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Tinnitus distress is associated with enhanced resting-state functional connectivity within the default mode network.

Yu-Chen Chen, Huiyou Chen, Fan Bo, Jin-Jing Xu, Yi Deng, Han Lv, Yuexin Cai, Wenqing Xia, Xindao Yin, Jian-Ping Gu, Guangming Lu

Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2018 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s164619 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case-control study Peer reviewed
Sample size 81
Population 40 chronic bilateral tinnitus patients and 41 healthy controls, matched for age, sex, and education, with normal hearing
Topics Default mode network
Keywords Anterior cingulate cortex Posterior cingulate cortex Resting-State FMRI Tinnitus
Key findings Chronic tinnitus patients showed enhanced functional connectivity within the default mode network compared with controls: anterior cingulate cortex to left precuneus connectivity correlated with tinnitus duration (r=0.451), and posterior cingulate cortex to right medial prefrontal cortex connectivity correlated with tinnitus distress (r=0.411). The authors propose that increased resting-state DMN connectivity may contribute to the neuropathological features of chronic tinnitus.

Abstract

The default mode network (DMN) has been confirmed to be involved in chronic tinnitus perception. Tinnitus distress may be associated with abnormal functional connectivity (FC) within the DMN regions. The goal of this study was to determine whether tinnitus disrupted the FC patterns within the DMN as measured by using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging approach. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from 40 chronic bilateral tinnitus patients and 41 healthy controls. Both were age, sex, and education well-matched with normal hearing. Two important DMN regions, the anterior cingulate cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, were chosen as seed regions to detect the FC patterns within the DMN and then determine whether these changes were linked to clinical measures of tinnitus such as tinnitus duration and tinnitus severity. Compared with healthy controls, chronic tinnitus patients manifested significantly enhanced FC between the anterior cingulate cortex and left precuneus, which was correlated with the tinnitus duration (r=0.451, p=0.007). Moreover, enhanced FC between the posterior cingulate cortex and right medial prefrontal cortex in tinnitus patients was positively correlated with the tinnitus distress (r=0.411, p=0.014). Chronic tinnitus patients showed disrupted FC patterns within the DMN regions which are correlated with tinnitus distress. Increased resting-state connectivity pattern of the DMN may play a pivotal role in neuropathological features underlying chronic tinnitus.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain 2001 Observational study
Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects 2008 Observational cohort
Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls 2005 Observational cohort n = 20
Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls 2011 Observational cohort
The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects 2008 Observational study

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