Tinnitus Pitch Research Articles

Susceptibility to Residual Inhibition Is Associated With Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Chronicity.

Residual inhibition, that is, the temporary suppression of tinnitus loudness after acoustic stimulation, is a frequently observed phenomenon that may have prognostic value for clinical applications. However, it is unclear in which subjects residual inhibition is more likely and how stable the effect of inhibition is over multiple repetitions. The primary aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of hearing loss and tinnitus chronicity on residual inhibition susceptibility. The secondary aim was to investigate the short-term repeatability of residual inhibition. Residual inhibition was assessed in 74 tinnitus subjects with 60-second narrow-band noise stimuli in 10 consecutive trials. The subjects were assigned to groups according to their depth of suppression (substantial residual inhibition vs. comparator group). In addition, a categorization in normal hearing and hearing loss groups, related to the degree of hearing loss at the frequency corresponding to the tinnitus pitch, was made. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with susceptibility to residual inhibition. Repeatability of residual inhibition was assessed using mixed-effects ordinal regression including poststimulus time and repetitions as factors. Tinnitus chronicity was not associated with residual inhibition for subjects with hearing loss, while a statistically significant negative association between tinnitus chronicity and residual inhibition susceptibility was observed in normal hearing subjects (odds ratio: 0.63; p = .0076). Moreover, repeated states of suppression can be stably induced, reinforcing the use of residual inhibition for within-subject comparison studies.

Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy as a Therapeutic Strategy for Patients With Tinnitus: A Systematic Review.

Purpose This systematic review aimed to analyze the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the severity of tinnitus when compared to no therapy or other modalities of therapies. Method A systematic review protocol was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under the Registration Number CRD42019119376. A search was performed in each of the following databases: EMBASE, LILACS, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ProQuest. The inclusion criteria consisted of studies in adults over 16 years of age, randomized clinical trials in which subjects presented chronic (≥ 6 months) and subjective tinnitus (unilateral or bilateral) as well as with or without bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and studies that used only LLLT for treatment of tinnitus compared to no-therapy group or other modalities of therapy. No language or time restrictions were stipulated. The references were managed by Endnote Web and Rayyan QCRI. Results After the screening process, seven studies remained that attained the eligibility criteria. Regarding the risk of bias, only one study was categorized as low risk of bias; the six remaining studies were classified as moderate risk of bias. The seven included studies mainly assessed the LLLT effects on tinnitus by Visual Analogue Scale, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, pitch and loudness matching, minimum masking level, and pure-tone audiometry. All the seven selected studies found different degrees of significant results regarding tinnitus severity; however, there was no consensus among the results. Conclusion Even though the LLLT showed positive effects in the tinnitus severity in some studies, it is not possible yet to make any recommendation over its uses for the treatment of tinnitus severity.

Association Between Tinnitus Pitch and Consonant Recognition in Noise.

Purpose Difficulties in speech-in-noise understanding are often reported in individuals with tinnitus. Building on our previous findings that speech-in-noise performance is correlated with subjective loudness of tinnitus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of tinnitus pitch on consonant recognition in noise. Method Pure-tone audiometry and the Quick Speech-in-Noise Test were conducted on 66 participants categorized into four groups by their hearing sensitivity and self-report of tinnitus. Consonant recognition scores at various frequency ranges were obtained at the 5 dB SNR condition of the Quick Speech-in-Noise Test. Participants with tinnitus also completed a tinnitus pitch-matching procedure. Correlation analyses were conducted between tinnitus pitch and the frequency of the worst consonant recognition, and the error rates based on word and sentence position were compared. Results Regardless of hearing sensitivity, tinnitus pitch did not correlate with the frequency of the worst consonant recognition. Sentence-initial word recognition was affected by hearing loss, whereas sentence-final word recognition was not affected by hearing loss or tinnitus. In contrast to individuals with normal hearing, participants with hearing loss varied in full-sentence recognition, with those reporting tinnitus exhibiting significantly higher error rates. Conclusions The findings suggest that the effect of tinnitus on consonant recognition in noise may involve higher level functions more than perceptual characteristics of tinnitus. Furthermore, for individuals with speech-in-noise concerns, clinical evaluation should address both hearing sensitivity and the presence of tinnitus. Future speech-in-noise studies should incorporate cognitive tests and, possibly, brain imaging to parse out the contribution of cognitive factors, such as cognitive control, in speech-in-noise in tinnitus.

