Tinnitus and Tonotopic Remapping of the Auditory Cortex

Tinnitus and Tonotopic Remapping of the Auditory Cortex
Pim van Dijk, Ph.D., Emile de Kleine, Ph.D. and D.R.M. Langers, Ph.D., University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Funding: $50,000

Roadmap to a Cure: Pathways A, B & C

Tinnitus is believed to be related to changes in the brain, specifically a process referred to as tonotopic reorganization. (Tonotopy is the organization of how particular sound frequencies are processed in different areas of the brain.) Reorganizaiton may lead to an overrepresentation of particular sound frequencies in the brain, which leads to the perception tinnitus. Several therapies have been proposed to restore normal tonotopy, and thereby possibly cure tinnitus.

However, the underlying assumption that tinnitus is caused by tonotopic reorganization has never been fully tested in humans. Dr. Van Dijk’s project addresses this gap in the research. For the first time, researchers will used a new state-of-the-art functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to robustly measure detailed tonotopic maps in subjects with and without tinnitus will be tested. By a comparison of these two groups, it will become clear to what extent tinnitus is associated with the manifest tonotopic reorganization.

If it is affirmed that tinnitus is related to tonotopic reorganization in the human brain, it will strongly stimulate the development of therapies (such a new sound therapies) that aim to restore normal tonotopic representation and thereby cure tinnitus.

http://www.ata.org/research/ata-funded

 

$50,000 isn't going to get them very far.

 

Hopefully, the govt. will chip in. They spend trillions of dollars to build bombs that often cause t. You'd think they could spare a few million for t.

 

All good info, @Lisa88. I see you've been mining the ATA site.

People frequently criticize the ATA, and some of it is justified, though I won't expound here. That said, the ATA does fund scientific research. What limits the ATA is their inability to raise money and, of course, decreased funding by the NIH and probably the DoD.

If our government was functional, the ATA would fund many more studies. But, of course, people don't even bother to vote in the US, or they vote for people who don't believe the government should be funding scientific research.

Already another potential government shutdown is being threatened--by those same people who want limited government activity across-the-board, including scientific funding.

Really, how can we expect anything from such a toxic political climate?

And this makes it more important for the ATA to rethink their own funding strategies.

 

Well when you are broke you are broke...the US government has to put a cap on all spending if the country wants to have even have a hope of surviving, otherwise we will see more than just scientific funding put to a halt. In fact if the country keeps racking up debt you will see a big POP that no one even thought possible. Scientific funding? You won't even have heat in your home if this government keeps spending the way it is.

 

broke? if we could get a crumb of what is spent on pointless ventures we would have a cure in no time .. we want to know more about places millions of light years away than help a fellow human to even hear about it or have a healthy the body to enjoy this information ...

 

Yes all the space research should be stoped. It's blatantly stupid. We have problems here on earth that needs to be adressed before we venture into space to fulfill some childish sci-fi dream.

 

Or....stop blowing shit up and cure T and move to Mars.

 

Tonotopic reorganization in the central auditory cortex may be a very important element of t. Very cool that they are exploring this.

 

It is, at least, not blatantly stupid. Space research is the olympics of science, it's inspiring, and it has produced scientific advances commonly used today. To put humans on mars is out of reach, but to send a robot there it's as costly as a blockbuster movie and quite a feat of engineering. Wouldn't it be more helpful to fund research for specific earthly issues? not sure. We need fundamental science projects that produce benefits in the long term. Science exploration is one way to do it.

 

I dunno man, but since your name and avatar is Frohike from the X-Files I can see why you think space research is "inspiring"