Evaluation Of Tinnitus Research Articles

Association of Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients with Tinnitus with Normal Audiogram.

In the present study we aim to evaluate serum vitamin D levels in participants having tinnitus with normal audiometric findings. Total 98 participants in the age range 20-70 year were included in the study. Participants underwent detail case history, ear examination, pure tone audiometry and impedance audiometry. 68 participants with subjective tinnitus for more than 3 months and with normal audiometric thresholds and "A" type tympanogram were included in study group and 30 participants without tinnitus in the control group. The participants fullfillng the inclusion criteria underwent thorough tinnitus evaluation which included administration of tinnitus severity index tinnitus handicap inventory, psychophysical evaluation of tinnitus (pitch matching, loudness matching) and assessment of Vitamin D levels. It was seen that the mean Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in study group, and out of 68 participants only 11 had optimal Vitamin D levels, 57 (83%) had Vitamin D levels less that 30mg/dl. In the control group 20 (66%) had vitamin D deficiency. The difference came out to be statistically significant. Our study suggests that there is a link between vitamin D and tinnitus, in view of these findings we recommend evaluating serum Vitamin D levels in patients of chronic idiopathic tinnitus, especially in adults with normal hearing. Our study suggests vitamin D deficiency may be one of the risk factor for tinnitus in people with normal hearing in the absence of other manifestations.

CT evaluation of unilateral pulsatile tinnitus with jugular bulb wall dehiscence.

To investigate the imaging features of unilateral pulsatile tinnitus (PT) with jugular bulb wall dehiscence (JBWD). Computerized tomography angiography images of unilateral PT patients were reviewed between 2019 and 2021. Thirty-one symptomatic JBWD patients without sigmoid sinus wall dehiscence (SSWD) were included. Thirty-eight patients with SSWD were used as the control group. The prevalence of JBWD was calculated. The area and height of the jugular bulb, the extent of dehiscence, the presence of jugular bulb diverticulum, posterior condylar emissary vein (PCEV), oblique occipital sinus (OOS), venous outflow laterality (VOL), the degree of transverse sinus stenosis (TSS), and the pituitary height to sella turcica ratio were compared between the two groups. The prevalence of JBWD was 12.1%, and JBWD was established as a causative diagnosis in 5.0% of unilateral PT patients. There were no statistical differences in the gender, symptomatic side, or VOL between the two groups. The area of the jugular bulb was larger and the height was higher (parea < 0.001, pheight = 0.005). The prevalence of jugular bulb diverticulum was higher in the JBWD group (p = 0.002). The degree of symptomatic TSS was less severe (p < 0.001), and the prevalence of bilateral TSS was lower in the JBWD group (p < 0.001). The pituitary height to sella turcica ratio was greater (p = 0.004), the prevalence of PCEV (p = 0.014) was lower, and OOS (p = 0.015) was greater in the JBWD group. The correlating factors of PT with JBWD and PT with SSWD are significantly different. These findings can further facilitate early and efficient PT treatment. • The incidence of jugular bulb dehiscence (JBWD) accounted for approximately 12.1% in pulsatile tinnitus (PT) patients, and JBWD was established as a causative diagnosis in 5.0% of PT patients. • PT required large blood flows and abnormal flow patterns, whether in JBWD or sigmoid sinus wall dehiscence groups. • JBWD causing PT has some unique characteristic findings on CT.

Long-term evaluation and physical and mental effects of residual tinnitus following treatment of sudden hearing loss

