title: Investigation of functional hemispheric asymmetry of language in tinnitus sufferers.
abstract: The authors tested functional hemispheric asymmetry through word dichotic listening and lateralized lexical decision tasks in tinnitus patients and controls stimulated by a continuous tinnitus-like noise to test the influence of a tinnitus-like external stimulation. A classic right-ear advantage was shown in the auditory task for all but right-ear tinnitus patients, who performed as equally badly when the stimuli were presented to the right and left ears. Concerning the visual task, all participants demonstrated the expected right visual field advantage for word stimuli. Moreover, those who submitted to external stimulation demonstrated normal asymmetric patterns. These data suggest a specific effect of tinnitus on central processing and provide evidence for a functional reorganization induced by this auditory phantom perception.
authors.affiliation: Neurosciences et Systemes Sensoriels, Institut Federatif des Neurosciences de Lyon, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuny
authors.forename: Sylviane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chéry-Croze
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bougeant
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Koenig
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D004007:Dichotic Listening Tests; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D011932:Reading; D012016:Reference Values; D012660:Semantics; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology