title: Reduced variability of auditory alpha activity in chronic tinnitus.
abstract: Subjective tinnitus is characterized by the conscious perception of a phantom sound which is usually more prominent under silence. Resting state recordings without any auditory stimulation demonstrated a decrease of cortical alpha activity in temporal areas of subjects with an ongoing tinnitus perception. This is often interpreted as an indicator for enhanced excitability of the auditory cortex in tinnitus. In this study we want to further investigate this effect by analysing the moment-to-moment variability of the alpha activity in temporal areas. Magnetoencephalographic resting state recordings of 21 tinnitus subjects and 21 healthy controls were analysed with respect to the mean and the variability of spectral power in the alpha frequency band over temporal areas. A significant decrease of auditory alpha activity was detected for the low alpha frequency band (8-10 Hz) but not for the upper alpha band (10-12 Hz). Furthermore, we found a significant decrease of alpha variability for the tinnitus group. This result was significant for the lower alpha frequency range and not significant for the upper alpha frequencies. Tinnitus subjects with a longer history of tinnitus showed less variability of their auditory alpha activity which might be an indicator for reduced adaptability of the auditory cortex in chronic tinnitus.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 84, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Winfried
authors: 0000-0001-7942-1788
authors: W
authors: Schlee
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 84, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Schecklmann
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 84, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Astrid
authors: 0000-0002-7539-5946
authors: A
authors: Lehner
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 84, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Peter M
authors: PM
authors: Kreuzer
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 84, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Veronika
authors: V
authors: Vielsmeier
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 84, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Timm B
authors: TB
authors: Poeppl
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 84, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Berthold
authors: B
authors: Langguth
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult