The dorsal cochlear nucleus as a contributor to tinnitus: mechanisms underlying the induction of hyperactivity.

It has been hypothesized that tinnitus percepts may arise, in part, from increases in spontaneous neural activity in the central auditory system. The DCN is the lowest central auditory nucleus where this hyperactivity is observed, and it is most prominent following exposure to intense sound or ototoxic insult. Efforts to develop effective treatments for tinnitus will probably benefit from a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the induction of hyperactivity in the DCN. This chapter will summarize the evidence linking tinnitus to altered activity in the DCN and review some of the likely mechanisms underlying the induction of hyperactivity following injury to the ear.