title: Connectivity graph analysis of the auditory resting state network in tinnitus.
abstract: Thirteen chronic tinnitus patients and fifteen age-matched healthy controls were studied on a 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner during resting condition (i.e. eyes closed, no task performance). The auditory resting-state component was selected using an automatic component selection approach. Functional connectivity (correlations/anti-correlations) in the extracted network was portrayed by integrating the independent component analysis (ICA) approach with a graph theory method. Tinnitus and control groups showed different graph connectivity patterns. In the control group, the connectivity graph was divided into two distinct anti-correlated networks. The first one encompassed the auditory cortices and the insula. The second one encompassed frontoparietal and anterior cingulate cortices, brainstem, amygdala, basal ganglia/nucleus accumbens and parahippocampal regions. In the tinnitus group, only one of the two previously described networks was observed, encompassing the auditory cortices and the insula. Direct group comparison showed, in the tinnitus group, an increased functional connectivity between auditory cortices and the left parahippocampal region surviving multiple comparisons. We investigated a possible correlation between four tinnitus relevant measures (tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) and tinnitus questionnaire (TQ) scores, tinnitus duration and tinnitus intensity during the scanning session) and the connectivity pattern in the tinnitus population. We observed a significant positive correlation between the beta values of the posterior cingulate/precuneus region and the THI score. Our results show a modified functional connectivity pattern in tinnitus sufferers and highlight the role of the parahippocampal region in tinnitus physiopathology. They also point out the importance of the activity and connectivity pattern of the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus region to the development of the tinnitus associated distress. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Tinnitus Neuroscience.
authors.affiliation: Coma Science Group, Cyclotron Research Center, University of Liege, Sart-Tilman-B30, 4000 Liege, Belgium. amaudoux@doct.ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maudoux
authors.forename: Ph
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: J-E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cabay
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demertzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vanhaudenhuyse
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laureys
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soddu
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D020534:Parahippocampal Gyrus / Q000503:physiopathology; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult