Impact of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) with the Essence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Tinnitus: Current Role, Recent Advancements and Future Prospectives – A Literature Review

Millions of people worldwide suffer from tinnitus, which the sense of sound can define without an external auditory input. For many of these people, tinnitus severely lowers their quality of life. Despite its widespread occurrence, the fundamental causes of tinnitus remain not completely identified; theories range from abnormalities of the central nervous system to malfunctions of the auditory system. Non-invasive neuroimaging methods are essential for improving the knowledge of human tinnitus pathophysiology and developing targeted therapies. More importantly, fMRI is key in otolaryngology research on language processing, olfactory pathways, and the auditory and vestibular systems. Therefore, fMRI has shown to be an effective method for examining the neural signature of tinnitus to date. In addition, artificial intelligence (AI) has brought previously unobtainable capabilities for data analysis, pattern recognition, and diagnosis accuracy to fMRI processes. This review highlights the most recent findings of the involvement of fMRI technology in tinnitus, its association with AI, future potential and their limitations.