Objective: To clarify the long-term characteristics of tinnitus following treatment of sudden deafness and its long-term physical and mental effects on patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 88 patients (46 males and 42 females; Age from 11 to 89 years) with sudden deafness treated in Department of Otoscope Surgery of Peoples's Libration Army General Hospital in Beijing from April 2020 to January 2021, and the occurrence of tinnitus and treatment effect of all patients were analyzed. Follow-up was conducted for patients with residual tinnitus after treatment for more than 1 year by the investigation and filling in the survey information collection form, Tinnitus Evaluation Questionnaire (TEQ) and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Descriptive statistics and SPSS 22.0 software were used for statistical data analysis. Results: In this study, 93.2% (82/88) of patients with sudden deafness were accompanied by tinnitus at the onset, and the proportion of long-term tinnitus after treatment was 90.2% (74/82). After 1 year of treatment for sudden deafness, the improvement of tinnitus was significant in low-frequency sudden deafness compared with those of high-frequency, flat and total deafness sudden deafness (χ2 value was 6.801, 4.568 and 4.038, all P<0.05). In patients with residual tinnitus, 9 (12.2%) patients felt minimal loudness or even no loudness, 34 (46.0%) patients felt slight loudness, 28 (37.8%) patients felt tinnitus was relatively loud, and 3 (4.1%) patients felt tinnitus was loud or noisy. Nine (12.2%) patients's sleep was often affected, 41 (55.4%) patients's sleep was sometimes affected, 9 (12.2%) patients's sleep was rarely affected, 15 (20.3%) patients's sleep was almost not affected. Twenty-eight (37.8%) patients basically completely adapted to tinnitus and 46 (62.2%) patients did not completely adapted to residual tinnitus. Eight (10.8%) patients had no impact on life, 39 (52.7%) patients had slight impact, 22 (29.7%) patients had moderate impact, and the other 5 (6.8%) patients had greater impact. According to tinnitus evaluation questionnaire(TEQ), there were 12 cases (16.2%) of grade Ⅰ, 26 cases (35.1%) of grade Ⅱ, 28 cases (37.8%) of grade Ⅲ, 7 cases (9.5%) of grade Ⅳ and 1 case (1.4%) of grade Ⅴ. According to tinnitus handicap inventory(THI), tinnitus disability was classified into grade Ⅰ, 22 cases (29.7%), grade Ⅱ, 14 cases (18.9%), Grade Ⅲ, 27 cases (36.5%) and grade Ⅳ, 11 cases (14.9%). Conclusion: The rate of residual tinnitus following treatment of sudden deafness is high. Some of the patients can completely adapt residual tinnitus after one year, but some of them will be affected when sleep, work and study. Residual tinnitus can lead to tinnitus disability in different degrees.

Avazum app usability testing.

To verify the effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in the usability test of the tinnitus assessment application. This is a descriptive usability test study that assessed the satisfaction, effectiveness, and efficiency of the application. The test was carried out virtually via Google Forms. First, the participants received instructions on how to access and use Avazum, through texts and illustrative images. Afterward, the users used the application, observing its functions and usability. Next, the participants answered the usability questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 21.0, to perform descriptive analysis such as frequency, percentages of data in the System Usability Questionnaire (SUS), and analysis in the Net Promoter Score (NPS). Thus, the overall mean SUS score was consistent with satisfactory usability, which implies that the application does not present serious usability problems. Also, the overall NPS percentage indicated very good user satisfaction, with a good percentage of promoting users. As far as effectiveness is concerned, it was found that Avazum reached its goals, besides being efficient, as it uses clear language and is comfortably used. Avazum obtained very good satisfaction from users, in addition to achieving its goals. It proved to be effective, has clear language, and is comfortably used, adducing efficiency in the multidisciplinary evaluation of tinnitus.

Teste de usabilidade do aplicativo Avazum

ABSTRACT Purpose To verify the effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in the usability test of the tinnitus assessment application. Methods This is a descriptive usability test study that assessed the satisfaction, effectiveness, and efficiency of the application. The test was carried out virtually via Google Forms. First, the participants received instructions on how to access and use Avazum, through texts and illustrative images. Afterward, the users used the application, observing its functions and usability. Next, the participants answered the usability questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 21.0, to perform descriptive analysis such as frequency, percentages of data in the System Usability Questionnaire (SUS), and analysis in the Net Promoter Score (NPS). Results Thus, the overall mean SUS score was consistent with satisfactory usability, which implies that the application does not present serious usability problems. Also, the overall NPS percentage indicated very good user satisfaction, with a good percentage of promoting users. As far as effectiveness is concerned, it was found that Avazum reached its goals, besides being efficient, as it uses clear language and is comfortably used. Conclusion Avazum obtained very good satisfaction from users, in addition to achieving its goals. It proved to be effective, has clear language, and is comfortably used, adducing efficiency in the multidisciplinary evaluation of tinnitus.

