Objective Neurophysiologic Characterization of Tinnitus and Post COVID Auditory/Vestibular Sequelae Using Brain View EEG/ERP: A Translational Framework for Biomarker Discovery and Treatment Monitoring
Background: Tinnitus and related auditory/vestibular disorders remain limited by the absence of validated objective biomarkers. This contributes to heterogeneous diagnosis, inconsistent treatment selection, and reliance on subjective outcome reporting. Electroencephalography (EEG) and eventrelated potentials (ERPs) provide scalable neurophysiologic measures capable of quantifying oscillatory abnormalities, functional connectivity disruption, and cognitive-attentional processing changes implicated in tinnitus and post-infectious otologic sequelae.
Objective: To develop a translational framework for applying a clinically deployable EEG/ERP platform(BrainView) to tinnitus and ear-related manifestations, including post-COVID auditory and vestibular sequelae, for biomarker discovery, patient phenotyping, and treatment monitoring.
Methods (Conceptual Framework): We synthesize evidence from tinnitus EEG biomarker reviews, EEG-based classification research, and post-COVID otorhinolaryngologic literature, and map candidate neurophysiologic features onto BrainView platform capabilities, including resting-state EEG/QEEG, auditory/visual ERP paradigms, and normative comparisons.
Results: Current evidence supports candidate EEG biomarkers across alpha, theta, and gamma bands, with particular support for network/connectivity-derived measures and composite models. A large EEG classification study demonstrated the ability to discriminate tinnitus presence and distress severity using machine learning. Post-COVID studies demonstrate persistent auditory and vestibular symptoms, highlighting an unmet need for objective central nervous system assessment to distinguish peripheral versus central contributions.
Conclusion: BrainView provides a pragmatic EEG/ERP workflow with clinical-grade acquisition and automated reporting that may accelerate translation of EEG-based tinnitus biomarkers and help characterize post-COVID auditory/vestibular syndromes. Prospective validation is required to establish predictive utility, standardize protocols, and demonstrate clinical value in routine otologic care pathways.