What’s the buzz? The neuroscience and the treatment of tinnitus

A. Henton; T. Tzounopoulos

doi:10.1152/physrev.00029.2020

journal article Open Access Oct 01, 2021

What’s the buzz? The neuroscience and the treatment of tinnitus

A. Henton T. Tzounopoulos

Physiological Reviews Vol. 101 No. 4 pp. 1609-1632 · American Physiological Society

View at Publisher Save 10.1152/physrev.00029.2020

Abstract

Tinnitus is a pervasive public health issue that affects ∼15% of the United States population. Similar estimates have also been shown on a global scale, with similar prevalence found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The severity of tinnitus is heterogeneous, ranging from mildly bothersome to extremely disruptive. In the United States, ∼10–20% of individuals who experience tinnitus report symptoms that severely reduce their quality of life. Due to the huge personal and societal burden, in the last 20 yr a concerted effort on basic and clinical research has significantly advanced our understanding and treatment of this disorder. Yet, neither full understanding, nor cure exists. We know that tinnitus is the persistent involuntary phantom percept of internally generated nonverbal indistinct noises and tones, which in most cases is initiated by acquired hearing loss and maintained only when this loss is coupled with distinct neuronal changes in auditory and extra-auditory brain networks. Yet, the exact mechanisms and patterns of neural activity that are necessary and sufficient for the perceptual generation and maintenance of tinnitus remain incompletely understood. Combinations of animal model and human research will be essential in filling these gaps. Nevertheless, the existing progress in investigating the neurophysiological mechanisms has improved current treatment and highlighted novel targets for drug development and clinical trials. The aim of this review is to thoroughly discuss the current state of human and animal tinnitus research, outline current challenges, and highlight new and exciting research opportunities.

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Details

Published: Oct 01, 2021
Vol/Issue: 101(4)
Pages: 1609-1632

Authors

A

A. Henton

Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center and Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

T

T. Tzounopoulos

Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center and Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Funding

U.S. Department of Defense Award: W81XWH-14-1-0117

Cite This Article

A. Henton, T. Tzounopoulos (2021). What’s the buzz? The neuroscience and the treatment of tinnitus. Physiological Reviews, 101(4), 1609-1632. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00029.2020

What’s the buzz? The neuroscience and the treatment of tinnitus

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