People with tinnitus process emotions differently
For those suffering from tinnitus, it can cause frustration, anxiety, stress and even depression.
Commonly known as a ringing, hissing or buzzing in the ear (when no external sound is present), tinnitus will affect almost one in five Australians during their lifetime.
A recent study by the University of Illinois found that the brains of those with tinnitus were slower to react to emotional stimulation and were underactive in areas commonly associated with processing emotions, such as the amygdala.
Interestingly though, they found that they were more active than the other groups in several alternate areas of the brain related to emotional processing, such as the parahippocampus.
The researchers used functional MRI scans to monitor the areas of the brain that are active in response to stimulation by looking at the blood flow to the area.
The study used three groups: one with mild to moderate hearing loss and mild tinnitus; a second with mild to moderate hearing loss with no tinnitus; and a third “control” group of age-matched people without hearing loss or tinnitus.
Each group was presented with various pleasant and unpleasant sounds, and recorded whether they felt the sounds were pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.
The researchers noted that the brains of tinnitus sufferers seemed to have adjusted to hearing real and phantom sounds by using the alternate parts of their brain. They were redistributing the sounds around different cerebral areas, like a sort of unconscious form of multi-tasking.
The author of the study, Professor Fatima Husain, notes “Because they’ve had to adjust to the sound, some plasticity in the brain has occurred. They have had to reduce this amygdala activity and reroute it to other parts of the brain because the amygdala can’t be active all the time.”
It is hoped that this study will lead to further research into the area. The hope is that those living with tinnitus could benefit from more understanding of the link between tinnitus and its effect on how emotions are processed.