Observed changes in a part of the brain not previously thought to have been involved in generating tinnitus could be potentially important for the future development of drug treatments.
Alterations in nerve cell electrical behavior are thought to underlie the perception of non-existent sounds – roaring, hissing or ringing - experienced by tinnitus sufferers but the site of abnormal cell behavior has been a contentious issue for many years.
The nerve cell types and chemistry of the neural circuitry of this part of the brain differs subtly from the other parts of the brain that were previously thought to be involved in causing tinnitus.
Read more at UWA/The Journal of Neuroscience