Reduced attention shift in response to auditory changes in subjects with tinnitus.
A current idea about the persistence of tinnitus is that fixation of this phantom auditory perception in the central auditory system may be influenced by attention to it. The present study investigated the mechanisms of involuntary attention and analysed performance in categorising sounds in tinnitus, simulated-tinnitus and control subjects. The sounds were presented in one ear and were preceded by presentation of frequent and deviant stimuli in the other ear. The results showed classical attention capture by deviant stimuli. In addition, the unilateral tinnitus subjects responded more accurately in the tinnitus ear than in the non-tinnitus ear. In contrast, the 'simulated-tinnitus' group showed no difference in the results between the ear where the tinnitus simulation was presented and the opposite ear. These findings suggest a difficulty in attention directing when the attention location coincides with the tinnitus ear and provides evidence for an attention focus on the tinnitus ear.
CNRS UMR 5020 Neurosciences et Systèmes Sensoriels, Université Claude-Bernard Lyon-1, Lyon, France.
Caroline
C
Cuny
Arnaud
A
Norena
Farid
F
El Massioui
Sylviane
S
Chéry-Croze
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology