Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire Research Articles

The Effect of Perceived Tinnitus Disturbance on Hope.

Although there are systematic reviews of the effects of tinnitus on quality of life, the relationship of tinnitus to hopefulness has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between tinnitus distress and hope by comparing the severity of tinnitus to measures of hopefulness. This was done by comparing the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ) to the following hope scales: the Herth Hope Scale (HHS) and the Herth Hope Index (HHI). Patients seen for a tinnitus evaluation in the University of Tennessee audiology clinic completed the TRQ, HHS, and HHI scales. Investigation of relationships between tinnitus assessment using the TRQ and measurements of hope (HHS and HHI) was performed via correlation analyses using Pearson coefficients and linear regression. Significant correlations were found between overall scores on the TRQ and HHS, and TRQ and HHI, indicating that greater tinnitus distress was associated with lower levels of hope. Further analyses showed the HHS and HHI Domain 1, regarding temporality and future, as significantly related to tinnitus distress. Significant correlations between tinnitus disturbance and hope suggest that potential interventions based on hopefulness may be of benefit for individuals suffering from tinnitus.

Combined sound conditioning therapy and counseling for tinnitus treatment: proof-of-concept study in Colombia

Demonstrate the efficacy and applicability of sound conditioning therapy (SCT) with counseling for tinnitus treatment in subjects with normal hearing and mild-moderate hearing loss using therapeutic frequency modulated noise in a developing country. Retrospective cohort study evaluating 18 patients treated with SCT between 2018 and 2020 in a tertiary-care hospital outpatient tinnitus clinic in Bogotá, Colombia. Tinnitus intensity was quantified in decibels (dB) sound pressure level (SPL) and measured with the visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after treatment with SCT. Quality of life change after the intervention was evaluated with the tinnitus handicap index (THI) and the tinnitus reaction questionnaire (TRQ). Subjects received SCT for 2 to 7 months with two daily customized sound sessions and periodic counseling based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles. After treatment there was a significant decrease (p<0.01) for all outcomes measured including a mean difference in tinnitus intensity of 7.6 dB (95% CI, 4.5-10.7), VAS score of 4.5 (95% CI, 3.5-5.5), TRQ score of 36.4 (95% CI, 29.8-43) and THI score of 33.1 (95% CI, 25.6-40.5) compared to baseline. SCT and CBT-based counseling should be available as an alternative in patients with tinnitus treated with a multidisciplinary team. This study shows the improvement in symptoms and quality of life after treatment. Future research is warranted with a larger sample size and longer follow-up periods to show the overall effect of SCT and CBT-based counseling.

Battlefield Acupuncture as a Treatment Option forChronic Tinnitus: A Pilot Study.

There is no cure for tinnitus, which is a highly prevalent condition in service members and veterans. Battlefield acupuncture (BFA) can be used to manage pain and stress-related symptoms. We investigated BFA as a safe, low-cost treatment for tinnitus perception and coping in eight chronic tinnitus patients who were followed for 6 months after two BFA treatments to identify changes in tinnitus severity or impact. Patients completed case history, Tinnitus Screener, Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaires at baseline, at two BFA treatment sessions (2 weeks apart), and at four follow-up sessions (at 1, 2, 4 and 6 months after treatment). Questionnaire score changes were evaluated over time by using restricted maximum likelihood hierarchical regression modeling from baseline to 1-, 2-, 4-, and 6-month post-treatment follow-ups. TFI and TRQ group means were both significantly reduced at 1 month after treatment, and these reductions persisted through the 2- and 4-month follow-ups. The TRQ group mean remained significantly reduced after 6 months. Findings from eight chronic tinnitus sufferers who received two BFA treatment sessions are reported here, suggesting at least short-term treatment benefits observed as reductions in tinnitus-related psychological distress and impact. Although these findings are constrained by the study's small sample size and limited treatment period, its findings underscore the need for further research to determine the potential benefits of BFA for individuals who suffer from chronic tinnitus. Future research should consider the possibility of more lasting benefits through extended BFA treatment, with a comparison of BFA treatment against other treatment methods.

Single-Sided Deafness: Emotional and Social Handicap, Impact on Health Status and Quality of Life, Functional Hearing, and the Effects of Cochlear Implantation.

To evaluate the functional and subjective outcomes in individuals with single-sided deafness (SSD) treated with a cochlear implant (CI). Eighty-one adult CI users with SSD participated in this study. Functional assessments consisted of speech in noise testing and localization. Subjective assessments consisted of the Speech Spatial Quality of Hearing Scale, the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire, the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit questionnaire, the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults questionnaire, and the Glasgow Health Status Inventory and the Glasgow Benefit Inventory questionnaires. SSD has remarkable consequences on quality of life (QoL) and imposes a substantial emotional and social handicap on the individuals. Self-reported QoL improved after CI with tinnitus intrusion significantly reduced as early as 3 months post-CI. A significant improvement was seen in all speech understanding in noise configurations. Localization ability significantly improved with CI on. Our findings demonstrate that SSD reduces social and psychological QoL and imposes a remarkable level of handicap as per general and specific self-assessments tool. CI provided a significant improvement in function including speech understanding in noise and localization ability, as well as improved QoL and reduced tinnitus significantly in both the early and long terms.

Psychopathological symptoms as a common Risk Factor for Tinnitus distress and magnitude: A cross-sectional study.

To examine the association of tinnitus distress, tinnitus magnitude and psychopathological symptoms among patients with ear-related problems. The cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, at the Hearing and Balance Clinic, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, in collaboration with the National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan, and comprised adult tinnitus patients of either gender. All patients underwent ear examination and audiological evaluations for tinnitus matching. Psychological assessment was done using the Tinnitus Magnitude Index, the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire and the Symptoms Check List-90. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. Of the 159 subjects, 97(61%) were male and 62(39%) were females. The overall mean age was 47.94±17.47 years. Patients showed statistically significant tendency to develop psychopathological symptoms, including somatisation, phobic anxiety, depression and paranoid ideation (p<0.05). Additionally, significant gender differences were also observed (p<0.05). There was a high prevalence of tinnitus distress along with psychopathological symptoms among tinnitus patients.

Auditory Mirror Therapy for Tinnitus: A Pilot Study.

Tinnitus, the phantom perception of sound, shares many properties with phantom limb pain, in that both may arise as a consequence of sensory deprivation. Prediction errors in multisensory integration, such as induced with mirror box therapy in phantom pain, can reduce phantom percepts. We evaluated if a device that swaps sound from the right pinna to the left ear canal, and from the left pinna to the right ear canal, can reduce tinnitus. We call this auditory mirror therapy (AMT). Uncontrolled trial. Twenty subjects with chronic tinnitus. An AMT device consisting of a modified ear defender device with microphones that swaps sounds from left pinna to the right ear canal and from the right pinna to the left ear canal. Participants used the device at home for 2 weeks. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire, and visual analog scale ratings of symptoms were collected at baseline and posttreatment. Repeated measures t-test were performed, Bonferroni corrected for multiple comparisons. There was a significant reduction in THI and in awareness of tinnitus after the AMT intervention. Exposing the audiovisual integration system to prediction errors can help retrain phantom percepts and reduce tinnitus handicap. Further studies on this concept are warranted.

Long-Term Effects of Metal-on-Metal Cobalt-Chromium-Containing Prostheses Used in Total Knee Arthroplasty on Hearing and Tinnitus.

ObjectivesWe aimed to determine the long-term effects of metal-on-metal (MoM) cobalt (Co)-chromium-containing prostheses used in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on hearing and tinnitus.MethodsA total of 88 patients with the normal otoscopic examination and normal blood B12 levels, consisting of 44 patients who had been using MoM Co-chromium-containing total knee prosthesis for more than 5 years, and 44 non-implanted patients with similar demographic characteristics, were randomly selected and included in the study. Patients with previous ear surgery, chronic middle ear disease, or conductive hearing loss were excluded from the study. All participants were evaluated with pure-tone audiometry (PTA), distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), and tinnitus reaction questionnaire (TRQ).ResultsThe mean age of the 88 patients was 67.22±10.4 years. The mean age of 44 patients who underwent TKA at least 5 years ago was 72.89±7.18 years, 75% of these patients had bilateral prostheses, and the mean prosthesis duration was 11.00±5.08 years (range 5–25). The two groups were compared statistically using PTA, DPOAE, THI, and TRQ scores. When the patient groups with and without prostheses were compared in terms of hearing and tinnitus, we did not find a significant difference between the two groups (p>0.05).ConclusionIn our study, we observed that the long-term use of MoM Co-chromium total knee prostheses did not have an ototoxic effect, contrary to what was believed. We also found that prolonged prosthesis duration or undergoing bilateral surgery did not worsen hearing and tinnitus.

