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Neural substrates of tinnitus in animal and human cortex

Cortical correlates of tinnitus

Neurale Substrate von Tinnitus im tierischen und humanen Kortex

Kortikale Korrelate von Tinnitus

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Abstract

Animal models of tinnitus complement human findings and potentially deepen our insight into the neural substrates of tinnitus. The fact that animal data are largely based on recordings from the auditory system, in particular from subcortical structures, makes comparison with human electrophysiological data from predominantly cortical areas difficult. Electro/magnetoencephalography and imaging data extend beyond the auditory cortex. The most challenging link to be made is the one between the macroscopic data in humans and the microscopic (single neuron action potentials) and mesoscopic (local field potentials) results obtained in animal models. Since invasive recordings in humans are rare, a bridge needs to be built on the basis of changes in brain rhythms in animals with putative tinnitus.

Zusammenfassung

Tiermodelle von Tinnitus vertiefen unsere Erkenntnisse bezüglich der neuralen Substrate des Tinnitus. Dass die tierexperimentellen Daten weitgehend auf Untersuchungen des auditorischen Systems und hier insbesondere der subkortikalen Strukturen basieren, erschwert die Vergleichbarkeit mit menschlichen elektrophysiologischen Daten dominant kortikaler Bereiche. Die Ergebnisse der Elektro- oder Magnetenzephalographie und die Bilddarstellungen gehen über die des auditorischen Kortex hinaus. Am schwierigsten ist es jedoch, Verbindungen zwischen makroskopischen Daten aus Humanstudien sowie mikroskopischen (einzelne neuronale Aktionspotenziale) und mesoskopischen Ergebnissen (lokale Feldpotenziale) aus Untersuchungen an Tiermodellen zu ziehen. Da invasive Entnahmen beim Menschen selten vorgenommen werden dürfen, muss die Brücke auf Grundlage der beobachteten Veränderungen im Rhythmus der Hirnströme von Tieren mit mutmaßlichem Tinnitus geschlagen werden.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Campbell McLaurin Chair for Hearing Deficiencies.

Compliance with ethical guidelines

Conflict of interest. J.J. Eggermont states that there are no conflicts of interest.

All studies on humans described in the present manuscript were carried out with the approval of the responsible ethics committee and in accordance with national law and the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 (in its current, revised form). Informed consent was obtained from all patients included in studies.

All national guidelines on the care and use of laboratory animals have been followed and the necessary approval was obtained from the relevant authorities.

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  1. Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, and Psychology, University of Calgary, T2N 2V1, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    J.J. Eggermont

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Correspondence to J.J. Eggermont.

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Eggermont, J. Neural substrates of tinnitus in animal and human cortex. HNO 63, 298–301 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00106-014-2980-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00106-014-2980-8

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