Objective Blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) was used to study activation signals in the brain cortex evoked by tone stimulation in patients with tinnitus for its potential utility as an objective indicator of tinnitus. Methods BOLD-fMRI examination was conducted in 7 patients with chronic tinnitus and 15 control subjects. The activation signal in the brain cortex was recorded. Results Significant activation was found in temporal lobe in control subjects, with greater signal volume and intensity on the contralateral than ipsilateral auditory cortex (P < 0.01). However, there was no discernable patterns in the anatomical location, volume and intensity of cortical activation signals in patients with chronic tinnitus. Conclusions Patients with chronic tinnitus may have abnormal neural activities in the auditory cortex. Objective Blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) was used to study activation signals in the brain cortex evoked by tone stimulation in patients with tinnitus for its potential utility as an objective indicator of tinnitus. Methods BOLD-fMRI examination was conducted in 7 patients with chronic tinnitus and 15 control subjects. The Significant activation was found in temporal lobe in control subjects, with greater signal volume and intensity on the contralateral than ipsilateral auditory cortex (P < 0.01). However, there was no discernable patterns in the anatomical location, volume and intensity of cortical activation signals in patients with chronic tinnitus. Conclusions Patients with chronic tinnitus may have abnormal neural activities in the auditory cortex.