Hyperactivity in the medial olivocochlear efferent system is a common feature of tinnitus and hyperacusis in humans

Tinnitus and hyperacusis are common, burdensome sources of morbidity with a high rate of co-occurrence. Knudson et al. ( J Neurophysiol 112: 3197–3208, 2014) demonstrated that efferent suppression of cochlear activity by the medial olivocochlear system is enhanced in individuals with tinnitus and/or hyperacusis. Their findings stress that atypical activity in the efferent auditory pathway may represent a shared substrate, as well as a potential therapeutic target, in tinnitus and hyperacusis.