The Relevance of Interoception in Chronic Tinnitus: Analyzing Interoceptive Sensibility and Accuracy.

Pia Lau,Alwina Stein,Alva Engell,Miriam Miesen,Thomas Ehring,Alexander L Gerlach,Andreas Wollbrink,Christo Pantev,Robert Wunderlich,Markus Junghöfer

doi:10.1155/2015/487372

Abstract

In order to better understand tinnitus and distress associated with tinnitus, psychological variables such as emotional and cognitive processing are a central element in theoretical models of this debilitating condition. Interoception, that is, the perception of internal processes, may be such a psychological factor relevant to tinnitus. Against this background, 20 participants suffering from chronic tinnitus and 20 matched healthy controls were tested with questionnaires, assessing interoceptive sensibility, and participated in two tasks, assessing interoceptive accuracy: the Schandry task, a heartbeat estimation assignment, and a skin conductance fluctuations perception task assessing the participants' ability to perceive phasic increases in sympathetic activation were used. To test stress reactivity, a construct tightly connected to tinnitus onset, we also included a stress induction. No differences between the groups were found for interoceptive accuracy and sensibility. However, the tinnitus group tended to overestimate the occurrence of phasic activation. Loudness of the tinnitus was associated with reduced interoceptive performance under stress. Our results indicate that interoceptive sensibility and accuracy do not play a significant role in tinnitus. However, tinnitus might be associated with a tendency to overestimate physical changes.

Highlights

Tinnitus affects up to 40% of the population in Western countries at least temporarily [1]
20 participants suffering from chronic tinnitus and 20 matched healthy controls were tested with questionnaires, assessing interoceptive sensibility, and participated in two tasks, assessing interoceptive accuracy: the Schandry task, a heartbeat estimation assignment, and a skin conductance fluctuations perception task assessing the participants’ ability to perceive phasic increases in sympathetic activation were used
The groups differ in the Body Mass Index (BMI) (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Tinnitus affects up to 40% of the population in Western countries at least temporarily [1]. One to three percent of the general population report a significant reduction in their quality of life due to their tinnitus, for example, through its effect on sleep and/or mood [2]. It is widely assumed that tinnitus is a result of maladaptive cortical plasticity [3]. Psychological constructs are believed to mediate this process and are especially tied to the distress perceived because of the tinnitus [4,5,6]. Current psychological models of tinnitus assume a neuronal basis of the tinnitus and in addition focus on the interplay of different psychological processes explaining the perceived distress [7]. McKenna et al [7]

Methods

Results

Conclusion