失患者右侧优势缘回的 DC 值升高，右侧丘脑的 DC 值降低，而急性主观性耳鸣不伴听力损失患者左侧额叶的 DC 值升高，左侧中央后回的 DC 值降低。
急性主观性耳鸣患者和急性主观性耳鸣伴听力损失患者存在多个脑区的低频振幅和度中心度值异常，提示急性主观性耳鸣伴听力损失和急性主观性耳鸣不伴听力损失患者均存在自发性脑活动异常。急性主观性耳鸣的发病机制可能与听觉皮层和非听觉皮层的异常有关。这些发现为阐明急性主观性耳鸣患者的神经症状提供了更多证据。
