Abnormal spontaneous neural activity of auditory cortex and auditory pathway in tinnitus: a resting-state fMRI study

Abstract

This resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) study in tinnitus patients was conducted to observe the spontaneous neural activity of the central auditory system using a derived index, mean amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (mALFF). Tinnitus subjects with right-ear hearing impairment (THL) and without hearing loss (TNH) and two age-, sex-, and education-matched control groups (NC1 and NC2) were recruited for rs-fMRI. mALFF maps of the tinnitus and matched NC groups were plotted in the central auditory system, including the primary auditory cortex (PAC), higher auditory cortex (HAC), and hubs of the central auditory