Analysis of a Cochlear Implant Database: Changes in Tinnitus Prevalence and Distress After Cochlear Implantation.

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and distress of tinnitus pre- and post-cochlear implantation in patients with bilateral severe to profound hearing loss. In this retrospective study, we included patients from a cochlear implant clinic in Perth, Western Australia. Pre- and post-cochlear implantation data from 300 implant recipients were collected on self-reported presence of tinnitus, tinnitus distress using the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ), hearing-related quality of life using the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB), and consonant-nucleus vowel-consonant (CNC) word recognition test scores. Retrospectively, patients were grouped into those with or without tinnitus, and the grade of tinnitus distress. The potential factors associated with post-implantation changes in the presence of tinnitus and its distress were evaluated. Tinnitus prevalence was 55.8% pre-operatively and 44.3% post-implantation with a median TRQ score respectively of 12.0 (IQR: 1.0–28.0) and 3.5 (IQR: 0.0–16.2) points. Among the 96 patients experiencing tinnitus pre-implantation, 14.6% patients experienced moderate to catastrophic tinnitus distress pre-implantation compared to 6.3% post-implantation. To conclude, the pre- and post-implantation median TRQ score for the cohort population showed that tinnitus was a “slight” handicap. Tinnitus prevalence and its associated tinnitus distress decreased post-implantation. Patients with tinnitus post-implantation were significantly younger and had less severe pre-implantation hearing loss in the non-implanted ear than patients without tinnitus. Further research is needed to understand the factors influencing changes in tinnitus.

Evaluation of Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) in Tinnitus Patients with Normal Hearing.

This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between tinnitus parameters (duration, severity, reaction, handicap levels) and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain values in patients with tinnitus with normal hearing without vertigo or any other complaints and to compare the VOR gains with a healthy group. The study group consisted of 30 individuals aged between 18 and 65 years who suffered from tinnitus but not from hearing loss and vertigo. The control group also consisted of 30 individuals who were categorized as healthy adults. The tinnitus handicap inventory, tinnitus reaction questionnaire, and tinnitus handicap questionnaire were applied to each individual in the tinnitus group, and the video head impulse test (VHIT) was conducted in 2 groups. Statistically, a significant difference was found between the 2 groups in terms of VOR gain values in horizontal and vertical semicircular canal planes (p<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant correlation between tinnitus parameters, age, and VOR gain values in the study group (p>0.05). Considering the lower VOR gain values of the study group than the control group, these patients may need to be followed up for vestibular dysfunction associated with tinnitus, which can be a symptom of peripheral vestibular disorder. Moreover, this study will contribute to the literature because we determined a high-frequency component of VOR by VHIT, which was used to evaluate the relationship between tinnitus parameters and peripheral vestibular function.

The effect of tinnitus on hearing-related quality of life outcomes in adult cochlear implant recipients

Objective To describe the effect of tinnitus distress on the hearing-related quality of life (QoL) outcomes over time in adult cochlear implant (CI) recipients. Design A retrospective, longitudinal study of adult CI recipients was conducted. Hearing-related QoL and tinnitus distress were assessed using the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) and the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ) preoperatively and at 6-months, 12-months and >24-month postoperatively. The association between tinnitus distress and hearing-related QoL outcomes over time was investigated. Furthermore, 13 potential predictive factors were identified from the retrospective dataset. Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify variables that influence hearing-related QoL outcomes over time. Study sample The study sample included 210 adult (≥18 years) CI recipients implanted between 2001 and 2017. Results Lower tinnitus distress and younger age at implantation were significant predictors of better hearing-related QoL in adult CI recipients. A significant reduction in tinnitus distress up to two years post-implantation was found, as well as greater tinnitus distress correlating with poorer hearing-related QoL outcomes. Conclusion Tinnitus distress negatively affects the hearing-related QoL outcomes of adult CI recipients. Tinnitus distress and age at implantation were found to be significant predictors of hearing-related QoL when controlling for other predictive factors.

Evaluation of hearing loss and tinnitus in Behcet's disease.