Effect of acupuncture treatment on cortical activation in patients with tinnitus: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Tinnitus is an auditory phantom percept that affects the perception of sound in the patient's ears, and the incidence of prolonged tinnitus is as high as ten to fifteen percent. Acupuncture is a unique treatment method in Chinese medicine, and it has great advantages in the treatment of tinnitus. However, tinnitus is a subjective symptom of patients, and there is currently no objective detection method to reflect the improvement effect of acupuncture on tinnitus. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to explore the effect of acupuncture on the cerebral cortex of tinnitus patients. We collected the scores of the tinnitus disorder inventory (THI), tinnitus evaluation questionnaire (TEQ), hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), and hamilton depression scale (HAMD) of eighteen subjects before and after acupuncture treatment, and the fNIRS signals of these subjects in sound-evoked activity before and after acupuncture treatment. According to the fNIRS detection results of tinnitus patients, acupuncture increased the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in the temporal lobe of tinnitus patients, and affected the activation of the auditory cortex. The study may reflect the neural mechanisms of acupuncture treatment for tinnitus and ultimately help to provide an objective evaluation method for the therapeutic effect of acupuncture treatment for tinnitus.

Acupuncture decreases amygdala functional connectivity in subjective tinnitus.

Subjective tinnitus is a common and intractable ear disease. The effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of subjective tinnitus has been confirmed, but its mechanism of action is not clear. The structures of the amygdala (AMYG) are mainly closely related to emotion in the human brain. This study aimed to investigate the changes in functional connectivity (FC) of AMYG in subjective tinnitus to elucidate the neural mechanism of acupuncture. Correlation scale scores of 26 patients with subjective tinnitus were collected, including Tinnitus Evaluation Questionnaire (TEQ), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Meanwhile, rs-fMRI data were collected before and after acupuncture treatment in the patients, and in healthy controls (HC) matching the patient's gender and age. Then, AMYG was selected as region of interest to perform FC analysis. Finally, FC patterns of AMYG were first compared between patients with subjective tinnitus and HC, and then within subjects pre-acupuncture and post-acupuncture. Simple linear regression models between correlation scale scores and FC-values were established as well. Acupuncture treatment relieved the severity of tinnitus. With the acupuncture treatment, the total THI score, TEQ score, and VSA score of patients were significantly lower than before (p < 0.05). Compared with HC, FC of tinnitus patients between AMYG and right inferior temporal gyrus and right precuneus significantly decreased before acupuncture (voxel p < 0.001, cluster p < 0.05, corrected with GRF), while FC of tinnitus patients between AMYG and left superior frontal gyrus and right superior temporal gyrus significantly decreased after acupuncture treatment (voxel p < 0.001, cluster p < 0.05, corrected with GRF). FC of tinnitus patients between the AMYG and right superior frontal gyrus and left paracingulate gyrus showed significant decrease after acupuncture treatment (voxel p < 0.001, cluster p < 0.05, corrected with GRF). Besides, the linear regression models of the effect of THI on FC and VAS on FC performed were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The findings demonstrate that acupuncture can decrease FC of AMYG, which could be positively correlated with the relief of tinnitus symptoms. This result suggests that acupuncture stimulation can effectively relieve the severity of tinnitus by decreasing FC of AMYG in subjective tinnitus patients.

Audiological biomarkers of tinnitus in an older Portuguese population.

