Interpeak intervals of cortical components (P1-N1-P2): a comparative study between typical individuals and those with tinnitus disorder

Purpose  To compare neural response times among cortical components of the Long-Latency Auditory Evoked Potential (LLAEP) by measuring latency and interpeak intervals in individuals with and without tinnitus.

Method  This was an analytical, cross-sectional, and quantitative study. A total of 28 participants were included, divided into two groups: the Control Group, comprising 12 individuals without tinnitus perception, and the Study Group, comprising 16 individuals diagnosed with tinnitus disorder. Assessments were conducted over two sessions. Initially, all participants underwent a semi-structured anamnesis, basic audiological evaluation, behavioral tests of central auditory processing, as well as neuropsychological and tinnitus assessments. On the second day, verbal LLAEP and neurodiagnostic ABR were performed. The responses were compared by analyzing the latency of P1, N1, and P2 potentials. A between-group comparison was conducted using an independent sample t-test.

Results  A statistically significant difference was observed in the interpeak intervals of P1-P2 potentials, as well as a trend toward significance in N1-P2 interpeak intervals between groups in the right ear. Additionally, a significant difference was found in P1-P2 interpeak intervals between groups in the left ear.

Conclusion  Individuals with tinnitus disorder exhibited longer interpeak intervals, suggesting central auditory processing dysfunction and increased neural response within auditory processing pathways.

Keywords:
Tinnitus; Evoked Potentials; Adults; Central Nervous System; Auditory Cortex