The role of the prefrontal cortex in chronic subjective tinnitus:insights from resting-state fMRI
10.3969/j.issn.1006-7299.2025.06.009
- VernacularTitle:静息态功能磁共振下探究前额叶在慢性主观性耳鸣中的作用
- Author:
Chaoqi SHI
1
;
Jiayu NI
;
Enli JIN
;
Zili YIN
;
Li QIN
;
Yuan LI
Author Information
1. 浙江省肿瘤医院耳鼻咽喉头颈外科(杭州 310005)
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Chronic subjective tinnitus;
Resting-state functional MRI;
Prefrontal cortex;
Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation;
Functional connectivity
- From:
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology
2025;33(6):553-559
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the role of the prefrontal cortex in the generation and adaptation of chro-nic subjective tinnitus using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI).Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan were acquired from 20 patients with chronic subjective tinnitus and 20 healthy controls.Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations(fALFF)and seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity(FC)methods were used to detect abnormal prefrontal cortex activity in tinnitus patients and to investi-gate interactions between prefrontal cortex activity and brain regions associated tinnitus perception.The analysis aimed to assess the relationship between prefrontal cortex spontaneous neural activity,atypical functional connectivi-ty across various brain regions,and clinical characteristics of tinnitus.Results Compared with healthy controls,pa-tients with chronic tinnitus showed a significant reduction in fALFF values in some specific brain areas of prefrontal cortex,including the left/right medial superior frontal gyrus and the left/right middle frontal gyrus.Functional con-nectivity values were notably enhanced between the left medial superior frontal gyrus and the left anterior insula,as well as between the right medial superior frontal gyrus and the left superior temporal gyrus.Furthermore,increased functional connectivity was observed between the left middle frontal gyrus and the right middle temporal gyrus,as well as between the right middle frontal gyrus and the left parahippocampal gyrus,left superior parietal lobule,and left supplementary motor area.Importantly,the functional connectivity between the left middle frontal gyrus and the right superior temporal gyrus exhibited a negative correlation with tinnitus handicap inventory scores(r=-0.627,P=0.003)and visual analogue scale scores(r=-0.596,P=0.005).Conclusion There are abnormal brain function changes in medial prefrontal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in patients with chronic subjec-tive tinnitus,accompanied by changes in the intensity of functional connections with the salience and auditory net-works.These abnormalities are highly related to the severity of tinnitus.The prefrontal cortex may play an impor-tant role in the sensory prediction and auditory regulation of tinnitus.
