Jian Zhang1, Yu-Chen Chen2, Xu Feng3, Ming Yang1, Bin Liu1, Cheng Qian1, Jian Wang4, Richard Salvi5, Gao-Jun Teng6. 1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China. 2. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China; Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA. 3. Department of Otolaryngology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China. 4. Department of Physiology, Southeast University, Nanjing, China; School of Human Communication Disorders, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. 5. Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA. 6. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China. Electronic address: gjteng@vip.sina.com.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The phantom sound of tinnitus is believed to arise from abnormal functional coupling between the thalamus and cerebral cortex. To explore this hypothesis, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare the degree of thalamocortical functional connectivity in chronic tinnitus patients and controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Resting-state fMRI scans were obtained from 31 chronic tinnitus patients and 33 well-matched healthy controls. Thalamocortical functional connectivity was characterized using a seed-based whole-brain correlation method. The resulting thalamic functional connectivity measures were correlated with other clinical data. RESULTS: We found decreased functional connectivity between the seed region in left thalamus and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), right middle orbitofrontal cortex, left middle frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus, and bilateral calcarine cortex. Decreased functional connectivity was detected between the seed in the right thalamus and the left superior temporal gyrus (STG), left amygdala, right superior frontal gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and left middle occipital gyrus. Tinnitus distress correlated negatively with thalamic functional connectivity in right MTG; tinnitus duration correlated negatively with thalamic functional connectivity in left STG. Increased functional connectivity between the bilateral thalamus and a set of regions were also observed. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic tinnitus patients have disrupted thalamocortical functional connectivity to selected brain regions which is associated with specific tinnitus characteristics. Resting-state thalamic functional connectivity disturbances may play an important role in neuropathological features of tinnitus.
PURPOSE: The phantom sound of tinnitus is believed to arise from abnormal functional coupling between the thalamus and cerebral cortex. To explore this hypothesis, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare the degree of thalamocortical functional connectivity in chronic tinnituspatients and controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Resting-state fMRI scans were obtained from 31 chronic tinnituspatients and 33 well-matched healthy controls. Thalamocortical functional connectivity was characterized using a seed-based whole-brain correlation method. The resulting thalamic functional connectivity measures were correlated with other clinical data. RESULTS: We found decreased functional connectivity between the seed region in left thalamus and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), right middle orbitofrontal cortex, left middle frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus, and bilateral calcarine cortex. Decreased functional connectivity was detected between the seed in the right thalamus and the left superior temporal gyrus (STG), left amygdala, right superior frontal gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and left middle occipital gyrus. Tinnitus distress correlated negatively with thalamic functional connectivity in right MTG; tinnitus duration correlated negatively with thalamic functional connectivity in left STG. Increased functional connectivity between the bilateral thalamus and a set of regions were also observed. CONCLUSIONS:Chronic tinnituspatients have disrupted thalamocortical functional connectivity to selected brain regions which is associated with specific tinnitus characteristics. Resting-state thalamic functional connectivity disturbances may play an important role in neuropathological features of tinnitus.
Authors: Pia Brinkmann; Sonja A Kotz; Jasper V Smit; Marcus L F Janssen; Michael Schwartze Journal: Brain Struct Funct Date: 2021-05-02 Impact factor: 3.270
Authors: Yu-Chen Chen; Wenqing Xia; Bin Luo; Vijaya P K Muthaiah; Zhenyu Xiong; Jian Zhang; Jian Wang; Richard Salvi; Gao-Jun Teng Journal: Front Neural Circuits Date: 2015-10-29 Impact factor: 3.492