Facial Twitches And Eye Changes? You Might Have Tinnitus—And Not Know It (Image Credits: iStock)
A new study has found that subtle facial movements and eye changes could help doctors diagnose tinnitus and understand how severe it is. Tinnitus is a condition where people hear ringing, buzzing, or clicking sounds in their ears, even when there is no external noise.
The study, published on April 30 in the journal Science Translational Medicine, was led by researchers from Mass Eye and Ear Hospital in Boston. The team observed how people with and without tinnitus reacted physically when they listened to different sounds. They noticed that people with tinnitus showed small facial twitches and wider pupil dilation in response to certain noises.
This is the first time researchers have found physical signs that could help measure tinnitus in a reliable way. Until now, doctors mostly relied on patients’ answers to questionnaires to understand how serious their tinnitus is.
Dr Daniel Polley, the senior author of the study and director of the Lauer Tinnitus Research Center at Mass Eye and Ear, said in a press release, “Imagine if cancer severity was judged just by a questionnaire. That’s how we’ve been dealing with tinnitus so far. For the first time, we’ve directly observed a physical sign that reflects how much distress tinnitus causes.”
Tinnitus affects about 12 per cent of the general population and nearly 25 per cent of people aged 65 and older. While many people learn to live with it, about 15 per cent suffer so much that it affects their sleep, mental health, and daily life.
For the study, researchers worked with 47 people with different levels of tinnitus and compared them to 50 people without tinnitus. All participants were shown video and audio clips of different types of sounds—some pleasant, some neutral, and some distressing, like a baby crying or people shouting.
The researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) to closely study video recordings of the participants. They looked for quick, involuntary facial movements such as eyebrow twitches or nose flares. These tiny twitches were found to match how much distress people reported on their questionnaires.
In addition, the pupils of those with severe tinnitus widened more than others, even when the sound wasn’t unpleasant. In comparison, the pupils of people with mild or no tinnitus only responded strongly to loud or upsetting sounds.
By analyzing both the facial twitches and pupil responses, the researchers were able to correctly identify the people who were most affected by tinnitus.
Dr Polley shares, “What’s exciting is that this test didn’t require expensive brain scans. It used basic video and eye-tracking tools. In the future, we might even use everyday devices to help doctors and patients track tinnitus.”
The research team is now working to use these signs to find better treatments that can reduce the loudness and impact of tinnitus.
“These physical reactions show how the body’s stress system is involved in tinnitus,” Polley said. “By understanding these signs, we may be able to develop better ways to treat and manage this condition.”
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