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Sample records for chronic tinnitus patients

  1. Altered Interhemispheric Functional Coordination in Chronic Tinnitus Patients

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    Yu-Chen Chen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. Recent studies suggest that tinnitus may be due in part to aberrant callosal structure and interhemispheric interaction. To explore this hypothesis we use a novel method, voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC, to examine the resting-state interhemispheric functional connectivity and its relationships with clinical characteristics in chronic tinnitus patients. Materials and Methods. Twenty-eight chronic tinnitus patients with normal hearing thresholds and 30 age-, sex-, education-, and hearing threshold-matched healthy controls were included in this study and underwent the resting-state fMRI scanning. We computed the VMHC to analyze the interhemispheric functional coordination between homotopic points of the brain in both groups. Results. Compared to the controls, tinnitus patients showed significantly increased VMHC in the middle temporal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and superior occipital gyrus. In tinnitus patients, a positive correlation was found between tinnitus duration and VMHC of the uncus. Moreover, correlations between VMHC changes and tinnitus distress were observed in the transverse temporal gyrus, superior temporal pole, precentral gyrus, and calcarine cortex. Conclusions. These results show altered interhemispheric functional connectivity linked with specific tinnitus characteristics in chronic tinnitus patients, which may be implicated in the neuropathophysiology of tinnitus.

  2. The influence of tinnitus acceptance on the quality of life and psychological distress in patients with chronic tinnitus

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    David Riedl

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent findings show the importance of acceptance in the treatment of chronic tinnitus. So far, very limited research investigating the different levels of tinnitus acceptance has been conducted. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life (QoL and psychological distress in patients with chronic tinnitus who reported different levels of tinnitus acceptance. The sample consisted of outpatients taking part in a tinnitus coping group (n = 97. Correlations between tinnitus acceptance, psychological distress, and QoL were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC curves were used to calculate a cutoff score for the German "Tinnitus Acceptance Questionnaire" (CTAQ-G and to evaluate the screening abilities of the CTAQ-G. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare QoL and psychological distress in patients with low tinnitus acceptance and high tinnitus acceptance. A cutoff point for CTAQ-G of 62.5 was defined, differentiating between patients with "low-to-mild tinnitus acceptance" and "moderate-to-high tinnitus acceptance." Patients with higher levels of tinnitus acceptance reported a significantly higher QoL and lower psychological distress. Tinnitus acceptance plays an important role for patients with chronic tinnitus. Increased levels of acceptance are related to better QoL and less psychological distress.

  3. Examination of anxiety disorder and distress in patients with chronic tinnitus

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    Hubatsch, Linda

    2013-01-01

    Background: Due to its multidimensionality tinnitus is a complex disease. To improve existing treatment protocols and develop more efficient alternatives it is necessary to have an exact knowledge of aetiology and mechanisms of chronicity. Methods: We studied 250 patients with chronic tinnitus and analysed their information from admission to outpatient treatment retrospectively. As a measurement tool for tinnitus distress the Tinnitus Questionnaire of Goebel and Hiller were used, as well as t...

  4. Temporo-insular enhancement of EEG low and high frequencies in patients with chronic tinnitus. QEEG study of chronic tinnitus patients

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    Weisz Nathan

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The physiopathological mechanism underlying the tinnitus phenomenon is still the subject of an ongoing debate. Since oscillatory EEG activity is increasingly recognized as a fundamental hallmark of cortical integrative functions, this study investigates deviations from the norm of different resting EEG parameters in patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. Results Spectral parameters of resting EEG of male tinnitus patients (n = 8, mean age 54 years were compared to those of age-matched healthy males (n = 15, mean age 58.8 years. On average, the patient group exhibited higher spectral power over the frequency range of 2-100 Hz. Using LORETA source analysis, the generators of delta, theta, alpha and beta power increases were localized dominantly to left auditory (Brodmann Areas (BA 41,42, 22, temporo-parietal, insular posterior, cingulate anterior and parahippocampal cortical areas. Conclusions Tinnitus patients show a deviation from the norm of different resting EEG parameters, characterized by an overproduction of resting state delta, theta and beta brain activities, providing further support for the microphysiological and magnetoencephalographic evidence pointing to a thalamocortical dysrhythmic process at the source of tinnitus. These results also provide further confirmation that reciprocal involvements of both auditory and associative/paralimbic areas are essential in the generation of tinnitus.

  5. Impairments of thalamic resting-state functional connectivity in patients with chronic tinnitus

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    Zhang, Jian [Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing (China); Chen, Yu-Chen [Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing (China); Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY (United States); Feng, Xu [Department of Otolaryngology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing (China); Yang, Ming; Liu, Bin; Qian, Cheng [Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing (China); Wang, Jian [Department of Physiology, Southeast University, Nanjing (China); School of Human Communication Disorders, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (Canada); Salvi, Richard [Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY (United States); Teng, Gao-Jun, E-mail: gjteng@vip.sina.com [Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing (China)

    2015-07-15

    Highlights: • Tinnitus patients have aberrant thalamic connectivity to many brain regions. • Decreased thalamic connectivity is linked with tinnitus characteristics. • Thalamocortical connectivity disturbances can reflect tinnitus-related networks. - Abstract: Purpose: The phantom sound of tinnitus is believed to arise from abnormal functional coupling between the thalamus and cerebral cortex. To explore this hypothesis, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare the degree of thalamocortical functional connectivity in chronic tinnitus patients and controls. Materials and methods: Resting-state fMRI scans were obtained from 31 chronic tinnitus patients and 33 well-matched healthy controls. Thalamocortical functional connectivity was characterized using a seed-based whole-brain correlation method. The resulting thalamic functional connectivity measures were correlated with other clinical data. Results: We found decreased functional connectivity between the seed region in left thalamus and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), right middle orbitofrontal cortex, left middle frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus, and bilateral calcarine cortex. Decreased functional connectivity was detected between the seed in the right thalamus and the left superior temporal gyrus (STG), left amygdala, right superior frontal gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and left middle occipital gyrus. Tinnitus distress correlated negatively with thalamic functional connectivity in right MTG; tinnitus duration correlated negatively with thalamic functional connectivity in left STG. Increased functional connectivity between the bilateral thalamus and a set of regions were also observed. Conclusions: Chronic tinnitus patients have disrupted thalamocortical functional connectivity to selected brain regions which is associated with specific tinnitus characteristics. Resting-state thalamic functional connectivity disturbances may play an important role in

