This study aimed to explore brain surface-based morphometry cortical thickness changes in patients with idiopathic
tinnitus before and after 24 weeks of sound
therapy. In this prospective observational study, we recruited 33
tinnitus patients who had undergone 24 weeks of sound
therapy and 26 matched healthy controls. For the two groups of subjects, a 3D-BRAVO pulse sequence was acquired both at baseline and at the 24th week. Structural image data preprocessing was performed using the DPABISurf toolbox. The
Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score was assessed to determine the severity of
tinnitus before and
after treatment. Two-way mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson's correlation analysis were used in the statistical analysis. Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) tests were used in the post hoc analysis. Significantly lower cortical thickness was found in the left somatosensory and motor cortex (SMC), left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and right orbital and polar frontal cortex (OPFC) of the participants in the
tinnitus group at baseline than in the participants in the HC group at baseline and after 24 weeks; in the
tinnitus group, significantly higher cortical thickness was found after the 24 weeks sound
therapy in comparison to the baseline in the left SMC, bilateral superior parietal cortex (SPC), left inferior parietal cortex (IPC), left PCC, and right OPFC. In the HC group, no statistically significant difference in cortical thickness was found after the 24 weeks treatment in comparison to the baseline in the bilateral SMC, bilateral SPC, left IPC, left PCC, or right OPFC. The changes in cortical thickness before and after sound
therapy can provide certain reference values for clinical
tinnitus treatment. These brain regions could serve as potential targets for neuroimaging.