Tinnitus and the Brain

I don't know if you had caught this recent story from the University of Iowa regarding tinnitus.

Apparently there was a 50 year old man who had electrodes implanted in his brain to control his epileptic seizures. This gentleman also has tinnitus and agreed to allow researchers to study his tinnitus experience using sophisticated brain imaging technology.

It was discovered that his tinnitus did not only involve the parts of the brain that process sound as was previously believed, but also the areas that process emotion, memory and attention. 

Although this research involved only a single subject, it does raise some interesting questions as to what exactly goes on in the brain to produce the sensations that are perceived to be sounds, but actually aren't.

From my perspective it seems to validate the idea that decreasing your stress levels can quite possibly make having tinnitus less bothersome and easier to ignore. 

A link to the article referenced can be read by clicking here

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