Tinnitus Is Associated With Extended High-frequency Hearing Loss and Hidden High-frequency Damage in Young Patients.

Objectives:To analyze the results of extended high-frequency (EHF) and high-frequency hearing tests in young patients with tinnitus who show normal response in conventional pure-tone audiometry (PTA), and to explore the correlation between tinnitus and hearing loss (HL).Study Design:A case–control study.Setting:A Tertiary Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital of China.Participants:Patients with tinnitus, aged 18 to 35 years old, and with normal conventional PTA (125 Hz–8 kHz) were enrolled in the tinnitus group. Volunteers without tinnitus of the same age were enrolled in the control group.Main Outcome Measures:The incidence of EHF-HL and the hearing thresholds at each frequency, as well as the distribution of maximum HL frequency and edge frequency in all participants were compared.Results:In total, 28 cases (43 ears) were enrolled in the tinnitus group and 34 cases (68 ears) in the control group. The incidence of EHF-HL, average hearing threshold of each frequency ranging from 4 to 16 kHz, and the maximum hearing threshold were significantly higher in the tinnitus group. The edge frequency in the tinnitus group was lower than that in the control group (10.4 ± 3.1 kHz versus 12.3 ± 2.5 kHz, p = 0.010). The dominant tinnitus pitch in cases whose EHF was impaired was positively correlated with the hearing-level loudness of tinnitus (r = 0.627, p < 0.001).Conclusion:Patients with tinnitus and normal hearing in conventional PTA showed signs of EHF-HL and hidden damage in the high-frequencies more easily. EHF hearing tests and the follow-up of HF hearing tests are recommended to facilitate early detection of hearing impairment for timely intervention.

What Makes Tinnitus Loud?

Tinnitus loudness is a subjective measure, and it does not directly reflect either tinnitus severity or the impact on daily life. Nevertheless, loud tinnitus may be the most frequent clinical complaint of tinnitus patients. Factors contributing to the loudness of the phantom sound have rarely been studied. We evaluated both matched and self-rated loudness in a large sample of patients with tinnitus and analyzed the influencing factors among demographic, hearing, and tinnitus characteristics. Two hundred ninety-nine patients with chronic tinnitus were enrolled. We evaluated the matched loudness, minimal masking level (MML), and visual analog scale (VAS) loudness. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed for each loudness measure using independent variables of age, sex, time since tinnitus onset, tinnitus laterality, pure-tone average, tinnitus pitch, tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) score, VAS annoyance, disturbance and daily tinnitus duration, and depression score. We calculated bivariate correlations between each loudness measure and all independent variables. The psychoacoustic loudness measures (matched loudness and MML) were highly correlated and were affected by the hearing deficit and tinnitus pitch (Pearson r > 0.5 for pure tone averages, and r > 0.3 for tinnitus pitch for both variables, p < 0.05), whereas the subjective measurement (VAS loudness) exhibited little to no correlation with the other two measures and was related to psycho-emotional factors such as the THI score, VAS variables, and depression (Pearson r > 0.6 for VAS annoyance, r > 0.4 for VAS daily duration and disturbance and THI score, r > 0.3 for the depression score, p < 0.05). The matched tinnitus loudness and MML values were influenced principally by the extent of hearing loss and related factors, suggesting that rehabilitation using hearing aids could help reduce perception of tinnitus loudness. A psycho-emotional approach might more effectively lessen self-perceived loudness.

Does the tinnitus pitch correlate with the frequency of hearing loss?

Background The tonotopic model of tinnitus claims that the tinnitus pitch corresponds to the audiometric edge; the homeostatic model suggests that it falls within the hearing loss (HL) area. The existing evidence mostly supports the homeostatic model, but the relationship between the tinnitus pitch and the HL frequencies has been insufficiently explored. Aims/objective To investigate the association between the tinnitus pitch and the audiometric profile in the largest study population to date. Materials and methods Three hundred and ninety-three patients with tonal or narrow-band tinnitus participated. HL frequencies included 30, 40, 50 (F50), 60 dB, and maximum HL. We defined edge frequencies in four different ways according to the existing studies. We assessed the association between all estimated frequencies and the tinnitus pitch using t-tests, Spearman’s correlation, and multiple regression. Results All calculated frequencies differed significantly from the tinnitus pitch except for F50. None were correlated with the tinnitus pitch. F50 was the only significant predictor among the estimated frequencies in multiple regression. Conclusions The tinnitus pitch fell within the HL area, and was mildly associated with F50. Significance Our results support the homeostatic tinnitus model, and provide reliable evidence that tinnitus pitch does not correspond to the audiometric edge.

Prediction of tinnitus masking benefit within a case series using a spiking neural network model.

Masking has been widely used as a tinnitus therapy, with large individual differences in its effectiveness. The basis of this variation is unknown. We examined individual tinnitus and psychological responses to three masking types, energetic masking (bilateral broadband static or rain noise [BBN]), informational masking (BBN with a notch at tinnitus pitch and 3-dimensional cues) and a masker combining both effects (BBN with spatial cues). Eleven participants with chronic tinnitus were followed for 12 months, each person used each masking approach for 3 months with a 1 month washout-baseline. The Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), Tinnitus Rating Scales, Positive and Negative Affect Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, were measured every month of treatment. Electroencephalography (EEG) and psychoacoustic assessment was undertaken at baseline and following 3 months of each masking sound. The computational modeling of EEG data was based on the framework of brain-inspired Spiking Neural Network (SNN) architecture called NeuCube, designed for this study for mapping, learning, visualizing and classifying of brain activity patterns. EEG was related to clinically significant change in the TFI using the SNN model. The SNN framework was able to predict sound therapy responders (93% accuracy) from non-responders (100% accuracy) using baseline EEG recordings. The combination of energetic and informational masking was an effective treatment sound in more individuals than the other sounds used. Although the findings are promising, they are preliminary and require confirmation in independent and larger samples.

Differences in Clinical Characteristics and Brain Activity between Patients with Low- and High-Frequency Tinnitus.

This study was aimed at delineating and comparing differences in clinical characteristics and brain activity between patients with low- and high-frequency tinnitus (LFT and HFT, respectively) using high-density electroencephalography (EEG). This study enrolled 3217 patients with subjective tinnitus who were divided into LFT (frequency < 4000 Hz) and HFT (≥4000 Hz) groups. Data regarding medical history, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, tinnitus matching, and hearing threshold were collected from all patients. Twenty tinnitus patients and 20 volunteers were subjected to 256-channel EEG, and neurophysiological differences were evaluated using standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) source-localized EEG recordings. Significant differences in sex (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.022), laterality (p < 0.001), intensity (p < 0.001), tinnitus type (p < 0.001), persistent tinnitus (p = 0.04), average threshold (p < 0.001), and hearing loss (p = 0.028) were observed between LFT and HFT groups. The tinnitus pitch only appeared to be correlated with the threshold of the worst hearing loss in the HFT group. Compared with the controls, the LFT group exhibited increased gamma power (p < 0.05), predominantly in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC, BA31), whereas the HFT group had significantly decreased alpha1 power (p < 0.05) in the angular gyrus (BA39) and auditory association cortex (BA22). Higher gamma linear connectivity between right BA39 and right BA41 was observed in the HFT group relative to controls (t = 3.637, p = 0.027). Significant changes associated with increased gamma in the LFT group and decreased alpha1 in the HFT group indicate that tinnitus pitch is crucial for matching between the tinnitus and control groups. Differences of band frequency energy in brain activity levels may contribute to the clinical characteristics and internal tinnitus “spectrum” differences.