Tinnitus is a phantom sound perceived in the absence of external acoustic stimulation. It is described in a variety of ways (e.g., buzzing, ringing, and roaring) and can be a single sound or a combination of different sounds. Our study evaluated associations between audiological parameters and the presence or severity of tinnitus, to improve tinnitus diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Our sample included 122 older participants (63 women and 59 men), aged 55–75 years from the Portuguese population, with or without sensory presbycusis and with or without tinnitus. All participants underwent a clinical evaluation through a structured interview, Ear, Nose, and Throat observation, and audiological evaluation (standard and extended audiometry, psychoacoustic tinnitus evaluation, auditory brainstem responses, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions). The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory was used to measure tinnitus symptom severity. Our data confirmed that the odds of developing tinnitus were significantly higher in the presence of noise exposure and hearing loss. Also, participants who had abrupt tinnitus onset and moderate or severe hyperacusis featured higher odds of at least moderate tinnitus. However, it was in the ABR that we obtained the most exciting and promising results, namely, in wave I, which was the common denominator in all findings. The increase in wave I amplitude is a protective factor to the odds of having tinnitus. Concerning the severity of tinnitus, the logistic regression model showed that for each unit of increase in the mean ratio V/I of ABR, the likelihood of having at least moderate tinnitus was 10% higher. Advancing knowledge concerning potential tinnitus audiological biomarkers can be crucial for the adequate diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus.

The Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Test, Supplementary to Behavioral Tests for Evaluation of the Salicylate-Induced Tinnitus.

The Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Test, Supplementary to Behavioral Tests for Evaluation of the Salicylate-Induced Tinnitus.

Evaluation and Management of Tinnitus: Are There Opportunities for Improvement?

To review current information about diagnosis and management of tinnitus aiming to identify opportunities for achieving a cost-effective, efficient, evidence-based approach that meets the needs of tinnitus sufferers. PubMed/MEDLINE. In total, 249 relevant published reports were reviewed. Pertinent keywords and MeSH terms identified reports via PubMed and EMBASE. Acknowledged experts were consulted on ways to improve tinnitus management. There may be opportunities to improve evaluation and management of patients with tinnitus using modern modes of communication and a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach. Tinnitus can adversely affect quality of life while being time-consuming and costly to evaluate and manage. Based on both personal experience and the reports of others, patients with tinnitus who choose to see a physician primarily want to know two things: (1) that the tinnitus that is so distressing will not remain at the same level of severity forever and (2) that something can be done to help cope with the tinnitus that is so annoying. Recent advancements in internet communications, social media, information technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, holistic medical care, mind-body integrative health care, and multidisciplinary approaches in medical therapeutics may be possibly making new ways of meeting the needs of patients with tinnitus.

Evaluation of stress and cognitive skills in individuals with tinnitus complaints

Background/Aim: The sense of sound in the absence of external acoustic stimuli is known as subjective tinnitus, or phantom tinnitus. The purpose of this study was whether tinnitus complaints have an impact on perceived stress and cognitive skills like attention and memory. Methods: This prospective case-control study comprised 60 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 25, all of whom had normal hearing. Using the G*Power program, it was established that a minimum of 50 people should be worked with an 80 percent power and a 5% margin of error. The study group consisted of 30 people with tinnitus complaints in their daily lives, whereas the control group consisted of the remaining people. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and Perceived Stress Scale were applied to the participants within the scope of the working hypotheses. In terms of cognitive skills, the Stroop Test Form was applied to evaluate selective attention, focused attention and disruptive effects, and the Visual Auditory Digit Sequence Test Form was applied to evaluate short-term memory and working memory skills. The findings were analyzed with the SPSS program. Type 1 error level is determined as 5%. Results: According to Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, tinnitus complaint of all individuals in the study group is very mild. The statistically significant differences were found between the perceived stress level, Stroop and Visual Auditory Digit Sequence Test scores between people with and without tinnitus complaints. The poorer performance was observed in the group with tinnitus complaint. (P=0.037, P=0.017, P=0.010). No statistically significant relationship was found between perceived stress level, tinnitus and cognitive skills (P=0.067, P=0.160, P=0.208). Conclusion: Tinnitus is becoming a more common cause of health problems, sometimes coupled by psychological stress, and it affects cognitive skills. The study adds to the knowledge regarding the use of cognitive tests as a supplemental measurement in the evaluation of tinnitus and the impact of tinnitus on daily cognitive abilities.

Tinnitus Evaluation in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus at Tertiary Hospital Malaysia.

