Disruptions of default mode network and precuneus connectivity associated with cognitive dysfunctions in tinnitus
Stephanie Rosemann, Josef P. Rauschecker preprint
Tinnitus—a perception of sound without an external source—is linked to changes in brain connectivity, but prior findings have been inconsistent. In a comparison of 20 chronic tinnitus patients and 20 matched controls, no significant differences in resting-state functional connectivity were found between groups. However, cognitive test scores correlated with connectivity between the default mode network and precuneus and regions including the superior parietal lobule, supramarginal gyrus, and orbitofrontal cortex. Tinnitus distress was associated with connectivity between the precuneus and the lateral occipital complex. These results suggest that cognitive difficulties in tinnitus may stem from altered brain coupling, possibly because constant attention to the tinnitus sensation occupies neural resources.