College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2023-05-05 02:48:59
Major
Biology
Honors Course
3100:499-003
Number of Credits
3
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Fall 2021
Abstract
Tinnitus is a serious neurological condition effecting 10-15% of adults, and can lead to other symptoms such as difficulty concentrating and sleeping, anxiety, and depression. Currently there are no FDA approved drugs to prevent or treat tinnitus, mainly due to a lack of understanding of its cellular and molecular pathways. T- and L- type calcium channels have been implicated in the modulation of tinnitus, as well as the dysfunction of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons. This study used the sound-based avoidance detection (SBAD) method in order to detect tinnitus and determine whether pharmacological treatments had an effect in mediating tinnitus. T-type calcium channel blockers were found to be ineffective in treating tinnitus, while L-type calcium channel blockers lead to significant improvements. The mechanism of action in using L-type calcium channel blockers was not fully understood and could be attributed to other molecular targets. Further research will focus on other molecular targets, in order to determine how tinnitus can be treated.
Research Sponsor
Jianxin Bao
First Reader
Joey Pinkl
Second Reader
John Hawks
Honors Faculty Advisor
Brian Bagatto
Recommended Citation
Rice, McKenzie, "Identifying Molecular Pathways Underlying Noise-Induced Tinnitus" (2021). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1460.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1460
Included in
Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons, Speech and Hearing Science Commons, Speech Pathology and Audiology Commons, Therapeutics Commons