Is Tinnitus a Disease of the Ear or a Hiccup of the Brain?

Ecip · Nov 25, 2015

After irreparable damage to inner hair cells a fraction of auditory signals are not conducted via the auditory pathway and hence do not arrive at the central auditory fields. As a function of this signal loss, neurons in the auditory cortex that are organized tonotopically and that are preferentially driven by specific auditory frequencies encoded by the damaged inner hair cells are rendered idle.

In the absence of incoming auditory signals, these neurons do not fire systematically. Within hours and days after partial hearing loss, however, the subtle balance of lateral inhibition and excitement of adjacent neuronal ensembles changes gradually and slightly.

This loss of balance results in increased firing of the deafferented neurons (Llinas, Urbano, Leznik, Ramirez, & van Marle, 2005) that is caused by a dysrhythmia of exciting and inhibiting thalamo-cortical circuits (Llinas, Ribary, Jeanmonod, Kronberg, & Mitra, 1999).

It is of utmost importance to note that in this understanding chronic tinnitus can be considered a neurogenic phenomenon comparable to chronic pain. The lateral disinhibition is fostered by a thalamo-cortical loop that simply responds to the dormancy of the deafferented neurons and that begins to “nudge” the idle brain cells to “get back to work”.

This unsuccessful attempt of the thalamic nuclei to restore the former organization in the auditory cortex serves as an unfortunate example for a maladjusting process based on the neuroplastic nature of the brain.

For this reason tinnitus is often dubbed “the auditory phantom pain” as it results accidentally from the brain’s fatal mistake to fix the “hiccup” of the auditory system.
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I wonder if it's then possible, knowing this, to somehow 'talk' to your subconscious and tell it that this is a mistake, to leave things alone and not try to repair things that aren't really broken. Perhaps by way of psychedelics? Or even lucid dreaming? It's intriguing.

Joan A. · Nov 25, 2015

@Ecip very interesting! Thank You!

DebInAustralia · Nov 26, 2015

thank you for sharing epic

Silvio Sabo · Nov 26, 2015

Ecip said: ↑

I wonder if its then possible, knowing this, to somehow 'talk' to your subconscious and tell it that this is a mistake, to leave things alone and not try to repair things that arent really broken. Perhaps by way of psychedelics? Or even lucid dreaming? It's intriguing.
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This info is not new by any means. Read the HIFU thread. Dr. Jeanmond that you have quoted is mentioned a lot there.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hifu-high-intensity-focused-ultrasound-surgery.276/

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Is Tinnitus a Disease of the Ear or a Hiccup of the Brain?

Ecip Member

Attached Files:

Is Tinnitus a Disease of the Ear or a Hiccup of the Brain - Meyer, 2012.pdf

Joan A. Member

DebInAustralia Member Benefactor Hall of Fame Advocate

Silvio Sabo Member Benefactor

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Is Tinnitus a Disease of the Ear or a Hiccup of the Brain?

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Ecip Member

Attached Files:

Is Tinnitus a Disease of the Ear or a Hiccup of the Brain - Meyer, 2012.pdf

Joan A. Member

DebInAustralia Member Benefactor Hall of Fame Advocate

Silvio Sabo Member Benefactor

Hidden Struggle → Meniere's Disease (Vertigo, Motion Sickness, Hearing Loss, Tinnitus)

Tinnitus and Fullness in One Ear, Comes and Goes — Could I Have Meniere's Disease?

Autoimmune Ear Disease Causing Tinnitus — Also Diagnosed with PsA, UCTD, Sjogren's

An Old Guy's Introduction — Tinnitus Started Around 20 Years Ago with Meniere's Disease

Tinnitus with Sudden Hearing loss —Maybe Meniere's Disease?

Share This Page