Photobiomodulation therapy in improvement of harmful neural plasticity in sodium salicylate-induced tinnitus

TL;DR

This study shows that photobiomodulation therapy can reduce harmful neural changes caused by tinnitus in rats, suggesting a potential new treatment.

Contribution

The study is the first to apply PBMT to both peripheral and central regions in a tinnitus model and observe its effects on neural plasticity markers.

Findings

PBMT significantly increased the gap in noise value in the GPIAS test, indicating reduced tinnitus perception.

PBMT decreased ABR threshold and brainstem transmission time, suggesting improved auditory function.

PBMT reduced DCX expression in the dentate gyrus, indicating reduced harmful neural plasticity.

Abstract

Tinnitus is a common annoying symptom without effective and accepted treatment. In this controlled experimental study, photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), which uses light to modulate and repair target tissue, was used to treat sodium salicylate (SS)-induced tinnitus in a rat animal model. Here, PBMT was performed simultaneously on the peripheral and central regions involved in tinnitus. The results were evaluated using objective tests including gap pre-pulse inhibition of acoustic startle (GPIAS), auditory brainstem response (ABR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Harmful neural plasticity induced by tinnitus was detected by doublecortin (DCX) protein expression, a known marker of neural plasticity. PBMT parameters were 808 nm wavelength, 165 mW/cm2 power density, and 99 J/cm2 energy density. In the tinnitus group, the mean gap in noise (GIN) value of GPIAS test was significantly decreased indicated the occurrence of an additional perceived sound like tinnitus and also the mean ABR threshold and brainstem transmission time (BTT) were significantly increased. In addition, a significant increase in DCX expression in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), dentate gyrus (DG) and the parafloccular lobe (PFL) of cerebellum was observed in the tinnitus group. In PBMT group, a significant increase in the GIN value, a significant decrease in the ABR threshold and BTT, and also significant reduction of DCX expression in the DG were observed. Based on our findings, PBMT has the potential to be used in the management of SS-induced tinnitus.

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