A tale of two tinnituses: Does hearing status influence central tinnitus localization?

Tinnitus is a complex symptom that manifests as the perception of sound in the absence of external stimuli. There are various patient-related factors and co-morbidities associated with tinnitus, however, the impact of hearing status on tinnitus is poorly understood. Various works suggest that tinnitus may originate in the central nervous system (CNS). Reports of tinnitus resolution following central insult provide further support for this concept. Based on these reports of tinnitus resolution, a line of research evaluating deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the caudate as a therapy for tinnitus has emerged. The emerging data show early promise and independent evaluation of this work suggests that hearing status may influence localization of tinnitus within the caudate. We closely review the available reports of tinnitus resolution following central insult and tinnitus outcomes in DBS to hypothesize that the CNS origins of tinnitus may vary based on hearing status. Our interpretation of the available literature suggests that the anterior aspect of the caudate may be a location for tinnitus intervention in patients with normal hearing or mild hearing loss (HL) and more posterior locations in the caudate may be a region of intervention in patients with moderate/ severe HL. Ultimately, this concept may shift the paradigm of thought on tinnitus to offer clinically and anatomically relevant information with targeted therapeutic options.

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