耳鸣的病理生理学尚不完全清楚,但可以分为传导性、感音神经性、和中枢性。[1]Henry JA, Dennis KC, Schechter MA. General review of tinnitus: prevalence, mechanisms, effects, and management. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2005 Oct;48(5):1204-35.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16411806?tool=bestpractice.com 发声引起耳鸣的潜在机制可能是:由于听觉神经自发活动变化,听觉神经对声音信号的敏感性增加。[3]Tyler RS. Tinnitus hand book of medicine. San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group; 2000. 其他理论涉及毛细胞、听觉神经和中枢听觉神经系统的参与。
毛细胞功能异常、钙失衡、耳蜗 N-甲基-D-天门冬氨酸受体的激活、毛细胞兴奋性漂移 (excitatory drift)、应激作用下毛细胞兴奋引起的谷氨酸活性增加都被认为是耳鸣的潜在原因。[11]Jastreboff PJ. Phantom auditory perception (tinnitus): mechanisms of generation and perception. Neurosci Res. 1990 Aug;8(4):221-54.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2175858?tool=bestpractice.com[12]Eggermont JJ. On the pathophysiology of tinnitus: a review and peripheral model. Hear Res. 1990 Sep;48(1-2):111-23.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2249954?tool=bestpractice.com[13]Guitton MJ, Caston J, Ruel J, et al. Salicylate induces tinnitus through activation of cochlear NMDA receptors. J Neurosci. 2003 May 1;23(9):3944-52.http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/reprint/23/9/3944http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12736364?tool=bestpractice.com[14]LePage EL. A model for cochlear origin of subjective tinnitus: excitatory drift in the operating point of inner hair cells. In: Vernon JA, Moller AR, eds. Mechanisms of tinnitus. London: Allyn and Bacon; 1995:115-48.[15]Sahley TL, Nodar RH. A biochemical model of peripheral tinnitus. Hear Res. 2001 Feb;152(1-2):43-54.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11223280?tool=bestpractice.com[16]Khan MJ, Seidman MD, Quirk WS, et al. Effects of kynurenic acid as a glutamate receptor antagonist in the guinea pig. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2000;257(4):177-81.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10867830?tool=bestpractice.com[17]Seidman MD, Van de Water T. Pharmacologic manipulation of the labyrinth with novel and traditional agents delivered to the inner ear. Ear Nose Throat J. 2003 Apr;82(4):276-88.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12735160?tool=bestpractice.com诱发耳鸣的药物导致外毛细胞改变,引起基底膜改变,进而改变了耳蜗的频率调谐。[3]Tyler RS. Tinnitus hand book of medicine. San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group; 2000.
听觉神经的相关理论包括:偶联导致的听觉神经纤维自发活动同步化,传入神经兴奋过度,神经纤维自发活动的短暂异常和相邻神经纤维活动不同。[18]Moller AR. Pathophysiology of tinnitus. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 1984 Jan-Feb;93(1 Pt 1):39-44.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6367601?tool=bestpractice.com[19]Kiang NY, Moxon EC, Levine RA. Auditory-nerve activity in cats with normal and abnormal cochleas. In: Sensorineural hearing loss. Ciba Found Symp. 1970:241-73.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5210916?tool=bestpractice.com[20]Eggermont JJ. Tinnitus: some thoughts about its origin. J Laryngol Otol. 1984;(Suppl 9):31-7.[21]Wiederhold ML, Kiang NY. Effects of electric stimulation of the crossed olivocochlear bundle on single auditory-nerve fibers in the cat. J Acoust Soc Am. 1970 Oct;48(4):950-65.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5480390?tool=bestpractice.com
中枢听觉参与与传出听觉系统异常、耳蜗背侧神经核活性增加、神经元多模式网络和大脑皮层可塑性相关。[22]Hazell JW. A cochlear model for tinnitus. In Feldmann H, ed. Proceedings of the 3rd International Tinnitus Seminar, Münster. Karlsruhe, Germany: Harsch;1987:121-8.[23]Brozoski TJ, Bauer CA, Caspary DM. Elevated fusiform cell activity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus of chinchillas with psychophysical evidence of tinnitus. J Neurosci. 2002 Mar 15;22(6):2383-90.http://www.jneurosci.org/content/22/6/2383.longhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11896177?tool=bestpractice.com[24]Cacace AT. Expanding the biological basis of tinnitus: crossmodal origins and the role of neuroplasticity. Hear Res. 2003 Jan;175(1-2):112-32.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12527130?tool=bestpractice.com[25]Lockwood AH, Salvi RJ, Coad ML, et al. The functional neuroanatomy of tinnitus: evidence for limbic system links and neural plasticity. Neurology. 1998 Jan;50(1):114-20.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9443467?tool=bestpractice.com[26]Zhang JS, Guan AL, Zhang XG, et al. Cortical electrical suppression of tinnitus and modulation of its related neural activity. In: Searchfield GD, Goodey R, eds. Proceedings of 'tinnitus discovery': Asia-pacific Tinnitus Symposium, 11-12 Sept 2009, Auckland, New Zealand. N Z Med J. 2010 Mar 19;123(1311):84.http://www.nzma.org.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/36582/tinnitus.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20360802?tool=bestpractice.com
甲状腺疾病、高脂血症、梅毒、糖尿病、贫血的患者常常主诉耳鸣。 贫血和甲状腺功能亢进引起的高动力性状态,可导致搏动性耳鸣。 重度甲状腺功能减退、糖尿病和三期梅毒可导致感音神经性聋,伴耳鸣。 高脂血症可引起内耳卒中和突发性听力损失,进而引起耳鸣。