Neural Indicators of Inhibition in Tinnitus: Onset-Offset and Sensory Gating Auditory Evoked Potentials Vary by Stimulus Frequency and Tinnitus Severity

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of stimulus frequency and tinnitus severity on measurements indicative of inhibition called onset-offset and sensory gating auditory evoked potentials (AEPs). The specific aims were to (a) determine the effect of stimulus frequency on AEPs in people with and without tinnitus; (b) determine if people with high-frequency tinnitus demonstrate abnormal AEPs in...

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Onset-offset and sensory gating evoked potentials show promise as objective neural markers of inhibitory dysfunction in tinnitus, but findings are preliminary; no direct change to clinical assessment protocols is warranted yet.

Identifying objective neural biomarkers tied to tinnitus severity could eventually enable more precise diagnosis, patient stratification, and monitoring of treatment response beyond subjective self-report.

1. 01Neural inhibition markers (onset-offset and sensory gating AEPs) differ by stimulus frequency and tinnitus severity.
2. 02Suggests tinnitus involves frequency-specific deficits in the brain's ability to filter or suppress sounds.
3. 03Published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research (JSLHR).
4. 04Provides objective electrophysiological evidence supporting a neural inhibition model of tinnitus.
5. 05Tinnitus severity modulates the magnitude of inhibitory neural responses, potentially enabling biomarker use.

PMID

42566684

DOI

10.1044/2026_JSLHR-25-00470.

Journal

Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

4

Population

Adults with tinnitus of varying severity

Intervention

Onset-offset and sensory gating auditory evoked potential paradigms at varying stimulus frequencies