0874 REM Sleep deterioration may modulate tinnitus

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Sleep quality deterioration often acts as aggravating comorbidity in a variety of chronic conditions. Tinnitus is an auditory symptom that often negatively combines with poor sleep quality, and it has been associated with sleep fragmentation and sleep apnea. Tinnitus is known to be heterogeneous and yet the relationship between tinnitus psychoacoustic characteristics and how precisely sleep is impacted has initiated limited explorative studies, notably for a particular subgroup of patients, which describes that their tinnitus perceived loudness is highly modulated by sleep. Methods For this observational prospective study, a sample of 29 tinnitus subjects were recruited. The study group was composed of 15 “on-off tinnitus” subjects who were reporting significant modulations of tinnitus loudness related to night sleep and naps, and a control group composed of 14 subjects that described a constant and permanent tinnitus that was not impacted by sleep. The control group was matched in age, gender and tinnitus impact on quality of life with the study group. All patients underwent a polysomnography (PSG) assessment for one complete night and were asked to fill a screening questionnaire and report tinnitus intensity before and after the PSG. Results The “On-off tinnitus” group subjects had less Stage 3 sleep (p< 0.01), less Rapid-Eye Movement (REM) Sleep (p< 0.05) and more Stage 2 sleep (p< 0.05) in proportion and duration compared to the control group subjects. In addition, in the “On-off tinnitus” sample, a correlation was found between REM sleep duration and tinnitus overnight modulation (p< 0.05) as well as tinnitus impact on quality of life (p< 0.05). These correlations were not present in the control group. Conclusion This study demonstrates that among the tinnitus population, patients presenting a tinnitus whose intensity is highly modulated by sleep have a deteriorated sleep quality, in which REM sleep may play a role in the overnight tinnitus modulation. Potential physiological explanations accounting for this observation are hypothesized and discussed. Support (if any) This study was supported by Felicia and Jean-Jacques Lopez-Loreta Foundation, Robin Guillard EIRL and APHP Hôtel Dieu sleep department.