  6. Impairments of thalamic resting-state functional connectivity in patients with chronic tinnitus

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    Zhang, Jian; Chen, Yu-Chen; Feng, Xu; Yang, Ming; Liu, Bin; Qian, Cheng; Wang, Jian; Salvi, Richard; Teng, Gao-Jun

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Tinnitus patients have aberrant thalamic connectivity to many brain regions. • Decreased thalamic connectivity is linked with tinnitus characteristics. • Thalamocortical connectivity disturbances can reflect tinnitus-related networks. - Abstract: Purpose: The phantom sound of tinnitus is believed to arise from abnormal functional coupling between the thalamus and cerebral cortex. To explore this hypothesis, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare the degree of thalamocortical functional connectivity in chronic tinnitus patients and controls. Materials and methods: Resting-state fMRI scans were obtained from 31 chronic tinnitus patients and 33 well-matched healthy controls. Thalamocortical functional connectivity was characterized using a seed-based whole-brain correlation method. The resulting thalamic functional connectivity measures were correlated with other clinical data. Results: We found decreased functional connectivity between the seed region in left thalamus and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), right middle orbitofrontal cortex, left middle frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus, and bilateral calcarine cortex. Decreased functional connectivity was detected between the seed in the right thalamus and the left superior temporal gyrus (STG), left amygdala, right superior frontal gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and left middle occipital gyrus. Tinnitus distress correlated negatively with thalamic functional connectivity in right MTG; tinnitus duration correlated negatively with thalamic functional connectivity in left STG. Increased functional connectivity between the bilateral thalamus and a set of regions were also observed. Conclusions: Chronic tinnitus patients have disrupted thalamocortical functional connectivity to selected brain regions which is associated with specific tinnitus characteristics. Resting-state thalamic functional connectivity disturbances may play an important role in

  7. Do patient characteristics predict outcome in the outpatient treatment of chronic tinnitus?

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    Kr?ner-Herwig, Birgit; Zachriat, Claudia; Weigand, Doreen

    2006-01-01

    Various patient characteristics were assessed before offering a treatment to reduce tinnitus related distress to 57 individuals suffering from chronic idiopathic tinnitus. Patients were randomly assigned to a cognitive-behavioral tinnitus coping training (TCT) and a habituation-based training (HT) modelled after Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) as conceived by Jastreboff. Both trainings were conducted in groups. It was hypothesized that comorbidity regarding mental disorders or psychopatholo...

  8. Medium-level laser in chronic tinnitus treatment.

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    Dejakum, K; Piegger, J; Plewka, C; Gunkel, A; Thumfart, W; Kudaibergenova, S; Goebel, G; Kral, F; Freysinger, W

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of medium-level laser therapy in chronic tinnitus treatment. In a prospective double-blind placebo-controlled trial, either active laser (450 mW, 830 nm combined Ga-Al-As diode laser) or placebo irradiation was applied through the external acoustic meatus of the affected ear towards the cochlea. Fourty-eight patients with chronic tinnitus were studied. The main outcome was measured using the Goebel tinnitus questionnaire, visual analogue scales measuring the perceived loudness of tinnitus, the annoyance associated with tinnitus, and the degree of attention paid to tinnitus as well as psycho-acoustical matches of tinnitus pitch and loudness. The results did show only very moderate temporary improvement of tinnitus. Moreover, no statistically relevant differences between laser and placebo group could be found. We conclude that medium-level laser therapy cannot be regarded as an effective treatment of chronic tinnitus in our therapy regime considering the limited number of patients included in our study.

  9. Transition from Acute to Chronic Tinnitus: Predictors for the Development of Chronic Distressing Tinnitus

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    Elisabeth Wallhäusser-Franke

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundAcute tinnitus and its transition to chronic tinnitus are poorly investigated, and factors associated with amelioration versus exacerbation are largely unknown. Aims of this study were to identify early predictors for the future development of tinnitus severity.MethodPatients with tinnitus of no longer than 4 weeks presenting at an otolaryngologist filled out questionnaires at inclusion (T1, as well as 3 (T3, and 6 months (T4 after tinnitus onset. 6 weeks after onset, an interview was conducted over the phone (T2. An audiogram was taken at T1, perceived tinnitus loudness, and tinnitus-related distress were assessed separately and repeatedly together with oversensitivity to external sounds and the levels of depression and anxiety. Furthermore, coping strategies with illness were recorded.ResultsComplete remission until T4 was observed in 11% of the 47 participants, while voiced complaints at onset were stable in the majority. In the subgroup with a relevant level of depression at T1, tinnitus-related distress worsened in 30% until T4. For unilateral tinnitus, perceived loudness in the chronic condition correlated strongly with hearing loss at 2 kHz on the tinnitus ear, while a similar correlation was not found for tinnitus located to both ears or within the head.ConclusionResults suggest early manifestation of tinnitus complaints, and stress the importance of screening all patients presenting with acute tinnitus for levels of depression and tinnitus-related distress. Furthermore, hearing levels should be monitored, and use of hearing aids should be considered to reduce tinnitus loudness after having ascertained that sound sensitivity is within normal range.

