Neuroanatomy of tinnitus

We tested the hypothesis that tinnitus was due to excessive spontaneous act ivity in the central auditory system by seeking cerebral blood flow (CBF) c hanges that paralleled changes in the loudness of tinnitus in patients able to alter the loudness of their tinnitus. We found CBF changes in the left temporal lobe in patients with right ear tinnitus, in contrast to bilateral temporal lobe activity associated with stimulation of the right ear. The t ones activated more extensive portions of the brain in patients than contro ls. We conclude that tinnitus is not cochlear in origin and associated with plastic transformations of the central auditory system. We suggest that ti nnitus arises as a consequence of these aberrant new pathways and may be th e auditory system analog to phantom limb sensations in amputees.