The aim of this study is to evaluate sensorineuralhearing loss (SHNL) and tinnitus in patients with Behcet's disease (BD), while also determining the association between the clinical symptoms of BD and the disease duration with the development of hearing loss. The study included 44 patients with BD and 42 healthy volunteers as the control group. The level of tinnitus-induced annoyance and the effects of tinnitus on daily life were evaluated with Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ). The hearing levels of all participants were measured with high-frequency audiometry and transient auto-acoustic emission tests. The patients with BD were significantly more affected by SNHL and tinnitus than the controls (p < 0.05). The correlation between disease duration and age among those with SNHL was statistically significant (p< 0.05). No association was found between the clinical findings and SNHL and tinnitus (p> 0.05) in the BD patients. In the present study, high-frequency SNHL was found to be common in among the patients with BD. SNHL in BD is positively correlated with the patients' age of the and the disease duration.

O-15 Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of chronic subjective non-pulsatile primary tinnitus case report

Background Therapy of subjective chronic primary tinnitus could be challenging. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is currently being tested for suppressing the symptom. However, effect of stimulation remains controversial. Objective The aim was to uncover real effect of rTMS stimulation for tinnitus treatment. Methods Fifty-three adult patients suffering from chronic subjective non-pulsatile primary tinnitus for at least 6 months were included in the study. Patients were randomly assigned into rTMS stimulation group (group 1), sham stimulation group (group 2) and group with medicament therapy only (group 3). Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (frequency 25 Hz; 300 pulses; 80% resting motor threshold = RMT) and primary auditory cortex on both sides (1 Hz; 1000 pulses; 110% RMT) were stimulated in patients in rTMS stimulation group for 5 consecutive days. Tinnitus reaction questionnaire (TRQ), tinnitus handicap questionnaire (THQ), tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), pure-tone audiometry with Fowler scoring of hearing loss and tinnitus analysis were used for evaluation of tinnitus in all patients. Data was recorded in the day patient was included in the study, during follow-up after 1 month and 6 months. Results No significant effect of rTMS stimulation after 1 month and 6 months was found in our study in BDI, THQ and TRQ score or in tinnitus masking. There was significant effect in THI score ater 1 ano 6 months. We would like to present case reports of 2 patients with the effect of stimulation, in which the deterioration of the socioeconomic state leaded to a marked deterioration of tinnitus.

Combined transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of chronic tinnitus.

ObjectiveRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is currently being tested for suppressing the symptoms of subjective chronic primary tinnitus, although its effect is controversial. The aim of this randomized double‐blinded controlled trial was to determine the effect of rTMS with unique settings for tinnitus treatment.MethodsFifty‐three adult patients suffering from chronic subjective unilateral or bilateral nonpulsatile primary tinnitus for at least 6 months were randomly assigned to rTMS (group 1, n = 20), sham stimulation (group 2, n = 12), or medicament therapy only (group 3, n = 21). The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (frequency 25 Hz, 300 pulses, and 80% resting motor threshold [RMT]) on the left side and primary auditory cortex (1 Hz, 1000 pulses, 110% RMT) were stimulated on both sides in patients in group 1 for 5 consecutive days. The Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ), Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (THQ), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), pure‐tone audiometry with Fowler scoring of hearing loss, and tinnitus analysis were used to evaluate tinnitus in all patients. Data were recorded the day the patient was included in the study and at 1‐ and 6‐month follow‐up.ResultsThe study groups were homogenous. No significant effect of rTMS was found at 1 or 6 months based on the BDI, THQ, and TRQ scores or tinnitus masking. There was a significant but clinically irrelevant effect on the THI score after 1 and 6 months.InterpretationNo significant effect of bilateral low‐frequency rTMS of the primary auditory cortex and high‐frequency stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was demonstrated.

A randomised controlled study of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation therapy in the management of tinnitus.

Psychotherapeutic interventions have been adopted effectively in the management of tinnitus for a long time. This study compared mindfulness meditation and relaxation therapy for management of tinnitus. In this randomised controlled trial, patients were recruited for five sessions of mindfulness meditation or five sessions of relaxation therapy. Patients' responses were evaluated using the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire as a primary outcome measure, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, visual analogue scale and a health status indicator as secondary outcome measures. A total of 86 patients were recruited. Thirty-four patients completed mindfulness meditation and 27 patients completed relaxation therapy. Statistically significant improvement was seen in all outcome measures except the health status indicator in both treatment groups. The change in treatment scores was greater in the mindfulness meditation group than in the relaxation therapy group. This study suggests that although both mindfulness meditation and relaxation therapy are effective in the management of tinnitus, mindfulness meditation is superior to relaxation therapy.

The Role of Trace Elements in Tinnitus.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of three trace elements, namely, zinc, copper, and lead, in tinnitus by analyzing the serum level of copper and lead and both the serum and tissue level of zinc. Eighty patients, who applied to outpatient otolaryngology clinic with the complaints of having tinnitus, and 28 healthy volunteers were included. High-frequency audiometry was performed, and participants who had hearing loss according to the pure tone average were excluded; tinnitus frequency and loudness were determined and tinnitus reaction questionnaire scores were obtained from the patients. Of all the participants, serum zinc, copper, and lead values were measured; moreover, zinc levels were examined in hair samples. The levels of trace elements were compared between tinnitus and control groups. The level of copper was found to be significantly lower in the tinnitus group (p=0.02), but there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of the levels of zinc, neither in serum nor in hair, and lead in serum (p>0.05). The lack of trace elements, especially that of "zinc," have been doubted for the etiopathogenesis of tinnitus in the literature; however, we only found copper levels to be low in patients having tinnitus.

Cortical Reorganisation during a 30-Week Tinnitus Treatment Program.

Subjective tinnitus is characterised by the conscious perception of a phantom sound. Previous studies have shown that individuals with chronic tinnitus have disrupted sound-evoked cortical tonotopic maps, time-shifted evoked auditory responses, and altered oscillatory cortical activity. The main objectives of this study were to: (i) compare sound-evoked brain responses and cortical tonotopic maps in individuals with bilateral tinnitus and those without tinnitus; and (ii) investigate whether changes in these sound-evoked responses occur with amelioration of the tinnitus percept during a 30-week tinnitus treatment program. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings of 12 bilateral tinnitus participants and 10 control normal-hearing subjects reporting no tinnitus were recorded at baseline, using 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 4000 Hz tones presented monaurally at 70 dBSPL through insert tube phones. For the tinnitus participants, MEG recordings were obtained at 5-, 10-, 20- and 30- week time points during tinnitus treatment. Results for the 500 Hz and 1000 Hz sources (where hearing thresholds were within normal limits for all participants) showed that the tinnitus participants had a significantly larger and more anteriorly located source strengths when compared to the non-tinnitus participants. During the 30-week tinnitus treatment, the participants’ 500 Hz and 1000 Hz source strengths remained higher than the non-tinnitus participants; however, the source locations shifted towards the direction recorded from the non-tinnitus control group. Further, in the left hemisphere, there was a time-shifted association between the trajectory of change of the individual’s objective (source strength and anterior-posterior source location) and subjective measures (using tinnitus reaction questionnaire, TRQ). The differences in source strength between the two groups suggest that individuals with tinnitus have enhanced central gain which is not significantly influenced by the tinnitus treatment, and may result from the hearing loss per se. On the other hand, the shifts in the tonotopic map towards the non-tinnitus participants’ source location suggests that the tinnitus treatment might reduce the disruptions in the map, presumably produced by the tinnitus percept directly or indirectly. Further, the similarity in the trajectory of change across the objective and subjective parameters after time-shifting the perceptual changes by 5 weeks suggests that during or following treatment, perceptual changes in the tinnitus percept may precede neurophysiological changes. Subgroup analyses conducted by magnitude of hearing loss suggest that there were no differences in the 500 Hz and 1000 Hz source strength amplitudes for the mild-moderate compared with the mild-severe hearing loss subgroup, although the mean source strength was consistently higher for the mild-severe subgroup. Further, the mild-severe subgroup had 500 Hz and 1000 Hz source locations located more anteriorly (i.e., more disrupted compared to the control group) compared to the mild-moderate group, although this was trending towards significance only for the 500Hz left hemisphere source. While the small numbers of participants within the subgroup analyses reduce the statistical power, this study suggests that those with greater magnitudes of hearing loss show greater cortical disruptions with tinnitus and that tinnitus treatment appears to reduce the tonotopic map disruptions but not the source strength (or central gain).

Tinnitus hastalarında nötrofil/lenfosit oranı, platelet/lenfosit oranı ve ortalama trombosit hacminin değerlendirilmesi

Objective: The aim of this retrospective, case-control study was to investigate the association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV) with tinnitus. Methods: A total of 51 patients with tinnitus and 42 healthy, age- and sex-matched subjects were recruited for the present study. Audiometric data including pure-tone average (PTA) values, the side of the head in which tinnitus was experienced, duration of tinnitus, tinnitus reaction questionnaire (TRQ), tinnitus handicap questionnaire (THQ), complete blood count (CBC) and biochemical data were assessed from patient records. The mean values of NLR, PLR and MPV were compared between patients with tinnitus and healthy controls. Results: The difference was not significant for mean serum NLR, PLR and MPV values between patients with tinnitus and healthy controls. Conclusion: Serum NLR, PLR and MPV levels may not be useful parameters for routine clinical evaluation of tinnitus.

