Abstract
Program Description:
A neurobiology for all clinical types of tinnitus is emerging, reflecting advances in the neuroscience of brain function and the cochleovestibular system. The electrophysiologic identification of brain functions activated in the presence of the tinnitus signal can provide a basis for translation to optimize tinnitus diagnosis and treatment. This miniseminar will focus on electrophysiology and tinnitus. Electrophysiologic markers of ear and brain function have been identified in subjective idiopathic tinnitus patients of all clinical types. This clinical experience has been reflective predominantly of site of lesion testing of cochleovestibular function. Tinnitus is an aberrant auditory percept. Advances in the neuroscience of brain imaging, sensory physiology, auditory physiology, brain function, and tinnitus have provided the otolaryngologist and all tinnitus professionals methods for objectification of the subjective tinnitus complaint. This miniseminar will initially review the past and present experience with electrophysiologic markers for tinnitus of cochleovestibular function. Second, the focus will be on presentation of two methods of objectification for the identification of electrophysiologic markers of tinnitus in brain as follows: 1) Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) and 2) low resolution electromagnetic tomography (Loreta). In this miniseminar, the fourth in a series examining tinnitus, each speaker will examine an electrophysiologic technique and then provide case discussions to examine the use of this technique in treatment selection.
Educational Objectives:
1) Understand the neurobiology of tinnitus. 2) Understand the availability of the use of electrophysiologic outcomes to provide objectivity for the subjective tinnitus complaint. 3) Recognize how established methodologies of recording electrophysiology of the ear and brain can be applied to the tinnitus patient.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.