Research Progress of Tinnitus and Neuroinflammation

Tinnitus is a subjective auditory perception produced in the absence of external sound source or electric stimulation. Its occurrence mechanism involves multiple factors, such as auditory pathway abnormalities, central nervous system remodeling and neuroinflammatory response. Recent studies have shown that neuroinflammation plays a key role in the development and chronicity of tinnitus. Factors such as noise exposure and ototoxic drugs can activate microglial cells in the central nervous system, and animal model studies have confirmed that targeting microglial cell polarization and anti-inflammatory drugs can effectively improve tinnitus symptoms. Nanodelivery system and combined target intervention strategy solve the challenges of poor BBB penetration and low drug delivery efficiency for precision treatment. This paper systematically reviews the association mechanism of neuroinflammation and tinnitus and the research progress of targeted therapy, which provides a theoretical basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus.