Human Auditory Cortex Neurochemistry Reflects the Presence and Severity of Tinnitus

Abstract

Permanently affecting one in seven adults, tinnitus lacks both widely effective treatments and adequate understanding of its brain mechanisms. Existing animal models represent tinnitus that may not be distinguishable from homeostatic responses to the auditory insults used to induce it. Human studies can be well controlled in this regard but are usually not (with few even matching control subjects for hearing loss) and are limited in scope as a result of relying solely on non-invasive recording techniques. Here, we exploit recent advances in non-invasive spectroscopic techniques to establish, in a human study tightly controlled for hearing loss and hyperacusis, that tinnitus is associated with a significant reduction in auditory cortex GABA concentration, which has implications for understanding and treatment of the condition.