Cortisol suppression and hearing thresholds in tinnitus after low-dose dexamethasone challenge Full Text
BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders, 03/28/2012
Clinical Article
Simoens VL et al. – The findings suggest heightened glucocorticoid sensitivity in tinnitus in terms of an abnormally strong glucocorticoid receptor (GR)–mediated hypothalamus–pituitary adrenal (HPA)–axis feedback (despite a normal mineralocorticoid receptor (MR)–mediated tone) and lower tolerance for sound loudness with suppressed cortisol levels. Long–term stress exposure and its deleterious effects therefore constitute an important predisposing factor for, or a significant pathological consequence of, this debilitating hearing disorder.