Conventional versus notch filter amplification for the treatment of tinnitus in adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.

Conventional hearing aids are commonly recommended for the treatment of tinnitus, though results of studies investigating the efficacy of hearing aid-based tinnitus treatments have been mixed. Recently, it has been suggested that the addition of a notch filter around the tinnitus frequency might enhance lateral inhibitory mechanisms and thereby improve tinnitus severity relative to traditional processing. The primary aim of this study was to compare the effects of conventional versus notch filter amplification strategies on subjective tinnitus severity in adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss and no previous hearing aid experience. Thirty-nine adults (mean age=53.6 years; SD=9.7 years) with bilateral, mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss and an established clinical history of stable, tonal tinnitus participated in this double-blinded study. Each participant was randomly assigned to complete a 12-week hearing aid trial using either a conventional amplification strategy or a strategy which applied a notch filter at the given participant's tinnitus pitch match frequency. Tinnitus-related handicap and distress were assessed before and after the hearing aid trial via the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (Newman et al., 1996) and the Tinnitus Questionnaire (Hallam et al., 1988). Average tinnitus severity did not differ significantly between the conventional and notch filter amplification groups following treatment. Moreover, average pre- to post-intervention change scores were relatively low for both groups, indicating minimal effect of either treatment on tinnitus symptoms. Participant age, high-frequency pure-tone average hearing threshold, average daily hearing aid usage, and pre-intervention tinnitus severity ratings were not predictive of treatment success or failure. Results of the present study suggest no significant effect of either conventional or notch filter amplification on average ratings of tinnitus severity following a 12-week hearing aid trial. However, as clinically meaningful changes in tinnitus severity were identified for some participants, future work is needed to better identify those individuals most likely to benefit, as well as optimal amplification characteristics.

Subjective Loudness Using External Noise Reflects the Loudness and Distress of Tinnitus: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Subjective tinnitus loudness has been measured using loudness matches, which compare tinnitus loudness with pure tones from an audiometer. When patients compare the sound pressure of certain noises with the tinnitus loudness, however, there may be remarkable differences from the measurements according to loudness matches. Subjective loudness (SubL) is an estimation of the sound pressure of tinnitus loudness by comparison of noises considered to be most similar to tinnitus loudness of patient. We examine whether SubL is inferior to loudness matches in measurement of subjective tinnitus loudness. Single-group cross-sectional study. Included in this study were a clinical group of 111 patients with the chief complaint of subjective tinnitus. Seven of the 111 patients were excluded due to missing audiometry or questionnaire data. Patients assessed the tinnitus loudness and related distress using visual analogue scales (VAS-L and VAS-S) and answered the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Hearing acuity, tinnitus pitch, and loudness were then measured using an audiometer. VAS-L, VAS-S, and THI scores significantly correlated with loudness match using Goodwin's method (SL2) and SubL. Subgroup analysis based on patient ages indicated that all correlations of SL2 with VAS-L, VAS-S, and THI scores were no longer seen in patients more than 60 years of age. Meanwhile, SubL correlated with VAS-L, VAS-S, and THI scores in all subgroups. SubL was a good reflection of self-reported loudness and distress of tinnitus. It may therefore be a simple and easy means of assessing tinnitus loudness and associated distress during pre-examination without an audiometer.

Smartphone Apps for Tinnitus Management

Smartphone Apps for Tinnitus Management

Perceptual Modeling of Tinnitus Pitch and Loudness

Tinnitus is the phantom perception of sound, experienced by 10%–15% of the global population. Computational models have been used to investigate the mechanisms underlying the generation of tinnitus-related activity. However, existing computational models have rarely benchmarked the modeled perception of a phantom sound against recorded data relating to a person’s perception of tinnitus characteristics, such as pitch or loudness. This article details the development of two perceptual models of tinnitus. The models are validated using empirical data from people with tinnitus and the models’ performance is compared with the existing perceptual models of tinnitus pitch. The first model extends existing perceptual models of tinnitus, while the second model utilizes an entirely novel approach to modeling tinnitus perception using a linear mixed effects (LMEs) model. The LME model is also used to model the perceived loudness of the phantom sound which has not been considered in previous models. The LME model creates an accurate model of tinnitus pitch and loudness and shows that both tinnitus-related activity and individual perception of sound are factors in the perception of the phantom sound that characterizes tinnitus.