Impact of reduction of tinnitus intensity on patients’ quality of life

Objective: Assess the impact of a reduction of tinnitus intensity achieved through sound stimulation during sleep on the improvement in the patients’ quality of life. Design: Acoustic stimuli consisted of a highly customized sound that reproduced the spectral and intensity characteristics of the tinnitus in each patient. This stimulus was uploaded into a portable electronic device and delivered through customized ear buds during sleep, every night for three months. Study sample: Twelve patients with subjective idiopathic chronic tinnitus were studied. Results: Results were assessed through: (1) the measurement in dB SPL of tinnitus intensity reduction over time; (2) the results of three psychometric tests: Tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), Tinnitus reaction questionnaire (TRQ), Tinnitus functional index (TFI); and (3) a Visual analog scale (VAS) for tinnitus annoyance. After three months of treatment, we observed an average decrease in tinnitus intensity of 14.1 dB SPL (p < 0.001), implying a 62% reduction of the perceived sound. This improvement was followed by a statistically significant decrease of TRQ (78%), THI (65%), and TFI (77%). Conclusions: These results suggested that the intensity reduction achieved through the protocol used in this study had a direct impact on the improvement in the patients’ quality of life.

Tinnitus and hyperacusis in autism spectrum disorders with emphasis on high functioning individuals diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome

ObjectivesTo evaluate the prevalence of tinnitus and hyperacusis in individuals with Asperger's Syndrome (AS). MethodsA home-developed case-history survey and three item-weighted questionnaires: Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and the Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ) were employed. These tools categorize the subjective response to tinnitus and hyperacusis. The research tools were mailed to a mailing list of individuals with Asperger's Syndrome. ResultsA total of 55 subjects diagnosed with AS were included in the analysis (15.5% response rate). Sixty-nine percent of all respondents (38/55) reported hyperacusis with an average HQ score of 20.7. Furthermore, 35% (19/55) reported perceiving tinnitus with average scores of 27 for the TRQ and 23 for the THI. Thirty-one percent (17/55) reported both hyperacusis and tinnitus. The prevalence of hyperacusis in the AS respondents remained relatively constant across age groups. ConclusionsHyperacusis and tinnitus are more prevalent in the ASD population subgroup diagnosed with AS under DSM-IV criteria than in the general public. Hyperacusis also appears to be more prevalent in the AS population than in the ASD population at large. Future research is warranted to provide insight into the possible correlation between tinnitus and hyperacusis symptoms and the abnormal social interactions observed in this group.

Tinnitus management with percutaneous osseointegrated auditory implants for unilateral sensorineural hearing loss

ObjectiveTo determine the effects, if any, of percutaneous osseointegrated auditory implants (OAI) on tinnitus in patients with unilateral SNHL. Study designProspective cohort series. SettingTertiary academic referral center, single surgeon. PatientsAdult OAI recipients with unilateral severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in the implanted ear. InterventionPercutaneous OAI. Main outcome measure(s)The Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ) and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) were recorded pre-implantation, and at 6 and 12months following device activation. ResultsTen eligible patients were enrolled. The mean pre-operative TRQ and THI scores for all subjects were 32.80±23.41 and 37.00±22.75, respectively. Both scores decreased 6months after device activation, with TRQ mean of 19.67±21.73 (p=0.0012) and THI mean of 27.11±23.41 (NS). After 12months, the downward trend continued with TRQ mean of 17.30±20.67 (p=0.0008) and THI mean of 21.70±23.02 (p=0.0116). Subgroup analysis comparing patients with severe SNHL to those with profound SNHL demonstrated a decrease in TRQ and THI scores at 12months for both groups, but it was only statistically significant for the severe SNHL group (n=7). ConclusionsOAI use in SSD is associated with a statistically significant decrease in tinnitus as measured by the TRQ and THI. The reasons for this are likely multifactorial, though possibly due to stimulation of residual cochlear function in the SSD ear. Further study of a larger cohort is ongoing.