Mass General Brigham Have Identified New Biomarkers for Tinnitus

[Jammer]

New 'hidden in plain sight' facial and eye biomarkers for tinnitus severity could unlock path to testing treatments

Researchers at Mass General Brigham have identified facial muscle twitches and pupil dilation as subtle biomarkers linked to tinnitus severity. Using AI-powered software, they found these responses could serve as objective indicators of tinnitus distress. This discovery could lead to more accurate diagnostics and personalized treatments, potentially accessible through consumer-grade electronics.

 

[Ken219]

New 'hidden in plain sight' facial and eye biomarkers for tinnitus severity could unlock path to testing treatments

Researchers at Mass General Brigham have identified facial muscle twitches and pupil dilation as subtle biomarkers linked to tinnitus severity. Using AI-powered software, they found these responses could serve as objective indicators of tinnitus distress. This discovery could lead to more accurate diagnostics and personalized treatments, potentially accessible through consumer-grade electronics.

It feels like a dead end. Ask me how I am feeling.

 

[PhillyBill]

Yes, Dr. Polley and your team! Cheering you on!

 

[Fra]

Okay, these results look like an intriguing exercise, but they do not seem to have a realistic future in tinnitus diagnostics. Basically, and excuse me if I am oversimplifying, they found that: tinnitus → distress → bodily expressions of distress. It looks interesting but unconvincing.

The path from tinnitus to measurable outcomes passes through so many steps that it is easily influenced by a countless variety of co-factors. The best results will likely come when researchers develop ways to achieve much higher MRI resolution, or something like the recently explored optical coherence tomography (OCT), which creates a three-dimensional image of tissue using light waves.

Those are promising directions, and they are being advanced by broader developments in medical technology.

 

[IYIiKe]

I'm missing "the so what" part.

 

[AverageJoe12]

Okay, these results look like an intriguing exercise, but they do not seem to have a realistic future in tinnitus diagnostics. Basically, and excuse me if I am oversimplifying, they found that: tinnitus → distress → bodily expressions of distress. It looks interesting but unconvincing.

The path from tinnitus to measurable outcomes passes through so many steps that it is easily influenced by a countless variety of co-factors. The best results will likely come when researchers develop ways to achieve much higher MRI resolution, or something like the recently explored optical coherence tomography (OCT), which creates a three-dimensional image of tissue using light waves.

Those are promising directions, and they are being advanced by broader developments in medical technology.

I see what you're saying. It's predictable that any chronic condition would show signs of distress when a provocative stimulus is introduced. But perhaps the point is that we can now observe these distress markers in response to something as seemingly harmless as sound — or even a very specific type of sound, such as high-frequency tones. Society generally doesn't think of sound as dangerous or bothersome, so apparently we need to show them that it can be.

In patients with hyperacusis or severe tinnitus, the reaction to auditory stimuli might be seen as excessive, since everyday sounds are not inherently damaging or noxious. The only comparable testing outside of THI or TFI surveys is loudness discomfort level (LDL) testing. That method isn't much better and is highly subjective. I wince and tell the audiologist that 80 dB is too loud in my right ear, and they take me at my word and send me on my way. It doesn't really provide meaningful insight.

We absolutely need more imaging to reveal cochlear synaptopathy or hair cell death — that would truly change the game. But in the meantime, if I can demonstrate distress in certain environments, maybe that helps substantiate these disorders in a way that hasn't been done before.

Dr. Polley and his peers are working on some incredibly impressive research using optogenetics to manipulate neurons in the auditory cortex. That could be a major breakthrough and might arrive even before imaging techniques become available or regenerative medicine can be safely applied to the cochlea.