Особенности комплексной диагностики субъективного ушного шума

Tinnitus is one of the most common ENT complaints. The peculiarity of this disease is lack of objective measurements. It is hard to monitor evaluation of treatment results. The main reference points, such as the presence or absence of ear noise – are not sufficient to determine this pathology. Also, most of these patients have negative emotions connected with their ear noise. That is why the characteristics of tinnitus and its influence on the quality of life are very individual. Thus, it is advisable to distinguish two components of ear noise: noise itself, as a physical quantity that has amplitude and frequency parameters, and noise, as the main source of subjective suffering of the patient. To determine the characteristics of these two noise components, we used two diagnostic methods: standard noise measurement and a visually analog scale to assess the degree of discomfort caused by ear noise. In current study, we investigated interconnection between tinnitus intensity measured by tinnitus matching and data of visual-analog scale of subjective perception of tinnitus. We evaluated that severity of tinnitus intensity did not correlate with thresholds in tinnitus pitch matching. In addition, with the help of international questionnaire survey SCL-90-R we revealed correlation between subjective noise level and patient’s psycho-emotional condition.

Missed hearing loss in tinnitus patients with normal audiograms

The prevalence of tinnitus is positively correlated with hearing loss, although, tinnitus can also present alongside clinically normal pure-tone thresholds. As standard pure tone audiograms (PTA) only sample at octave or inter-octaves, they potentially can miss lesions between the tested frequencies. Here we investigate if tinnitus patients with normal audiograms have hearing loss missed by standard PTA testing, referred as “missed hearing loss” in the paper. Hearing thresholds in 106 tinnitus patients who have a normal PTA were tested using fine frequency resolution (1/24 octave step) audiometry, referred as precision PTA (P-PTA), at ±1/3 octave band centered at their tinnitus frequencies. Tinnitus pitch, loudness and residual inhibition were evaluated based on the result of P-PTA. DPOAEs were also tested to evaluate the function of outer hair cells (OHC). Using the P-PTA test, we found that 49% (52 out of 106) of tinnitus patients with normal audiograms showed sharply notched hearing loss and most of the notches were at their tinnitus frequencies. Using a fine frequency step (1/24 octave) to assess tinnitus pitch, the successful matching rate increased to 84%, significantly higher than the rate measured in traditional method (51%, Fisher’s test, P < 0.0001, n = 106). The number of patients whose tinnitus loudness was less than 5 dB SL increased from 26% to 55% after the loudness reassessment based on the tinnitus pitch match (n = 106, Chi-Square test, P < 0.01). The percentage of patients who showed positive residual inhibition of tinnitus also increased from 31% to 54% (Chi-Square test, P < 0.05). DPOAEs revealed significantly reduced OAE amplitude in the tinnitus patients, suggesting that OHC dysfunction may contribute to their notched hearing loss. However, in 13 out of 31 patients with notched hearing loss, their DPOAE did not show any reduction which suggests that their notched hearing loss may be induced by the dysfunction of the inner hair cells or afferent synapses (synaptopathy). Our study confirmed hidden cochlear impairments in tinnitus patients with seemingly normal audiograms. We conclude that P-PTA can help identify a mild hearing impairment that may otherwise be missed by conventional PTA and that P-PTA can also improve tinnitus evaluation accuracy.

