A Curious Connection Between Tinnitus and Physical Activity

A study out of the University of Illinois revealed not only that those who have tinnitus process emotional sounds differently than those who do not have tinnitus, but also that among those who have tinnitus, there are significant differences in which regions of the brain are used when processing emotions. The takeaway for the researchers was that higher levels of physical activity and greater activation of the frontal lobe helped control emotional responses and reduce tinnitus stress, which could have far-reaching implications on possible interventions or therapies for tinnitus.  

Active and former [military]members are disproportionately affected by tinnitus. The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that in 2011, tinnitus was the most prevalent service-connected disability, affecting upwards of 840,000 people. Fortunately, researchers plan to continue this research, and active duty service members will be a high priority.  

Carpenter-Thompson, J. R., et al. (2015). Increased Frontal Response May Underlie Decreased Tinnitus Severity. PLOS One. (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0144419)

Packer, L. (2017). Research shows severity of tinnitus is related to emotional processing. Healthy Hearing. (https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52626-New-study-shows-tinnitus-severity-is-related-to-emotional-processing)

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