The Study of Otoacoustic Emissions and the Suppression of Otoacoustic Emissions in Subjects with Tinnitus and Normal Hearing: An Insight to Tinnitus Etiology

Abstract

Introduction Analysis of the suppression effect is a simple method to evaluate cochlear status and central auditory mechanisms and, more specifically, the medial olivocochlear system. This structure may be involved in the generation of mechanisms that cause tinnitus and in the pathophysiology of tinnitus in patients with tinnitus and normal hearing. Objective To review the literature of the etiology of tinnitus on the lights of otoacoustic emissions in patients with normal hearing. Data Synthesis Individuals with tinnitus and normal hearing have a higher prevalence of alterations in transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions than normal subjects. This fact suggests that dysfunctions of the outer hair cells (OHCs) might be important in the generation of the tinnitus; however, this feature is not always present in those who have the symptoms of tinnitus. Final Comments These findings suggest that OHC dysfunction is not necessary for tinnitus development—that is, there might be mechanisms other than OHC damage in the tinnitus development. On the other hand, OHC dysfunction alone is not sufficient to cause the symptom, because a great many individuals with OHC dysfunction did not complain about tinnitus.

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“…Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs) are sounds emitted by the inner ear when the cochlea is stimulated by a sound. Measuring these emissions can provide insights into the functioning of the cochlea, which may be related to tinnitus (Serra et al, 2015 ). OAEs are not specific to tinnitus and can be influenced by various factors, including middle ear conditions (Serra et al, 2015 ).…”

“…Measuring these emissions can provide insights into the functioning of the cochlea, which may be related to tinnitus (Serra et al, 2015 ). OAEs are not specific to tinnitus and can be influenced by various factors, including middle ear conditions (Serra et al, 2015 ). Techniques like functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) have been used to study changes in brain activity in individuals with tinnitus (Eichhammer et al, 2007 ).…”

Psihijatrijski pristup tinitusu

“…19 The exact changes in neural activity that lead to the perception of the creation and maintenance of this phenomenon remain unknown. 20 There are several hypotheses about the formation of tinnitus, including the leading theory of degeneration at the level of sensory cells in the inner ear and the theory of neuroplasticity, which includes the impaired regulation of impaired excitation parts of the central nervous system included in the sense of sound. 21,22 The theory of neuroplasticity is followed by the theory of cortical reorganization, which recognizes changes in the structure of cortical circuits as an important factor in the psychological experience of tinnitus.…”