Acoustic coordinated reset therapy for tinnitus with perceptually relevant frequency spacing and levels

Acoustic coordinated reset (CR) therapy based on neuromodulation and neuroplasticity principles has been proposed for the treatment of tonal tinnitus. The original therapy involved periodic delivery of randomly ordered sequences of four low-level tones centered around the frequency of a tone that matched the tinnitus pitch, fT, with fixed ratios relative to fT and delivered several hours/day over several weeks. Here we transform the original CR tone selection method to a more perceptually-relevant equivalent rectangular bandwidth (ERB) frequency scale, the ERBN-number scale. Specifically, we provide a mathematical model that enables calculation of CR tones that accounts for fT- and hearing loss-related ERB widening and ERB overlaps and gaps of CR tone alignments. Further, the model ensures symmetric CR tone alignments based on modelling studies that indicate the effect is optimal if the CR stimuli are symmetrically spaced relative to the tinnitus-related population of abnormally synchronized cortical neurons to activate the adjacent sub-populations. We also present experimentally testable ERB-based CR tone alignment strategies and explain how to use the ERB-based model in experiments, clinical studies, other types of tinnitus sound treatment such as tailor-made notch music training and limitations of our approach.

Gain adjustment at tinnitus pitch to manage both tinnitus and speech perception in noise

To investigate how much gain variation is required from prescription to effect tinnitus percept, and if this revised prescription affects speech recognition. Twenty participants who experienced catastrophic tinnitus even after fitted with hearing aid were included. Participants were grouped based on their tinnitus pitch and the prescriptive formula used to fit hearing aid. They were evaluated for handicap from tinnitus using Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Hearing aid was programmed using either NAL- NL2 or DSL (I/o) v5 prescriptive formula and gain at tinnitus pitch was adjusted till the tinnitus get suppressed. SNR 50 was determined soon after fitted with hearing aid and 30 days of hearing aid use. Further, THI and international outcome inventory for hearing aid (IOI-HA) were determined after 30 days of hearing aid use. A significant higher gain adjustment was needed at tinnitus pitch to reduce tinnitus precept using NAL- NL2 than DSL (I/o) v5 prescriptive formula. Further, SNR 50 was not affected by either tinnitus pitch or revised prescription formulas. However, SNR 50 improved after 30 days of hearing aid use. A 76% of the participants’ experienced habituation to perception after 30 days of hearing aid use, 10% had slight, 10% had mild, and 4% had a moderate degree of tinnitus on THI. On IOA-HA, 96% (N=19) of participants have reported satisfactory, and 4% (N=1) reported moderate benefit from hearing aid. Irrespective of prescriptive formula adjusting gain at tinnitus pitch is an efficient method to reduce tinnitus symptoms and improve speech perception.

Auditory attention in individuals with tinnitus

IntroductionTinnitus is characterized by the presence of a sound in the absence of external sound stimulus. In individuals with normal audiometry, it may be associated with auditory attention difficulty, especially in those who report high tinnitus annoyance. ObjectiveTo investigate auditory attention ability in individuals with tinnitus complaint. MethodsCross-sectional analytical observational study. We evaluated 30 volunteers with normal hearing (up to 25dBHL): 15 with tinnitus (test group) and 15 with no complaints (control group), aged between 18-40 years. The volunteers answered the tinnitus handicap inventory questionnaire and a visual analogue scale. Subsequently, a basic audiological evaluation (meatoscopy, tonal and vocal audiometry, and imittanciometry) and psychoacoustic measures of tinnitus (loudness and pitch) were performed. To evaluate auditory attention, the following tests were performed: auditory cognitive evoked potential (P300), central auditory processing tests (dichotic digits test and speech-in-noise test) and sustained auditory attention ability test. ResultsIn the tinnitus handicap inventory, individuals with tinnitus had a mean score of 37.78 (±27.05), characterized as moderate degree. In the dichotic digits test (binaural separation), a difference was observed between the groups in both ears. Moreover, there was a difference in the speech-in-noise test in both ears (RE: p=0.044; LE: p=0.019), in P300 (p=0.049) and in total sustained auditory attention ability test (p=0.032). Also, there is a negative correlation between sustained auditory attention ability test, decrease in attentiveness and binaural integration (RE: p=0.044; LE: p=0.048). ConclusionsIndividuals with tinnitus had a poorer performance compared to the control group regarding auditory attention ability. Therefore, it is inferred that tinnitus is associated with poor performance in selective and sustained auditory attention in the assessed volunteers. These aspects should be considered for the management of patients with tinnitus.