To determine the prevalence of tinnitus in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) patients, to evaluate its severity and to correlate it with estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) as well as glycaemia control (HbA1c). We performed a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) from a period of 15 months. A total of 133 T1DM patients who fulfilled our study's criteria were subjected to otoscopy examination, tuning fork test and free field voice test. The mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) was used to assess the severity of tinnitus. We were careful to categorize the perceived duration of tinnitus. The prevalence of tinnitus among T1DM patients was 24.1% (32/133 patients). Out of 32 patients, approximately 78.1% (25 patients) had a compensated level of tinnitus distress and the remaining 21.9% (7/32) had moderate tinnitus. The duration of tinnitus ranged from 2 seconds to 2 minutes, whıch was ringing and intermittent in nature. The HbA1c and estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) were higher in tinnitus compared to the non-tinnitus group. There was no significant correlation between the severity of tinnitus and HbA1c level or eGFR. Our study concluded that tinnitus amongst T1DM patients was likely to be non-pathological in view of its short duration with minimal to no distress to the sufferers. An elevated HbA1c may increase the risk of developıng tinnitus.

Characteristics of tinnitus and factors influencing its severity.

Background and Objectives:There is a wealth of information regarding the treatment methods for tinnitus; however, the treatment available is unsatisfactory because of the following reasons: first, tinnitus has various etiologies and second, it has distinct heterogeneity among different individuals. Numerous studies have focused on understanding the causes of tinnitus severity, but the conclusions have been inconsistent. The purpose of the present study was to define factors that differentially influence subjectively perceived tinnitus severity.Methods:Clinical data of patients with chronic tinnitus who visited our outpatient clinic from April 2020 to April 2021 were collected. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Tinnitus Evaluation Questionnaire (TEQ) were used to evaluate tinnitus severity among patients, and the independent factors influencing the severity of tinnitus were investigated by performing univariate and multivariate stepwise regression analyses.Results:Eleven variables were associated with THI and TEQ scores, of which nine were identical. Multiple regression analyses results revealed that five variables had a significantly unique predictive effect on tinnitus severity based on THI and the TEQ scores. Three factors including Self-Rating Scale of Sleep (SRSS), change in loudness, and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were identical.Conclusion:Sleep status, anxiety level, and change in loudness in patients with chronic tinnitus were significantly correlated with severity of tinnitus. Follow-up studies should investigate the causal relationship between these factors and tinnitus severity.

MRI and MR angiography evaluation of pulsatile tinnitus: A focused, physiology-based protocol.

Pulsatile tinnitus (PT) is the subjective sensation of a pulse-synchronous sound, most often due to a cerebrovascular etiology. PT can severely impact quality of life and may indicate a life-threatening process, yet a timely and accurate diagnosis can often lead to effective treatment. Clinical assessment with a history and physical examination can often suggest a diagnosis for PT, but is rarely definitive. Therefore, PT should be evaluated with a comprehensive and targeted radiographic imaging protocol. MR imaging provides a safe and effective means to evaluate PT. Specific MR sequences may be used to highlight different elements of cerebrovascular anatomy and physiology. However, routine MR evaluation of PT must comply with economic and practical constraints, while effectively capturing both common and rarer, life-threatening etiologies of PT. In this state-of-the-art review, we describe our institutional MR protocol for evaluating PT. This protocol includes the following dedicated sequences: time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography; arterial spin labeling; spoiled gradient recalled acquisition in the steady state; time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics; diffusion weighted imaging, and 3-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery. We describe the physiologic and clinical rationale for including each MR sequence in a comprehensive PT imaging protocol, and detail the role of MR within the broader evaluation of PT, from clinical presentation to treatment.

Applications of auditory evoked potentials in tinnitus: a review

Background and Aim: Subjective tinnitus is a phantom auditory perception caused by different factors and affects the patient’s quality of life. The tinnitus pathophysiology is not fully unders­tood; therefore, there is no effective treatment for tinnitus. Along with other methods, auditory evo­ked potentials (AEPs) may be helpful in unders­tanding this condition and the involved struc­tures. This study aimed to review the applications of AEPs in tinnitus studies. Recent Findings: The studies investigating tinnitus were categorized into three groups of tinnitus pathophysiology, pre- or post-treatment/intervention evaluation of tinnitus, and objective diagnosis of tinnitus. Contradictory and unrep­eatable findings were observed in each group. Conclusion: Discrepancies in the results of AEPs studies can be due to between-group and within-group differences, lack of proper match­ing in terms of tinnitus etiology and hearing loss, and difference in neurophysiologic models of tinnitus.

