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How sound pitch and tinnitus severity affect the brain’s processing of sound
What is it about?
Tinnitus is the experience of hearing a sound, like a ringing or buzzing, when no external sound is present. We studied whether the brain’s responses to sound are affected by the pitch of the sound being presented and by how severely tinnitus affects a person’s life. We recorded brain responses from 26 people with tinnitus and 26 people of similar age, sex, and hearing ability who did not have tinnitus. Participants heard sounds with a variety of different pitches. Brain responses became smaller as the frequency (pitch) of the sound increased. People with more severe tinnitus also showed weaker inhibitory auditory processing. This means that their brain’s ability to reduce responsiveness to less important sounds was weaker than in people with milder tinnitus.
Why is it important?
These findings help explain why tinnitus is a minor background sensation for some people but much more disruptive for others. The findings suggest that greater tinnitus distress may be associated with reduced automatic inhibitory filtering of sound in the brain. This finding may help explain why tinnitus is a minor life disruption for some people but much more burdensome for others. The study also highlights that the sound used during brain-response testing matters. Accounting for this effect will help researchers distinguish changes related to tinnitus from changes caused simply by the test sound. This could support the development of more reliable assessments of tinnitus and its severity.