midterm Flashcards
(106 cards)
tinnitus
a phantom auditory perception ; the perception of a sound without corresponding acoustic or mechanical correlates in the cochlea
-involuntary
-the site of generation is anywhere on the pathways of sound
breakdown of tinnitus models
neurophysiological (jasterboff) and psychological/cognitive (hallam and cognitive behavior models)
neurophysiological models
biological basis of tinnitus in the auditory system
-the consensus that tinnitus results from the perception of abnormal activity
-main model is jasterboff’s model
what are the three proposed mechanisms for how tinnitus is coded in the cortex
increased spontaneous activity fed by increased or decreased activity, cross fibers correlation with normal or increased spontaneous activity and more fibers with similar best frequency following HL induced plasticity
how does maladaptive plasticity correlate to tinnitus
tinnitus is thought to result from the CNS in response to HL or other causes so what happens is that the CNS is trying to fix something but it ended up becoming worse
explain how HL can impact tinnitus
HL will cause a decreased input to the auditory system, the brain them tries to maintain homeostasis by compensating however the increased neural gain causes more spontaneous neural activity
-therefore it is believed that increased spontaneous activity is proposed as a key mechanisms for tinnitus perception
central gain
a compensatory increase in central auditory activity as a response to the loss of sensory input
-a limitation to believing that central gain plays a role in tinnitus is that it requires everyone to have HL, but not everyone that has tinnitus has a HL
jasterboff’s neurophysiological model
focuses on how the auditory and non-auditory systems interact as well as it is based on general neurophysiology and behavioral neuroscience
-hypothesis is that many systems in the brain are involved in tinnitus, with the auditory system playing a secondary role
the main idea of jasterboff’s model
tinnitus should not simply be categorized into peripheral and central, meaning all levels are involved but it varies between cases
what does jasterboff’s model suggest
tinnitus becomes problematic when negative associations are formed with the tinnitus perception
-remember the concept of the tiger in the room, by perceiving it as negative or dangerous it becomes worse
what is involved in jasterboff’s model
limbic system (emotional responses), sympathetic autonomic nervous system (fight or flight) and the reticular foramen (attention and awareness)
jasterboff’s model suggests that tinnitus is not just a ______________ but there is also a ____________
sensory experience ; emotional and cognitive components
what are limitations of the neurophysiological models
it is experimental evidence, the models can explain how HL could lead to tinnitus but not how everyone with HL gets tinnitus, it cannot explain observations of patients that tinnitus was resolved after the nerve was cut
psychological/cognitive models of tinnitus
revolves around looking at how tinnitus disrupts the quality of life as well as the characteristics of tinnitus
-main models include hallam’s and the cognitive behavioral model
what domains can tinnitus impact
function impairments (thoughts/emotions, hearing, sleep and concentration) and activity limitations (socialization, physical health, work, education and economic)
common symptoms that are associated with impacting the quality of life due to tinnitus
insomnia, loss of concentration, low mood/irritability, anxiety and clinical depression
explain the vicious cycle of tinnitus
tinnitus can trigger anxiety which reinforces the tinnitus perception, creating a feedback loop leading to an increased emotional distress
-it’s the loop of negative emotional distress and increasing tinnitus that continues to go around and around
tinnitus perception vs. tinnitus reaction
perception is the characteristics of the tinnitus sound itself whereas reaction is the impact of tinnitus on an individual
hallam’s model
the thought that tinnitus might occur without auditory dysfunction and is potentially triggered by psychological factors
-hypothesis is that tinnitus is influenced by the ability of the CNS to inhibit unnecessary sensory input
the main idea of hallam’s model
bothersome tinnitus is the result of the failure to habituate, which is the decrease in response to a stimulus when it is presented repeatedly
-remember, habituation is believed to be a learning process where the brain will begin to associate with the constant presence of tinnitus as a non-threatening stimulus
evidence that supports hallam’s model
majority of people who have tinnitus do not complain about it, distress from tinnitus tends to decrease over time, no relationship between tinnitus loudness and distress levels and individuals often grow more tolerant of tinnitus
what are some factors that could lead to the inability to habituate
high levels of arousal, sudden onset of tinnitus, emotional significance, neural pathway damage and dishabituation
what causes dishabituation
changes or shifts in a persons mental state that can lead to re-awareness of the tinnitus
-some sort of change
-once this has occurred, habituation will have to occur all over again
treatment for hallam’s model
relaxation therapy (aims to lower autonomic arousal and interrupt the feedback loop) and formal cognitive therapy (alters emotional responses to tinnitus, reducing perceived distress and aiding habituation)