  10. Medium-Level Laser in Chronic Tinnitus Treatment

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    K. Dejakum

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of medium-level laser therapy in chronic tinnitus treatment. In a prospective double-blind placebo-controlled trial, either active laser (450 mW, 830 nm combined Ga-Al-As diode laser or placebo irradiation was applied through the external acoustic meatus of the affected ear towards the cochlea. Fourty-eight patients with chronic tinnitus were studied. The main outcome was measured using the Goebel tinnitus questionnaire, visual analogue scales measuring the perceived loudness of tinnitus, the annoyance associated with tinnitus, and the degree of attention paid to tinnitus as well as psycho-acoustical matches of tinnitus pitch and loudness. The results did show only very moderate temporary improvement of tinnitus. Moreover, no statistically relevant differences between laser and placebo group could be found. We conclude that medium-level laser therapy cannot be regarded as an effective treatment of chronic tinnitus in our therapy regime considering the limited number of patients included in our study.

  11. Psychophysiological Associations between Chronic Tinnitus and Sleep: A Cross Validation of Tinnitus and Insomnia Questionnaires

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    Martin Schecklmann

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of insomnia in chronic tinnitus and the association of tinnitus distress and sleep disturbance. Methods. We retrospectively analysed data of 182 patients with chronic tinnitus who completed the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ and the Regensburg Insomnia Scale (RIS. Descriptive comparisons with the validation sample of the RIS including exclusively patients with primary/psychophysiological insomnia, correlation analyses of the RIS with TQ scales, and principal component analyses (PCA in the tinnitus sample were performed. TQ total score was corrected for the TQ sleep items. Results. Prevalence of insomnia was high in tinnitus patients (76% and tinnitus distress correlated with sleep disturbance (r=0.558. TQ sleep subscore correlated with the RIS sum score (r=0.690. PCA with all TQ and RIS items showed one sleep factor consisting of all RIS and the TQ sleep items. PCA with only TQ sleep and RIS items showed sleep- and tinnitus-specific factors. The sleep factors (only RIS items were sleep depth and fearful focusing. The TQ sleep items represented tinnitus-related sleep problems. Discussion. Chronic tinnitus and primary insomnia are highly related and might share similar psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms leading to impaired sleep quality.

  12. Amygdala functional disconnection with the prefrontal-cingulate-temporal circuit in chronic tinnitus patients with depressive mood.

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    Chen, Yu-Chen; Bo, Fan; Xia, Wenqing; Liu, Shenghua; Wang, Peng; Su, Wen; Xu, Jin-Jing; Xiong, Zhenyu; Yin, Xindao

    2017-10-03

    Chronic tinnitus is often accompanied with depressive symptom, which may arise from aberrant functional coupling between the amygdala and cerebral cortex. To explore this hypothesis, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate the disrupted amygdala-cortical functional connectivity (FC) in chronic tinnitus patients with depressive mood. Chronic tinnitus patients with depressive mood (n=20), without depressive mood (n=20), and well-matched healthy controls (n=23) underwent resting-state fMRI scanning. Amygdala-cortical FC was characterized using a seed-based whole-brain correlation method. The bilateral amygdala FC was compared among the three groups. Compared to non-depressed patients, depressive tinnitus patients showed decreased amygdala FC with the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex as well as increased amygdala FC with the postcentral gyrus and lingual gyrus. Relative to healthy controls, depressive tinnitus patients revealed decreased amygdala FC with the superior and middle temporal gyrus, anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex, as well as increased amygdala FC with the postcentral gyrus and lingual gyrus. The current study identified for the first time abnormal resting-state amygdala-cortical FC with the prefrontal-cingulate-temporal circuit in chronic tinnitus patients with depressive mood, which will provide novel insight into the underlying neuropathological mechanisms of tinnitus-induced depressive disorder. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy Restores Attention-Related Activity in the Angular Gyrus in Chronic Tinnitus Patients.

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    Krick, Christoph M; Argstatter, Heike; Grapp, Miriam; Plinkert, Peter K; Reith, Wolfgang

    2017-01-01

    Background: Tinnitus is the perception of a phantom sound without external acoustic stimulation. Recent tinnitus research suggests a relationship between attention processes and tinnitus-related distress. It has been found that too much focus on tinnitus comes at the expense of the visual domain. The angular gyrus (AG) seems to play a crucial role in switching attention to the most salient stimulus. This study aims to evaluate the involvement of the AG during visual attention tasks in tinnitus sufferers treated with Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy (HNMT), an intervention that has been shown to reduce tinnitus-related distress. Methods: Thirty-three patients with chronic tinnitus, 45 patients with recent-onset tinnitus, and 35 healthy controls were tested. A fraction of these (21/21/22) were treated with the "compact" version of the HNMT lasting 1 week with intense treatments, while non-treated participants were included as passive controls. Visual attention was evaluated during functional Magnet-Resonance Imaging (fMRI) by a visual Continous Performance Task (CPT) using letter-based alarm cues ("O" and "X") appearing in a sequence of neutral letters, "A" through "H." Participants were instructed to respond via button press only if the letter "O" was followed by the letter "X" (GO condition), but not to respond if a neutral letter appeared instead (NOGO condition). All participants underwent two fMRI sessions, before and after a 1-week study period. Results: The CPT results revealed a relationship between error rates and tinnitus duration at baseline whereby the occurrence of erroneous "GO omissions" and the reaction time increased with tinnitus duration. Patients with chronic tinnitus who were treated with HNMT had decreasing error rates (fewer GO omissions) compared to treated recent-onset patients. fMRI analyses confirmed greater activation of the AG during CPT in chronic patients after HNMT treatment compared to treated recent-onset patients. Conclusions: Our

  14. Long-term effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with chronic tinnitus.

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    Kleinjung, Tobias; Eichhammer, Peter; Langguth, Berthold; Jacob, Peter; Marienhagen, Joerg; Hajak, Goeran; Wolf, Stephan R; Strutz, Juergen

    2005-04-01

    The pathophysiologic mechanisms of idiopathic tinnitus remain unclear. Recent studies demonstrated focal brain activation in the auditory cortex of patients with chronic tinnitus. Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is able to reduce cortical hyperexcitability. Fusing of the individual PET-scan with the structural MRI-scan (T1, MPRAGE) allowed us to identify exactly the area of increased metabolic activity in the auditory cortex of patients with chronic tinnitus. With the use of a neuronavigational system, this target area was exactly stimulated by the figure 8-shaped magnetic coil. In a prospective study, rTMS (110% motor threshold; 1 Hz; 2000 stimuli/day over 5 days) was performed using a placebo controlled cross-over design. Patients were blinded regarding the stimulus condition. For the sham stimulation a specific sham-coil system was used. Fourteen patients were followed for 6 months. Treatment outcome was assessed with a specific tinnitus questionnaire (Goebel and Hiller). Tertiary referral medical center. Increased metabolic activation in the auditory cortex was verified in all patients. After 5 days of verum rTMS, a highly significant improvement of the tinnitus score was found whereas the sham treatment did not show any significant changes. The treatment outcome after 6 months still demonstrated significant reduction of tinnitus score. These preliminary results demonstrate that neuronavigated rTMS offers new possibilities in the understanding and treatment of chronic tinnitus.

