Researchers at Mass General Brigham have made a breakthrough in detecting tinnitus, a condition characterized by persistent phantom sounds, by identifying new biomarkers through pupil dilation and facial movements linked to distress levels. Using AI-powered video analysis, the study found that severe tinnitus sufferers exhibit constant pupil dilation and reduced facial responses to sounds, indicating heightened vigilance and chronic distress.
The findings offer an objective alternative to subjective questionnaires, which have long been used to measure tinnitus severity. This breakthrough could pave the way for consumer-friendly diagnostic tools, advancing clinical trials and therapies targeting tinnitus. The research, published in Science Translational Medicine, uses a relatively low-tech approach that can be adapted to consumer-grade electronics.
The study recruited 97 participants with varying levels of tinnitus and sound sensitivity, as well as healthy volunteers. Video recordings were made while participants listened to pleasant, neutral, or distressing sounds, using AI-powered software to detect rapid and subtle involuntary facial movements correlated with reported tinnitus distress levels. Pupil dilation data also showed predictive power when combined.
In people with severe tinnitus, pupils dilated extra wide at all sounds, while facial movements were blunted in response to the same sounds. In contrast, individuals without tinnitus or with less bothersome tinnitus exhibited exaggerated pupil dilation and facial movements only to unpleasant sounds. The measures predicted individual questionnaire scores for hyperacusis severity.
The study’s findings highlight autonomic signatures of disrupted affective sound processing in persons with tinnitus and sound sensitivity disorders. The researchers are now using these biomarkers to develop new therapies that combine neural stimulation with immersive software environments designed to eliminate or reduce the loudness of tinnitus phantom sounds.
This research has significant potential for improving diagnosis, therapy, and clinical trial design for tinnitus sufferers. With its objective approach and adaptability to consumer-grade electronics, this breakthrough could bring hope for those affected by this debilitating condition.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/facial-movement-tinnitus-pupils-28807