Applications of auditory evoked potentials in tinnitus: a review

Abstract

Background and Aim: Subjective tinnitus is a phantom auditory perception caused by different factors and affects the patient’s quality of life. The tinnitus pathophysiology is not fully unders­tood; therefore, there is no effective treatment for tinnitus. Along with other methods, auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) may be helpful in understanding this condition and the involved struc­tures. This study aimed to review the applications of AEPs in tinnitus studies. Recent Findings: The studies investigating tinnitus were categorized into three groups of tinnitus pathophysiology, pre- or post-treatment/intervention evaluation of tinnitus, and objective diagnosis of tinnitus. Contradictory and unrepeatable findings were observed in each group. Conclusion: Discrepancies in the results of AEPs studies can be due to between-group and within-group differences, lack of proper matching in terms of tinnitus etiology and hearing loss, and difference in neurophysiologic models of tinnitus.

Keywords

• Auditory evoked potentials
• tinnitus
• gap-prepulse inhibition
• auditory brainstem response
• middle latency responses
• late latency response