Cited by 237Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, GeneticsNeuroscience and Music PerceptionNoise Effects and Management

An integrative tinnitus model based on sensory precision.

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Sedley, William, Friston, Karl J., Gander, Phillip E., Kumar, Sukhbinder, Griffiths, Timothy D.·2016·Trends in Neurosciences

Abstract

Tinnitus is a common disorder that often complicates hearing loss. Its mechanisms are incompletely understood. Current theories proposing pathophysiology from the ear to the cortex cannot individually - or collectively - explain the range of experimental evidence available. We propose a new framework, based on predictive coding, in which spontaneous activity in the subcortical auditory pathway constitutes a 'tinnitus precursor' which is normally ignored as imprecise evidence against the prevailing percept of 'silence'. Extant models feature as contributory mechanisms acting to increase either the intensity of the precursor or its precision. If precision (i.e., postsynaptic gain) rises sufficiently then tinnitus is perceived. Perpetuation arises through focused attention, which further increases the precision of the precursor, and resetting of the default prediction to expect tinnitus.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.tins.2016.10.004

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  • Most tinnitus patients also experience hearing loss.

    “Most tinnitus patients also experience hearing loss (Krauss et al., 2016; Schilling et al., 2023; Sedley et al., 2016)”

    From Combining the unequal variance signal detection model with the health belief model to optimize shared decision making in tinnitus patients: part 2—patient profiling (2025) · cites this paper as Sedley et al., 2016

    The Symptomatology and Pathophysiology of Tinnitus (page unavailable) says hearing loss is a major risk factor and that most clinically significant tinnitus follows damage to the auditory periphery. It does not establish that most tinnitus patients have hearing loss; its statement is limited to clinically significant tinnitus and describes peripheral damage rather than measured hearing loss. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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Authors
Sedley, W., Friston, K. J., Gander, P. E., Kumar, S., & Griffiths, T. D.
Affiliations
  • Newcastle University (GB)
  • Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
  • University of Iowa (US)
Corresponding author
Sedley, William
Venue
Trends in Neurosciences
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-12
Volume
39
Issue
12
Pages
799-812
ISSN
0166-2236 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2551679188
Cited by
237
References
91
Citations by year
2026: 29 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 5
FWCI
2.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Trends in Neurosciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity) (cc-by)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust (106964/Z/15/Z)
  • Academy of Medical Sciences (SGL015\1024)
  • Medical Research Council (MR/J011207/1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Music Perception
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › Noise Effects and Management
Keywords
tinnitus, predictive coding, sensory precision, spontaneous neuronal activity, focused attention, tinnitus pathophysiology, auditory cortex
MeSH terms
Animals, Auditory Cortex, Auditory Perception, Humans, Models, Neurological, Tinnitus

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