Auditory Streaming and Prediction in Tinnitus Sufferers

The aim of this study was to determine whether auditory streaming (segregation of incoming sounds into separate sound sources) and the ability to anticipate future auditory events are affected in tinnitus sufferers compared with nontinnitus controls with matched levels of hearing. It was hypothesized that tinnitus would result in abnormal electroencephalography responses to tone deviants and tone omissions compared to controls for frequencies near the pitch of tinnitus, and this should correspond with increased levels of cortical γ and θ oscillatory rhythms. Sixteen individuals with tinnitus (10 men and 6 women; age, 53.44; SD, 12.92 years) and 14 control participants (8 men and 6 women; age, 50.25; SD, 18.54 years) took part in the study. A modified version of the ABA streaming paradigm, with repeating triplet pattern of two frequencies (A and B) presented as A-B-A, was used to examine deviant-related prediction error. Omission-related prediction errors were examined using a modified version of a tone-omission paradigm. Regions of interest were frontocentral, left frontal, right frontal, and temporal lobes. A larger N1c waveform was elicited in the absence of any tone deviation within the left primary auditory cortex of tinnitus participants. No differences were present between groups for omissions. The only difference in oscillatory band activity between the two groups in this study was in response to tones 7 semitones different from tinnitus pitch, with significantly lower β-2 band activity present for the tinnitus group, correlating most with activity within the right inferior occipital gyrus. The findings from this study imply that cortical-level auditory stream segregation is altered among individuals with tinnitus.

Speech-in-noise recognition examined in individuals with normal hearing sensitivity and tinnitus using behavioral and brain imaging methods

Although we know tinnitus can cause concentration problems, its contribution to communication difficulties has not been well-studied. In a series of experiments, we have investigated Speech-in-noise (SiN) performance, in those with tinnitus and normal hearing sensitivity using a variety of methods, including behavioral, otoacoustic emissions, structural MRI and in a proposed study, ERP/ EEG. We found that tinnitus patients with normal hearing sensitivity did not have a general speech-in-noise deficit (Tai and Husain, JARO, 2018). Instead, our findings indicated that the tinnitus group performed significantly worse only under the 5-dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) condition. Additionally, the SiN performance in tinnitus patients was found to be significantly correlated with the perceptual factors related to tinnitus, such as perceived loudness, and was worse in the left ear. We are currently investigating (1) how the left ear appears to be more affected in tinnitus by using structural MRI and (2) whether there is any correlation between tinnitus pitch and consonant recognition. For both the latter studies, we are also contrasting the normal hearing tinnitus group with a hearing loss tinnitus group and other control groups.

Relating tinnitus features and audiometric characteristics in a cohort of 34 tinnitus subjects

Although tinnitus, the conscious perception of a sound without a sound source external or internal to the body, is highly correlated with hearing loss, the precise nature of such correlation remains still unknown. People with high pitch tinnitus are used to suffer from high frequency hearing losses, and vice versa, low pitch tinnitus is mostly associated with low frequency hearing losses. However, many subjects with low or high frequency losses do no develop tinnitus. Thus, studies trying to relate audiometric characteristics and tinnitus features are still relevant. This article presents a correlational study of audiometric and tinnitus variables in a sample of 34 subjects, paying special attention to the heterogeneous subtypes of both audiometry shape and tinnitus etiology. Our results, which concur with others previously published, demonstrate that the tinnitus pitch, the main frequency of the tinnitus spectrum, in subjects with high-steep high-frequency and continuously steep hearing losses, are highly correlated with the frequency at which hearing loss reaches 50 dB HL.