S2Ε1:2/2 "Tinnitus and cognition: friends or foes?" by Will Sedley, Newcastle University, UK скачать в хорошем качестве

S2Ε1:2/2 "Tinnitus and cognition: friends or foes?" by Will Sedley, Newcastle University, UK

Tinnitus is a common condition, affecting around 1 in 8 adults long-term. Its one major risk factor is hearing loss, but this can be mild, and only some people with hearing loss develop tinnitus irrespective of its severity. Some people with tinnitus complain of interference with cognitive functions, but it is hard to unpick difficulties specifically due to tinnitus from those related to the underlying hearing loss, or the secondary effects of tinnitus on attention. Furthermore, tinnitus itself can be considered a consequence of auditory cognitive traits, which might determine whether spontaneous activity in the auditory pathway is detected as a true ‘signal’ or ignored as ‘noise’. Theoretical models of information processing highlight the advantages gained by adding noise to a signal, and other evidence suggests that people with tinnitus might be better at detecting patterns in auditory sequences. Finally, whilst hearing loss is a risk factor for cognitive decline, emerging evidence suggests a possible protective effect of co-existing tinnitus. This session was moderated by Dr. Anusha Mohan, Trinity College Dublin