By Dr. Jennifer J. Gans When the Brain’s Sound System Is Disrupted Tinnitus—the perception of sound without an external source—is commonly described as ringing, buzzing, or humming in the ears. While tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss from aging or noise exposure, it is also frequently reported after traumatic brain injury (TBI)....
No actionable practice change; this is a narrative blog overview of a known TBI-tinnitus relationship, not new clinical evidence.
TBI-associated tinnitus is a growing concern in audiology, particularly for military and sports-injury populations, and raising clinician awareness of the neurological mechanisms can improve screening and referral practices.
- 01TBI can disrupt the brain's auditory processing pathways, triggering or worsening tinnitus.
- 02Three proposed mechanisms: increased brain sensitivity to sound signals, more excitable neural circuits, and reduced efficiency of communication between brain regions.
- 03TBI-related tinnitus may differ mechanistically from noise-induced tinnitus, complicating standard management approaches.
- 04Written by Dr. Jennifer J. Gans, a clinical psychologist specializing in tinnitus.
TBI disrupts the brain's auditory processing and leads to tinnitus.
opinionpartially supportedThe brain may increase its sensitivity to auditory signals following TBI.
opinionpartially supportedNeural circuits may become more excitable after TBI, contributing to tinnitus.
opinionpartially supportedCommunication between brain regions may become less efficient following TBI.
opinionpartially supported