Abstract

We performed magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) on healthy individuals with tinnitus and no hearing loss (n = 16) vs. a matched control group (n = 17) to further elucidate the role of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in tinnitus. Two-dimensional J-resolved spectroscopy (2D-JPRESS) was applied to disentangle Glutamate (Glu) from Glutamine and to estimate GABA levels in two bilateral voxels in the primary auditory cortex. Results indicated a lower Glu concentration (large effect) in right auditory cortex and lower GABA concentration (medium effect) in the left auditory cortex of the tinnitus group. Within the tinnitus group, Glu levels positively correlated with tinnitus loudness measures. While the GABA difference between groups is in line with former findings and theories about a dysfunctional auditory inhibition system in tinnitus, the novel finding of reduced Glu levels came as a surprise and is discussed in the context of a putative framework of inhibitory mechanisms related to Glu throughout the auditory pathway. Longitudinal or interventional studies could shed more light on interactions and causality of Glu and GABA in tinnitus neurochemistry.

Details

Title
Lower glutamate and GABA levels in auditory cortex of tinnitus patients: a 2D-JPRESS MR spectroscopy study
Author
Isler, B 1 ; von Burg N 2 ; Kleinjung, T 1 ; Meyer, M 3 ; Stämpfli, P 4 ; Zölch, N 5 ; Neff, P 6 

 University Hospital Zurich, (USZ), University of Zurich (UZH), Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Zurich, Switzerland (GRID:grid.7400.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0650); University of Zurich (UZH), Faculty of Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland (GRID:grid.7400.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0650) 
 University of Zurich (UZH), Faculty of Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland (GRID:grid.7400.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0650) 
 University of Zurich (UZH), Division of Neuropsychology, Zurich, Switzerland (GRID:grid.7400.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0650); University of Zurich (UZH), University Research Priority Program ‘Dynamics of Healthy Aging’, Zurich, Switzerland (GRID:grid.7400.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0650) 
 University of Zurich (UZH), Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland (GRID:grid.7400.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0650) 
 University of Zurich (UZH), Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland (GRID:grid.7400.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0650); University of Zurich (UZH), Institute of Forensic Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland (GRID:grid.7400.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0650) 
 University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, Austria (GRID:grid.7039.d) (ISNI:0000000110156330); University of Regensburg, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Regensburg, Germany (GRID:grid.7727.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2190 5763); Institute of Bioengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland (GRID:grid.5333.6) (ISNI:0000000121839049); University of Geneva, Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, Geneva, Switzerland (GRID:grid.8591.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2322 4988) 
Publication year
2022
Publication date
2022
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2637589828
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.