Tinnitus is a pervasive public health issue that affects approximately 15% of the United States population. Similar estimates have also been shown on a global scale, with similar prevalence found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The severity of tinnitus is heterogeneous, ranging from mildly bothersome to extremely disruptive. In the United States, approximately 10-20% of individuals who experience tinnitus report symptoms that severely reduce their quality of life. Due to the huge personal and societal burden, in the last twenty years a concerted effort on basic and clinical research has significantly advanced our understanding and treatment of this disorder. Yet, neither full understanding, nor cure exists. We know that tinnitus is the persistent involuntary phantom percept of internally-generated non-verbal noises and tones, which in most cases is initiated, by acquired hearing loss and maintained only when this loss is coupled with distinct neuronal changes in auditory and extra-auditory brain networks. Yet, the exact mechanisms and patterns of neural activity that are necessary and sufficient for the perceptual generation and maintenance of tinnitus remain incompletely understood. Combinations of animal model and human research will be essential in filling these gaps. Nevertheless, the existing progress in investigating the neurophysiological mechanisms has improved current treatment and highlighted novel targets for drug development and clinical trials. The aim of this review is to thoroughly discuss the current state of human and animal tinnitus research, outline current challenges, and highlight new and exciting research opportunities.

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什么是嗡嗡声？神经科学和耳鸣的治疗

耳鸣是一个普遍存在的公共卫生问题，影响了大约 15% 的美国人口。在全球范围内也显示了类似的估计值，在欧洲、亚洲和非洲也发现了类似的流行率。耳鸣的严重程度各不相同，从轻微的烦人到极具破坏性的不等。在美国，大约 10-20% 的耳鸣患者报告有严重降低其生活质量的症状。由于巨大的个人和社会负担，在过去的二十年中，基础和临床研究的共同努力极大地促进了我们对这种疾病的理解和治疗。然而，既不完全了解，也不存在治愈方法。我们知道耳鸣是对内部产生的非语言噪音和音调的持续不自主的幻觉感知，在大多数情况下，这是由获得性听力损失引发的，并且只有当这种损失与听觉和听觉外脑网络中明显的神经元变化相结合时才会维持。然而，对于耳鸣的感知产生和维持而言，必要且充分的神经活动的确切机制和模式仍未完全了解。动物模型和人类研究的结合对于填补这些空白至关重要。尽管如此，研究神经生理机制的现有进展改善了当前的治疗方法，并突出了药物开发和临床试验的新靶点。这篇综述的目的是彻底讨论人类和动物耳鸣研究的现状，概述当前的挑战，并突出新的和令人兴奋的研究机会。获得性听力损失，并且只有在这种损失与听觉和听觉外脑网络中明显的神经元变化相结合时才能维持。然而，对于耳鸣的感知产生和维持而言，必要且充分的神经活动的确切机制和模式仍未完全了解。动物模型和人类研究的结合对于填补这些空白至关重要。尽管如此，研究神经生理机制的现有进展改善了当前的治疗方法，并突出了药物开发和临床试验的新靶点。这篇综述的目的是彻底讨论人类和动物耳鸣研究的现状，概述当前的挑战，并突出新的和令人兴奋的研究机会。获得性听力损失，并且只有在这种损失与听觉和听觉外脑网络中明显的神经元变化相结合时才能维持。然而，对于耳鸣的感知产生和维持而言，必要且充分的神经活动的确切机制和模式仍未完全了解。动物模型和人类研究的结合对于填补这些空白至关重要。尽管如此，研究神经生理机制的现有进展改善了当前的治疗方法，并突出了药物开发和临床试验的新靶点。这篇综述的目的是彻底讨论人类和动物耳鸣研究的现状，概述当前的挑战，并突出新的和令人兴奋的研究机会。