  15. Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy Restores Attention-Related Activity in the Angular Gyrus in Chronic Tinnitus Patients

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    Christoph M. Krick

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Tinnitus is the perception of a phantom sound without external acoustic stimulation. Recent tinnitus research suggests a relationship between attention processes and tinnitus-related distress. It has been found that too much focus on tinnitus comes at the expense of the visual domain. The angular gyrus (AG seems to play a crucial role in switching attention to the most salient stimulus. This study aims to evaluate the involvement of the AG during visual attention tasks in tinnitus sufferers treated with Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy (HNMT, an intervention that has been shown to reduce tinnitus-related distress.Methods: Thirty-three patients with chronic tinnitus, 45 patients with recent-onset tinnitus, and 35 healthy controls were tested. A fraction of these (21/21/22 were treated with the “compact” version of the HNMT lasting 1 week with intense treatments, while non-treated participants were included as passive controls. Visual attention was evaluated during functional Magnet-Resonance Imaging (fMRI by a visual Continous Performance Task (CPT using letter-based alarm cues (“O” and “X” appearing in a sequence of neutral letters, “A” through “H.” Participants were instructed to respond via button press only if the letter “O” was followed by the letter “X” (GO condition, but not to respond if a neutral letter appeared instead (NOGO condition. All participants underwent two fMRI sessions, before and after a 1-week study period.Results: The CPT results revealed a relationship between error rates and tinnitus duration at baseline whereby the occurrence of erroneous “GO omissions” and the reaction time increased with tinnitus duration. Patients with chronic tinnitus who were treated with HNMT had decreasing error rates (fewer GO omissions compared to treated recent-onset patients. fMRI analyses confirmed greater activation of the AG during CPT in chronic patients after HNMT treatment compared to treated

  16. [Chronic tinnitus in children and adolescents].

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    Rosanowski, F; Hoppe, U; Pröschel, U; Eysholdt, U

    1997-11-01

    The problem of tinnitus in adults is reviewed systematically in nearly all standard otolaryngology reference works, whereas textbooks and monographs that focus on pediatric otorhinolaryngology or audiology and hearing in children and adolescents provide only little information concerning the epidemiology, etiology and therapy of tinnitus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychosomatic aspects of chronic tinnitus in this younger age group. A rational diagnostic approach is discussed as to which diagnostic measures are necessary in the pediatric group for deciding which therapeutic option to chose. The therapeutic outcome of tinnitus counselling in non-severe cases and of parenteral lidocaine infusions in cases of a troublesome tinnitus is presented. From January 1992 to December 1995, 31 children and adolescents in the age range from 6 to 17 years were treated for a chronic tinnitus without a measurable hearing loss. In 20 cases the tinnitus was bilateral; in 11 cases it was unilateral, without side preference. In 24 patients the case history gave no hint of a major annoyance by the tinnitus or significant psychological components. In these cases tinnitus counselling was carried out. In 7 cases-3 girls and 4 boys in the age range from 10 to 17 years-the kind and grade of symptom satisfied the ICD-10 criteria of a depressive episode. These patients were hospitalized for 10 days and a lidocaine infusion therapy (2 mg/kg Xylocain Cor in 500 ml HAES 6%) was performed as treatment for the somatic component of the disorder. Data were analyzed catamnestically using the patients' files. In all cases normal hearing threshold and speech intelligibility were ascertained by pure-tone and speech audiometry. Auditory evoked brainstem potentials gave no further information. The measurement of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions gave no consistent results in either of the two groups. Tinnitus measurement and audiometric masking could only be carried out in patients

  17. [Chronic complex tinnitus: therapeutic results of inpatient treatment in a tinnitus clinic].

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    Hesse, G; Rienhoff, N K; Nelting, M; Laubert, A

    2001-09-01

    In-patient treatment of patients with chronic tinnitus is necessary only when these patients have a severe psychosomatic co-morbidity and suffer severely. However this therapeutic approach has to be supervised and evaluated properly. We present data and results of 1841 patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. Due to the severity of the symptom and psycho-neurotic side effects in-patient treatment was necessary. Therapy lasted 5 - 6 weeks, the main aspect was an intensive psychotherapeutic evaluation and stabilisation next to retraining and habituation programmes. Relaxation techniques were taught. Patients suffered from their tinnitus more than six month; 95 % further suffered from hearing-loss, mainly in high frequencies. The study evaluates results of patients from October 1994 until June 2000. Basis of the study was the evaluation of a specific tinnitus-questionnaire (TQ), published by Hallam in the UK and translated by Goebel and Hiller in Germany. Data was recorded at registration in our clinic, 4 - 6 months later during admission and at the end of the therapy. Final data was gained during a special meeting or questioning 6 months after dismissal from the clinic. Patients that suffered most showed the greatest improvement; directly after therapy there was a highly significant improvement in the TQ for an average of 13.01 points. Highly significant improvements were found in all the TQ-subscales respectively. Only 10 % of the patients did not show any improvement at all. Therapy of most severe cases of chronic tinnitus is possible, using an integrated concept of otologic and psychosomatic treatments. With large numbers of patients and sufficient data a thorough and necessary evaluation of this therapy can be achieved.

