Abnormal cross-frequency coupling in the tinnitus network

Abstract

Neuroimaging studies have identified networks of brain areas and oscillations associated with tinnitus perception. However, how these regions relate to perceptual characteristics of tinnitus, and how oscillations in various frequency bands are associated with communications within the tinnitus network is still incompletely understood. Recent evidence suggests that apart from changes of the tinnitus severity the changes of tinnitus dominant pitch also have modulating effect on the underlying neuronal activity in a number of brain areas within the tinnitus network. Therefore, in a re-analysis of an existing dataset, we sought to determine how the oscillations in the tinnitus network in the various frequency bands interact. We also investigate how changes of tinnitus loudness, annoyance and pitch affect cross-frequency interaction both within and between nodes of the tinnitus network. Results of this study provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence that in tinnitus patients, aside from the previously described changes of oscillatory activity, there are also changes of cross-frequency coupling (CFC); phase-amplitude CFC was increased in tinnitus patients within the auditory cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal regions between the phase of delta-theta and the amplitude of gamma oscillations (Modulation Index [MI] 0.17 in tinnitus patients vs. 0.08 in tinnitus free controls). Moreover, theta phase in the anterior cingulate region modulated gamma in the auditory (MI 0.1) and dorsolateral prefrontal regions (MI 0.19). Reduction of tinnitus severity after acoustic coordinated reset therapy led to a partial normalization of abnormal CFC. Also treatment induced changes in tinnitus pitch significantly modulated changes in CFC. Thus, tinnitus perception is associated with a more pronounced CFC within and between nodes of the tinnitus network. CFC can coordinate tinnitus-relevant activity in the tinnitus network providing a mechanism for effective communication between nodes of this network.

Pathophysiological implication of CaV3.1 T-type Ca2+channels in trigeminal neuropathic pain

“…Indeed, CFC has been proposed to be an effective mechanism in combining network activity with sensory processing (44)(45)(46). Significantly different CFC patterns between low-frequency rhythms and gamma rhythm were found within the S1 cortex following IoN ligations in WT, compared with KO mice (Fig.…”

Validation of a Mobile Device for Acoustic Coordinated Reset Neuromodulation Tinnitus Therapy

“…Approximately 2% of the general population experience a severely impaired quality of life due to this condition and rely on professional medical, psychological, or psychiatric help (Axelsson and Ringdahl, 1989;Langguth, 2012). Although many theories have been proposed concerning the etiology, the neuronal fingerprint of primary tinnitus is the altered spectral power of electroencephalography (EEG) or magnetoencephalography signals (Weisz et al, 2005;Dohrmann et al, 2007;Kahlbrock and Weisz, 2008;Ortmann et al, 2011;Adamchic, Langguth, et al, 2014;Adamchic, Toth, et al, 2014;Eggermont and Tass, 2015) observable over a large network of brain areas (Schlee et al, 2008;2009;Silchenko et al, 2013;Sedley et al, 2015) A number of distinct therapeutic options have been proposed for the management of primary tinnitus (Tunkel et al, 2014) including cognitive behavioral therapy (Martinez-Devesa et al, 2010), hearing aids (Hoare et al, 2014), cochlear implants (Arts et al, 2015), sound maskers (Hobson et al, 2012), tinnitus retraining therapy (Phillips and McFerran, 2010), medications (Hoekstra et al, 2011;Baldo et al, 2012;Hilton et al, 2013), vitamins and dietary supplements, hyperbaric oxygen (Bennett et al, 2012), acupuncture (Kim et al, 2012), and neuromodulation therapy (Langguth and De Ridder, 2013). Currently, there is no standard of care and the published studies have large variability in outcomes and large differences in intervention protocols within a single type of intervention.…”

Robustness and dynamicity of functional networks in phantom sound

“…Owing to the centrality of feeder nodes, damage/intervention to these sites results in dynamic changes in the connectivity profile of the module resulting in the disconnection of the communities from the core. Further, it has been shown that there exists an aberrant cross-frequency coupling in tinnitus between different regions in the brain (Adamchic, Langguth, Hauptmann, & Tass, 2014;. This…”