title: The role of the parabrachial nucleus in the natural history of tinnitus and its implications.
abstract: The final common pathway in severe tinnitus is modified to include the parabrachial nucleus, which has been identified by c-fos immunocytochemistry as an active, non-auditory site. The parabrachial nucleus acts in conjunction with the amygdala and insula (part of the medial temporal lobe system) to produce a somatic emotional sense that can result in a "bad" feeling. The activation of the final common pathway is rapid, suggesting that early treatment is prudent to prevent neuroplastic changes that would likely lessen affect.
authors.affiliation: Ceres Biotechnology, LLC, Program in Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0168, USA. lenhardt@hsc.vcu.edu
authors.forename: Martin L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lenhardt
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D011149:Pons / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*