Detailed analysis of auditory brainstem responses in patients with noise-induced tinnitus

Joseph Attias, Hum Pratt, Idit Reshef, Ian Bresloff, Gil Horowitz, Audrey Polyakov, Zecharia Shemesh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The role of the auditory brainstem in tinnitus is questionable. This study aimed comprehensively to assess auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) in patients suffering from noise-induced tinnitus (NIT). ABRs were recorded from 13 chronic NIT patients (21 ears) and 11 (21 ears) age and hearing matched control subjects without tinnitus. ABRs were recorded with scalp electrodes placed ipsilateral and contralateral to the stimulated ear, and in three orthonormal differential configurations. The ABRs were analyzed as a function of time, frequency and voltage space. A significantly enhanced ipsilaterally recorded, time domain wave III amplitude was observed for the tinnitus patients. This finding was not confirmed by any of the other ABR measures, which were indistinguishable between subject groups. Although this may be a spurious result, it nonetheless may point to an alteration in the functioning of the putative wave III auditory brainstem generator, which deserves further study.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)259-270
Number of pages12
JournalInternational Journal of Audiology
Volume35
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1996
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Auditory brainstem responses
  • Noise-induced hearing loss
  • Tinnitus

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Language and Linguistics
  • Linguistics and Language
  • Speech and Hearing

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