Contralateral parahippocampal gamma-band activity determines noise-like tinnitus laterality: a region of interest analysis

Tinnitus is described as an auditory perception in the absence of any external sound source. Tinnitus loudness has been correlated to sustained high frequency gamma-band activity in auditory cortex. It remains unknown whether unilateral tinnitus is always generated in the left auditory cortex, irrespective of the side on which the tinnitus is perceived, or in the contralateral auditory cortex. In order to solve this enigma source localized electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings of a homogenous group of unilateral left and right-sided tinnitus patients presenting with noise-like tinnitus was analyzed. Based on a region of interest analysis, the most important result of this study is that tinnitus lateralization depended on the gamma-band activity of the contralateral parahippocampal area. As for the auditory cortex no differences were found between left-sided and right-sided tinnitus patients. However, in comparison to a control group both left and right-sided tinnitus patients had an increased gamma-band activity in both the left and right primary and secondary auditory cortex. Thus whereas in tinnitus the primary and secondary auditory cortices of both sides are characterized by increased gamma-band activity, the side on which the tinnitus is perceived relates to gamma-band activity in the contralateral parahippocampal area.