Date of Submission
Spring 2011
Academic Program
Psychology
Advisor
Barbara Luka
Abstract/Artist's Statement
Tinnitus is the perception of a sound with no associated external stimulus. Hearing damage most commonly precedes tinnitus, and the percept heard is correlated with the damaged frequency region. However, what causes the perception of the lost frequency remains a mystery. After a review and synthesis of the past through current relevant literature, two systems were found that could be the site of generation of the aberrant percept. These two systems are the active amplification system found in the cochlea, and the reciprocal corticothalamic system. In both these system, cochlear deafferentation could theoretically lead to the unmasking of dormant, high gain, positive feedback systems with no associated attenuation due to dysregulation of inhibitory systems.
Distribution Options
Dissertation/Thesis
Recommended Citation
Ullman, Elon D., "An exploratory critical review of the etiology of tinnitus: Unmediated positive feedback as the common origin of percept generation?" (2011). Senior Projects Spring 2011. 215.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/senproj_s2011/215
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