  18. Medium-Level Laser in Chronic Tinnitus Treatment

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    Dejakum, K.; Piegger, J.; Plewka, C.; Gunkel, A.; Thumfart, W.; Kudaibergenova, S.; Goebel, G.; Kral, F.; Freysinger, W.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of medium-level laser therapy in chronic tinnitus treatment. In a prospective double-blind placebo-controlled trial, either active laser (450 mW, 830 nm combined Ga-Al-As diode laser) or placebo irradiation was applied through the external acoustic meatus of the affected ear towards the cochlea. Fourty-eight patients with chronic tinnitus were studied. The main outcome was measured using the Goebel tinnitus questionnaire, visual analogue sc...

  19. [New aspects of complex chronic tinnitus. II: The lost silence: effects and psychotherapeutic possibilities in complex chronic tinnitus].

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    Goebel, G; Keeser, W; Fichter, M; Rief, W

    1991-01-01

    "Complex tinnitus" is a diagnostic term denoting a disturbance pattern where the patient hears highly annoying and painful noises or sounds that do not originate from a recognisable external source and can be described only by the patient himself. It seems that the suffering mainly depends upon the extent to which the tinnitus is experienced as a phenomenon that is beyond control. Part I reports on an examination of the treatment success achieved with 28 consecutive patients who had been treated according to an integrative multimodal behavioural medicine concept. This resulted--despite continual loudness--in a decrease in the degree of unpleasantness of the tinnitus, by 17% (p less than 0.01) with corresponding normalisation of decisive symptom factors in Hopkins-Symptom-Check-List (SCL-90-R) and Freiburg Personality-Inventary (FPI-R). On the whole, 19 out of the total of 28 patients showed essential to marked improvement of the disturbance pattern. Part II presents a multidimensional tinnitus model and the essential psychotherapeutic focal points of a multimodal psychotherapy concept in complex chronic tinnitus, as well as the parallel phenomena in the chronic pain syndrome.

  20. Meeting the expectations of chronic tinnitus patients: comparison of a structured group therapy program for tinnitus management with a problem-solving group.

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    Wise, K; Rief, W; Goebel, G

    1998-06-01

    Two different group treatments were evaluated in 144 in-patients suffering from impairment due to chronic tinnitus. A tinnitus management therapy (TMT) was developed using principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy and compared with problem solving group therapy. Self-ratings were used to evaluate the help patients found in dealing with life problems and tinnitus as well as the degree to which they felt they were being properly treated and taken seriously. Patients showed significantly more satisfaction with the TMT group and evaluated the help they found in coping with tinnitus and life problems significantly higher. Thus, in the light of unsatisfactory medical solutions and the poor acceptance of some psychological treatments for tinnitus, TMT appears to be an acceptable and helpful treatment program.

  1. Acoustic Coordinated Reset Neuromodulation in a Real Life Patient Population with Chronic Tonal Tinnitus

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    Hauptmann, Christian; Ströbel, Armin; Williams, Mark; Patel, Nitesh; Wurzer, Hannes; von Stackelberg, Tatjana; Brinkmann, Uwe; Langguth, Berthold; Tass, Peter A.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose. Primary tinnitus has a severe negative influence on the quality of life of a significant portion of the general population. Acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation is designed to induce a long-lasting reduction of tinnitus symptoms. To test acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation as a treatment for chronic, tonal tinnitus under real life conditions, an outpatient study “RESET Real Life” was commissioned by ANM GmbH. Herein we present the results of this study. Methods. In a prospective, open-label, nonrandomized, noncontrolled multicenter clinical study with 200 chronic tinnitus patients, tinnitus questionnaire TBF-12 and Global Clinical Improvement-Impression Scale (CGI-I7) are used to study the safety and efficacy of acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation. 189 patients completed the last 12-month visit, 11 patients dropped out (8 because of nontreatment related reasons; 2 because tinnitus did not change; and 1 because tinnitus got louder). Results. Acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation caused a statistically and clinically significant decrease in TBF-12 scores as well as in CGI-I7 after 12 months of therapy under real life conditions. There were no persistent adverse events reported that were related to the therapy. Conclusion. The field study “RESET Real Life” provides evidence for safety and efficacy of acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation in a prospective, open-label, real life setting. PMID:26568958

  2. Depressive stress disorder in tinnitus patient

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    Yesilkus, Nursel

    2013-01-01

    Psychiatric comorbidities have a negative influence on tinnitus development and processing. Research has shown a high prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with chronic Tinnitus. This work evaluates the depressive distress in Tinnitus outpatients. 500 patients suffering from tinnitus were examined on the first day of admission at the outpatient clinic of the Charité University Hospital in Berlin. Besides the assessment of audiometric data, the depression variables a...

  3. Do patient characteristics predict outcome in the outpatient treatment of chronic tinnitus?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kröner-Herwig, Birgit; Zachriat, Claudia; Weigand, Doreen

    2006-12-06

    Various patient characteristics were assessed before offering a treatment to reduce tinnitus related distress to 57 individuals suffering from chronic idiopathic tinnitus. Patients were randomly assigned to a cognitive-behavioral tinnitus coping training (TCT) and a habituation-based training (HT) modelled after Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) as conceived by Jastreboff. Both trainings were conducted in groups. It was hypothesized that comorbidity regarding mental disorders or psychopathological symptoms (DSM-IV diagnoses, SCL-90R score) and a high level of dysfunctional cognitions relating to tinnitus would have a negative effect on therapy outcome while both trainings proved to be highly efficacious for the average patient. Also further patient features (assessed at baseline) were explored as potential predictors of outcome. None of the hypotheses was corroborated by the data. On the contrary, a higher number of diagnoses was associated with better outcome (statistical trend) and a higher extent of annoyance and interference led to a larger positive change in patients if treated by TCT. No predictor could be identified for long-term success (follow-up ≥18 months) except regarding education. The higher the educational level, the larger was the improvement in HT patients. It is concluded that therapy outcome of TCT and HT can not reliably be predicted by patient characteristics and that early variables of the therapeutic process should be analysed as potentially predicting subsequent therapeutic outcome.

