title: Impaired brain processing in noise-induced tinnitus patients as measured by auditory and visual event-related potentials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to confirm that the brain processing of auditory stimuli in tinnitus patients is impaired (Attias, Urbach, Gold, & Shemesh, 1993). In addition, possible brain processing dysfunction in response to visual stimuli was assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Auditory and visual event-related potentials (ERPs) and reaction times were recorded in response to a standard oddball target detection paradigm. The subjects consisted of 21 noise-induced chronic tinnitus patients and 21 age- and hearing-matched control subjects without tinnitus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tinnitus patients had significantly prolonged latencies for the auditory nontarget ERP components N1, N2, and P3 and for the auditory target ERP P3 component. The auditory P3 component was also significantly reduced in amplitude for both target and nontarget stimuli for the tinnitus patients. The visual P3 target and nontarget components were similarly significantly prolonged in latency for the tinnitus patients. Reaction times to both target and nontarget stimuli were significantly delayed for the tinnitus patients for both stimulus modalities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings point to a cortical information processing dysfunction in chronic tinnitus patients associated primarily with auditory stimuli. ERPs may provide an objective electrophysiologic tinnitus measure.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Noise Hazards Research and Evoked Potentials Laboratory, IDF, Medical Corps, Chaim Sheba-Medical Center, Israel.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Attias
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Furman
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shemesh
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bresloff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009476:Neurons, Efferent; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology