Genetics of Tinnitus: Time to Biobank Phantom Sounds

• Main Authors: Christopher R. Cederroth, Anna K. Kähler, Patrick F. Sullivan, Jose A. Lopez-Escamez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2017-09-01
• Series: Frontiers in Genetics
• Subjects: tinnitus; genetics; heritability; subtype; neuropsychiatry; GWAS (genome-wide association study)
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fgene.2017.00110/full

Tinnitus is a common phantom sensation resulting most often from sensory deprivation, and for which little knowledge on the molecular mechanisms exists. While the existing evidence for a genetic influence on the condition has been until now sparse and underpowered, recent data suggest that specific forms of tinnitus have a strong genetic component revealing that not all tinnitus percepts are alike, at least in how they are genetically driven. These new findings pave the way for a better understanding on how phantom sensations are molecularly driven and call for international biobanking efforts.