  4. Role of preoperative air-bone gap in tinnitus outcome after tympanoplasty for chronic otitis media with tinnitus.

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    Kim, Hong Chan; Jang, Chul Ho; Kim, Young Yoon; Seong, Jong Yuap; Kang, Sung Hoon; Cho, Yong Beom

    Previous reports indicated that middle ear surgery might partially improve tinnitus after surgery. However, until now, no influencing factor has been determined for tinnitus outcome after middle ear surgery. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between preoperative air-bone gap and tinnitus outcome after tympanoplasty type I. Seventy-five patients with tinnitus who had more than 6 months of symptoms of chronic otitis media on the ipsilateral side that were refractory to medical treatment were included in this study. All patients were evaluated through otoendoscopy, pure tone/speech audiometer, questionnaire survey using the visual analog scale and the tinnitus handicap inventory for tinnitus symptoms before and 6 months after tympanoplasty. The influence of preoperative bone conduction, preoperative air-bone-gap, and postoperative air-bone-gap on tinnitus outcome after the operation was investigated. The patients were divided into two groups based on preoperative bone conduction of less than 25dB (n=50) or more than 25dB (n=25). The postoperative improvement of tinnitus in both groups showed statistical significance. Patients whose preoperative air-bone-gap was less than 15dB showed no improvement in postoperative tinnitus using the visual analog scale (p=0.889) and the tinnitus handicap inventory (p=0.802). However, patients whose preoperative air-bone-gap was more than 15dB showed statistically significant improvement in postoperative tinnitus using the visual analog scale (ptinnitus handicap inventory (p=0.016). Postoperative change in tinnitus showed significance compared with preoperative tinnitus using visual analog scale (p=0.006). However, the correlation between reduction in the visual analog scale score and air-bone-gap (p=0.202) or between reduction in tinnitus handicap inventory score and air-bone-gap (p=0.290) was not significant. We suggest that the preoperative air-bone-gap can be a predictor of tinnitus outcome after

  5. Long-term evaluation of treatment of chronic, therapeutically refractory tinnitus by neurostimulation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Staal, M. J.; Holm, A. F.; Mooij, J. J. A.; Albers, F. W. J.; Bartels, H.

    2007-01-01

    Objective: Long-term evaluation of treatment of chronic, therapeutically refractory tinnitus by means of chronic electrical stimulation of the vestibulocochlear nerve. Patients: Inclusion criteria were severe, chronic, therapeutically refractory, unilateral tinnitus and severe hearing loss at the

  6. Somatoform disorders in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahin, Caner; Aras, Hatice İmer; Yilmaz, Mahmut Sinan

    2016-11-01

    This study aimed to investigate the correlation of psychiatric disorders with tinnitus and tinnitus handicap scores. A total of 30 patients and 30 otherwise healthy people were enrolled for the study. Somatoform disorder questionnaire SDQ-20 was filled in by both the study and the control group. Tinnitus handicap scores were filled in study group. Tinnitus handicap scores were 28.1 ± 19.8, and somatoform disorder questionnaire scores were 30.5 ± 7.3 in the tinnitus group. In the control group the somatoform disorder questionnaire scores were 25.4 ± 4.6. (1) We found a statistically significant difference between somatoform disorder questionnaire scores between groups (p tinnitus handicap scores and somatoform disorder questionnaire scores in study group (p = 0.0). The correlation between these tests was positively strong (R = 0.782). (3) There was no statistical difference between genders. We recommend investigating patients with long-lasting tinnitus for psychiatric comorbidity in relation to somatoform disorders in cooperation with psychiatric clinics.

  7. Work-Related Noise Exposure in a Cohort of Patients with Chronic Tinnitus: Analysis of Demographic and Audiological Characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ralli, Massimo; Balla, Maria Paola; Greco, Antonio; Altissimi, Giancarlo; Ricci, Pasquale; Turchetta, Rosaria; de Virgilio, Armando; de Vincentiis, Marco; Ricci, Serafino; Cianfrone, Giancarlo

    2017-09-08

    Work-related noise exposure is one of the major factors contributing to the development of adult-onset hearing loss and tinnitus. The aim of this study was to analyze, in patients with chronic tinnitus and long-term occupational noise exposure, (A) characteristics of hearing loss, tinnitus, comorbidities, demographic characteristics and a history of work-related noise exposure and (B) differences among individuals employed in occupations with high and low risk of developing work-related noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). One hundred thirty six patients with chronic tinnitus and at least a 10 year-long working history were divided into two groups based on the risk of their profession to induce NIHL. Individuals employed in jobs at high risk for NIHL were mostly males and exhibited a poorer hearing threshold, more evident in the left ear. Tinnitus was mostly bilateral; the next largest presentation was left-sided; patients described their tinnitus as buzzing or high-pitched. Correlation between age, length of tinnitus and worse hearing was found. Patients with a higher degree of hearing impairment were mostly males and were more likely to have a family history of hearing loss and at least one cardiovascular comorbidity. Our study shows some differences in individuals with tinnitus and a history of a profession associated with increased exposure to NIHL compared to those without such a history.

  8. Work-Related Noise Exposure in a Cohort of Patients with Chronic Tinnitus: Analysis of Demographic and Audiological Characteristics

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    Massimo Ralli

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Work-related noise exposure is one of the major factors contributing to the development of adult-onset hearing loss and tinnitus. The aim of this study was to analyze, in patients with chronic tinnitus and long-term occupational noise exposure, (A characteristics of hearing loss, tinnitus, comorbidities, demographic characteristics and a history of work-related noise exposure and (B differences among individuals employed in occupations with high and low risk of developing work-related noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL. One hundred thirty six patients with chronic tinnitus and at least a 10 year-long working history were divided into two groups based on the risk of their profession to induce NIHL. Individuals employed in jobs at high risk for NIHL were mostly males and exhibited a poorer hearing threshold, more evident in the left ear. Tinnitus was mostly bilateral; the next largest presentation was left-sided; patients described their tinnitus as buzzing or high-pitched. Correlation between age, length of tinnitus and worse hearing was found. Patients with a higher degree of hearing impairment were mostly males and were more likely to have a family history of hearing loss and at least one cardiovascular comorbidity. Our study shows some differences in individuals with tinnitus and a history of a profession associated with increased exposure to NIHL compared to those without such a history.