The mismatch negativity responses of individuals with tinnitus with normal extended high-frequency hearing-is it possible to use mismatch negativity in the evaluation of tinnitus?

This study uses the multi-feature paradigm to compare the MMN responses of individuals with normal hearing thresholds, including the high frequencies with and without tinnitus. Sixteen subjects with chronic subjective idiopathic tinnitus and twenty matched healthy controls were included in the study. Participants with hearing thresholds (0.125-16kHz) less than 20dB HL and MoCA test scores above 21 were included in the study. MMN responses and topographical maps of the responses resulting from the multi-feature MMN paradigm were recorded from 22 surface scalp electrodes. Amplitude and latency parameters of the MMN responses of five different deviants, consisting of frequency, intensity, duration, location, and silent gap, were compared between the two groups. The amplitudes of MMN responses were lower in the tinnitus group than in the control group at Fz electrode for all deviant types. At the same time, there was no difference between the groups for MMN latencies and, no correlation was found between THI and MMN. According to our results, the MMN might indicate a possible impairment in pre-attentive and automatic central auditory processing for chronic tinnitus patients. Since MMN responses in the tinnitus group differ from those of healthy individuals, it might be used as a reference for evaluating the central auditory pathways of tinnitus patients.

The role of noninvasive imaging in the diagnostic workup for pulsatile tinnitus.

We sought to assess the diagnostic yield of advanced noninvasive imaging in the evaluation of patients with pulsatile tinnitus. Pulsatile tinnitus can be caused by high-risk cerebrovascular pathologies such as arteriovenous fistulae. The role of advanced noninvasive imaging, including magnetic resonance angiography and magnetic resonance venography, in the diagnostic evaluation of pulsatile tinnitus is not well defined. We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients presenting for outpatient diagnostic evaluation of pulsatile tinnitus from January 2018 to March 2020 at Weill Cornell Medicine. Patients with non-pulsatile tinnitus and established etiologic diagnoses were excluded. Systematic chart abstraction was summarized using standard descriptive statistics. Univariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with nondiagnostic noninvasive imaging. A total of 187 patients (139 (74.3%) women) took part in this study, with a mean age of 48.6 years (standard deviation (SD) = 15.5 years) and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 26.9 kg/m2 (SD = 6.1 kg/m2). Of the 187 patients, 121 (64.7%) underwent exclusively noninvasive imaging, and 66 (35.3%) patients also had digital subtraction angiography (DSA). In patients who had exclusively noninvasive imaging, 62 (51.2%) patients received a diagnosis. In patients who underwent noninvasive and DSA imaging, 14 (21.2%) patients received a diagnosis based on DSA. Patients who were older at symptom onset (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.09) and those with a lower BMI (OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.77-0.98) were more likely to have nondiagnostic noninvasive imaging. Noninvasive cerebrovascular imaging often uncovers the etiology of pulsatile tinnitus. DSA remains useful for additional evaluation for patients with specific associated features.

German-language versions of the Tinnitus Functional Index : Comparison of the two validated German-language versions of the Tinnitus Functional Index for Switzerland and Germany

