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ANNA BRANCATO

Role of cannabinoids in the treatment of Tinnitus

  • Authors: Cavallaro, A.; Martines, F.; Cannizzaro, C.; Lavanco, G.; Brancato, A.; Carollo, G.; Plescia, Fabiana; Salvago, P.; Cannizzaro, E.; Mucia, M.; Rizzo, S.; Martini, A.; Plescia, Fulvio
  • Publication year: 2016
  • Type: Articolo in rivista (Articolo in rivista)
  • OA Link: http://hdl.handle.net/10447/217987

Abstract

Tinnitus is a frequent symptom in audiological clinical practice characterized by an abnormal noise perceived in one or both ears or in the head, in which a patient has a conscious hearing percept in absence of external sound. Tinnitus might be caused by a homeostatic response of central dorsal cochlear nucleus auditory neurons that makes them hyperactive in compensation to auditory input loss. One hypothesis suggests that tinnitus is a sensory form of epilepsy that involves the cochlear nucleus and the inferior colliculus, which display impairment in the electrical activity in the auditory system. This alteration determines a synaptic plasticity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus that becomes a target for pharmacological compounds able to treat tinnitus. There is no effective drug treatment for tinnitus, but different studies propose the use of cannabinoid receptors agonist for their anti-epileptic activity, although their practical effects are still unclear. In this review, we want to analyze the emerging pharmacological approaches of cannabinoid receptor agonists to the therapy of tinnitus.