  9. Therapeutic role of Vitamin B12 in patients of chronic tinnitus: A pilot study

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    Charu Singh

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available True tinnitus is a phantom auditory perception arising from a source or trigger in the cochlea, brainstem, or at higher centers and has no detectable acoustic generator. The most accepted is the famous neurophysiologic model of Jastreboff, which stresses that tinnitus, is a subcortical perception and results from the processing of weak neural activity in the periphery. The aim of this study is to determine the role of Vitamin B12 in treatment of chronic tinnitus. In this randomized, double-blind pilot study, total 40 patients were enrolled, of which 20 in Group A (cases received intramuscular therapy of 1 ml Vitamin B12 (2500 mcg weekly for a period of 6 weeks and Group B (20 patients received placebo isotonic saline 01 ml intramuscular. The patients were subjected to Vitamin B12 assay and audiometry pre- and post-therapy. Of the total patients of tinnitus, 17 were Vitamin B12 deficient that is 42.5% showed deficiency when the normal levels were considered to be 250 pg/ml. A paired t-test showed that in Group A, patients with Vitamin B12 deficiency showed significant improvement in mean tinnitus severity index score and visual analog scale (VAS after Vitamin B12 therapy. This pilot study highlights the significant prevalence of Vitamin B12 deficiency in North Indian population and improvement in tinnitus severity scores and VAS in cobalamin-deficient patients receiving intramuscular Vitamin B12 weekly for 6 weeks further provides a link between cobalamin deficiency and tinnitus thereby suggestive of a therapeutic role of B12 in cobalamin-deficient patients of tinnitus.

  10. Therapeutic role of Vitamin B12 in patients of chronic tinnitus: A pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Charu; Kawatra, Rahul; Gupta, Jaya; Awasthi, Vishnu; Dungana, Homnath

    2016-01-01

    True tinnitus is a phantom auditory perception arising from a source or trigger in the cochlea, brainstem, or at higher centers and has no detectable acoustic generator. The most accepted is the famous neurophysiologic model of Jastreboff, which stresses that tinnitus, is a subcortical perception and results from the processing of weak neural activity in the periphery. The aim of this study is to determine the role of Vitamin B12 in treatment of chronic tinnitus. In this randomized, double-blind pilot study, total 40 patients were enrolled, of which 20 in Group A (cases) received intramuscular therapy of 1 ml Vitamin B12 (2500 mcg) weekly for a period of 6 weeks and Group B (20) patients received placebo isotonic saline 01 ml intramuscular. The patients were subjected to Vitamin B12 assay and audiometry pre- and post-therapy. Of the total patients of tinnitus, 17 were Vitamin B12 deficient that is 42.5% showed deficiency when the normal levels were considered to be 250 pg/ml. A paired t-test showed that in Group A, patients with Vitamin B12 deficiency showed significant improvement in mean tinnitus severity index score and visual analog scale (VAS) after Vitamin B12 therapy. This pilot study highlights the significant prevalence of Vitamin B12 deficiency in North Indian population and improvement in tinnitus severity scores and VAS in cobalamin-deficient patients receiving intramuscular Vitamin B12 weekly for 6 weeks further provides a link between cobalamin deficiency and tinnitus thereby suggestive of a therapeutic role of B12 in cobalamin-deficient patients of tinnitus.

  11. Analysis of mental disorders in tinnitus patients performed with Composite International Diagnostic Interview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zirke, N; Seydel, C; Arsoy, D; Klapp, B F; Haupt, H; Szczepek, A J; Olze, H; Goebel, G; Mazurek, B

    2013-10-01

    Known association between tinnitus and psychological distress prompted us to examine patients with chronic tinnitus by using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), which is a standardized and reliable method used for the diagnosis of mental disorders. One hundred patients with chronic tinnitus admitted to the Tinnitus Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, were included in this study. Data were collected between February 2008 and February 2009. Besides CIDI, the Tinnitus Questionnaire according to Goebel and Hiller, the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 were used. Using CIDI, we have identified one or more mental disorders in 46 tinnitus patients. In that group, we found persistent affective disorders (37 %), anxiety disorders (32 %), and somatoform disorders (27 %). Those patients who had affective or anxiety disorders were more distressed by tinnitus and were more anxious and more depressed than tinnitus patients without mental disorders. Psychological impairment positively correlated with tinnitus distress: Patients with decompensated tinnitus had significantly more affective and anxiety disorders than patients with compensated tinnitus. In the present study, we have detected a high rate (almost half of the cases) of psychological disorders occurring in patients with chronic tinnitus. The patients diagnosed with psychological disorders were predominantly affected by affective and anxiety disorders. Psychological disorders were associated with severity of tinnitus distress. Our findings imply a need for routine comprehensive screening of mental disorders in patients with chronic tinnitus.