HintergrundEs existieren zwei deutschsprachige, validierte Versionen des Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), eine für die Schweiz und eine für Deutschland. Der TFI gilt als möglicher neuer Standard-Fragebogen für die Evaluation eines Tinnitus-Schweregrads und einer Tinnitus-Therapie.Ziel der ArbeitIn Anbetracht der stattfindenden Standardisierung bei der Tinnitus-Evaluation war es unser Ziel, die beiden TFI-Versionen miteinander zu vergleichen und im deutschsprachigem Raum nur eine TFI-Version zu empfehlen.Material und MethodenDie beiden deutschsprachigen TFI-Versionen wurden in einer multizentrischen randomisierten Online-Fragebogenstudie im Cross-over-Design miteinander verglichen.ErgebnisseDie Gesamtscores der beiden TFI-Versionen unterschieden sich in der gesamten Population nicht. Bei weiterer Aufschlüsselung in Bezug auf die Population und Reihenfolge der abgegeben TFI-Versionen zeigten sich allerdings teilweise signifikante Unterschiede mit jedoch nur moderaten Effektstärken. Dies deutet darauf hin, dass sich die beiden Versionen leicht unterscheiden, aber trotzdem miteinander vergleichbar sind. Bei der Faktoranalyse konnten bei der TFI-Version für Deutschland in der gesamten Population wie auch für die schweizerische Population 6 Faktoren extrahiert werden. Hingegen konnten bei der deutschen Population in beiden TFI-Versionen und bei der schweizerischen Population in der schweizerischen TFI-Version nur 5 Faktoren extrahiert werden.SchlussfolgerungDie beiden deutschsprachigen Versionen des TFI sind gut miteinander vergleichbar. Jedoch spricht die Faktoranalyse eher für die Verwendung der TFI-Version für Deutschland im gesamten deutschsprachigen Raum.

Validation of the mandarin tinnitus evaluation questionnaire: A clinician-administered tool for tinnitus management.

This study sought to validate the applicability of the mandarin Tinnitus Evaluation Questionnaire (TEQ), a brief score method administered by clinicians to quantify the tinnitus severity.A descriptive observational questionnaire study in regard to psychometric properties and practicability was conducted with a total of 414 primary tinnitus outpatients, in which 173 of 414 patients completed the follow-up after receiving an intervention based on the tinnitus educational counseling and the life-style adjustment guidance. For quantifying the tinnitus severity, the TEQ and other 2 self-report questionnaires, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and visual analog scale, were administered on patients’ first-visit and follow-up. With the psychometric analysis, we evaluated the performance of TEQ in tinnitus management, including distinguishing patients with varying severity and detecting the treatment-related outcome.At the first visit, the TEQ showed an excellent inter-rater reliability (Pearson correlation, 0.97, P < .01), a good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α, 0.79), and an acceptable convergent validity (Pearson correlation, 0.78 with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory; 0.62 with a single-question visual analog scale, P < .01). In detecting the treatment-related change, a large effect size of TEQ verified a sensitive responsiveness. After estimating the test-error, a 2-point reduction (2/21) of the TEQ was recommend to be considered a reference outcome indicator for the effective intervention.Even though the TEQ is scored by clinician, it can reflect the clinical features of tinnitus patient. Flexible and simple assessing process makes it a practical tool for patient intake, intervention selection, and outcome measurement.

Objective and Measurable Biomarkers in Chronic Subjective Tinnitus.

Tinnitus is associated with increased social costs and reduced quality of life through sleep disorders or psychological distress. The pathophysiology of chronic subjective tinnitus, which accounts for most tinnitus, has not been clearly elucidated. This is because chronic subjective tinnitus is difficult to evaluate objectively, and there are no objective markers that represent the diagnosis or therapeutic effect of tinnitus. Based on the results of studies on patients with chronic subjective tinnitus, objective and measurable biomarkers that help to identify the pathophysiology of tinnitus have been summarized. A total of 271 studies in PubMed, 303 in EMBASE, and 45 in Cochrane Library were found on biomarkers related to chronic subjective tinnitus published until April 2021. Duplicate articles, articles not written in English, review articles, case reports, and articles that did not match our topic were excluded. A total of 49 studies were included. Three specimens, including blood, saliva, and urine, and a total of 58 biomarkers were used as indicators for diagnosis, evaluation, prognosis, and therapeutic effectiveness of tinnitus. Biomarkers were classified into eight categories comprising metabolic, hemostatic, inflammatory, endocrine, immunological, neurologic, and oxidative parameters. Biomarkers can help in the diagnosis, measure the severity, predict prognosis, and treatment outcome of tinnitus.