ARO 2023: Elouise Koops — Hyperacusis & Central Gain
When trying to identify the neural 'signature' of tinnitus, is it possible that we're actually seeing hyperacusis?
Many neuroimaging studies that compare tinnitus versus non-tinnitus people have not taken into account whether those people also have hyperacusis, even though we know the majority of people with tinnitus also suffer from some form of sound sensitivity.
A new study from Elouise Koops shows that people with hyperacusis show a high degree of sound evoked activation along the auditory pathway, consistent with the central gain theory that has historically been used to model tinnitus.