  12. Abnormal resting-state cortical coupling in chronic tinnitus

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    Langguth Berthold

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Subjective tinnitus is characterized by an auditory phantom perception in the absence of any physical sound source. Consequently, in a quiet environment, tinnitus patients differ from control participants because they constantly perceive a sound whereas controls do not. We hypothesized that this difference is expressed by differential activation of distributed cortical networks. Results The analysis was based on a sample of 41 participants: 21 patients with chronic tinnitus and 20 healthy control participants. To investigate the architecture of these networks, we used phase locking analysis in the 1–90 Hz frequency range of a minute of resting-state MEG recording. We found: 1 For tinnitus patients: A significant decrease of inter-areal coupling in the alpha (9–12 Hz band and an increase of inter-areal coupling in the 48–54 Hz gamma frequency range relative to the control group. 2 For both groups: an inverse relationship (r = -.71 of the alpha and gamma network coupling. 3 A discrimination of 83% between the patient and the control group based on the alpha and gamma networks. 4 An effect of manifestation on the distribution of the gamma network: In patients with a tinnitus history of less than 4 years, the left temporal cortex was predominant in the gamma network whereas in patients with tinnitus duration of more than 4 years, the gamma network was more widely distributed including more frontal and parietal regions. Conclusion In the here presented data set we found strong support for an alteration of long-range coupling in tinnitus. Long-range coupling in the alpha frequency band was decreased for tinnitus patients while long-range gamma coupling was increased. These changes discriminate well between tinnitus and control participants. We propose a tinnitus model that integrates this finding in the current knowledge about tinnitus. Furthermore we discuss the impact of this finding to tinnitus therapies using Transcranial

  13. Long-term effects of the “Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy” in patients with chronic tinnitus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Argstatter, Heike; Grapp, Miriam; Hutter, Elisabeth; Plinkert, Peter; Bolay, Hans Volker

    2012-01-01

    Objective The “Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy for Chronic Tinnitus” is a manualized short term treatment (nine 50-minutes sessions of individualized therapy on five consecutive days). It has proven to be efficient in reducing tinnitus symptoms in the short run. Now the long-term impact of the treatment after up to 5.4 years should be explored. Materials and methods 206 patients who had attended the neuro-music therapy were addressed in a structured follow-up questionnaire survey. 107 complete questionnaires entered analysis. Follow-up time was 2.65 (SD 1.1) years. Results 76% of the patients achieved a reliable reduction in their tinnitus scores, the overall tinnitus distress as measured by the Mini-TQ diminished from 11.9 (SD = 4.9) to 7.4 (SD = 5.2) points, 87% of the patients were satisfied by the way they were treated during therapy, and 71% of the patients did not undergo any further treatment after. Evaluation of therapeutic elements displays, that only music therapy specific interventions were rated helpful by the patients. Tinnitus related factors (such as tinnitus pitch or loudness, time since onset) did not influence therapy outcome but female gender, positive therapeutic relationship, and higher initial Mini-TQ scores became apparent as factors predicting better chances for greater therapy success. Discussion The “Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy for Chronic Tinnitus” seems to be effective in the long run. The outcome effect size of d’ = 0.89, can be accounted for as “large” effect and falls into the upper range value compared to established treatments. PMID:22993646

  14. [Treatment of chronic tinnitus with neuronavigated repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleinjung, T; Steffens, T; Langguth, B; Eichhammer, P; Marienhagen, J; Hajak, G; Strutz, J

    2006-06-01

    Idiopathic tinnitus is a frequent and debilitating disorder of largely unknown pathophysiology. Focal brain activation in the auditory cortex has recently been demonstrated in chronic tinnitus. Low-frequency rTMS can reduce cortical hyperexcitability. In 12 patients with chronic tinnitus, fusion of [18F]deoxyglucose-PET and structural MRI (T1, MPRAGE) scans allowed the area of increased metabolic activity in the auditory cortex to be exactly identified; this area was selected as the target for rTMS. A neuronavigational system adapted for TMS positioning enabled the relative positions of the figure-8 coil and the target area to be monitored. Repetitive TMS (110% motor threshold; 1 Hz; 2000 stimuli per day over 5 days) was performed using a placebo-controlled crossover design. A sham coil system was used for the placebo stimulation. Treatment outcome was assessed with a specific tinnitus questionnaire (Goebel and Hiller). In all 12 patients an asymmetrically increased metabolic activation of the gyrus of Heschl was detected. The tinnitus score was significantly improved after 5 days of active rTMS, an effect not seen after placebo stimulation. These preliminary results show that neuronavigated rTMS may improve our understanding and treatment of chronic tinnitus.

  15. Validation of Screening Questions for Hyperacusis in Chronic Tinnitus

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    Martin Schecklmann

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. We investigated the validity of the two hyperacusis items of the TSCHQ (Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire from the TRI (Tinnitus Research Initiative database by comparing them with the German hyperacusis questionnaire GÜF. Methods. We investigated the association of the GÜF with the TSCHQ screening questions for both the sum score and the single items with correlation, contrast, principal component, and discriminant analysis in a sample of 161 patients with chronic tinnitus. Results. TSCHQ items and the GÜF total score were significantly associated with a special focus on fear and pain related hyperacusis. Factor analysis of the GÜF revealed the three factors “fear and pain related hyperacusis,” “hearing related problems,” and “problems in quality of life.” A discriminant analysis showed a sensitivity of 64% and a specificity of 71% of the TSCHQ items for the establishment of tinnitus patient subgroups with and without hyperacusis. Discussion. Both hyperacusis TSCHQ items can serve as screening questions with respect to self-reported hyperacusis in chronic tinnitus with a specific focus on fear and pain related hyperacusis. However, the multiple dimensions of hyperacusis should be considered for diagnosis and treatment in both scientific and clinical contexts.

  16. Differences in the suppression of distortion product otoacoustic emissions by contralateral white noise between patients with acute or chronic tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riga, Maria; Komis, Agis; Marangoudakis, Pavlos; Naxakis, Stefanos; Ferekidis, Eleftherios; Kandiloros, Dimitrios; Danielides, Vasilios

    2017-08-01

    The mechanisms underlying the shift from acute tinnitus to chronic remain obscure. An association between tinnitus and medial olivocochlear bundle (MOCB) reflex dysfunction has been hypothesised by several studies. The differences between participants with acute and chronic tinnitus have not yet been investigated. Participants were examined with distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) suppression elicited by contralateral white noise. They were compared in terms of frequency regions with non-recordable DPOAEs, suppression amplitudes and the presence of DPOAE enhancement. Eighteen participants with acute tinnitus, 40 age-matched adults with chronic tinnitus and 17 controls were included. All participants (aged 34.7 ± 9.6years; mean ± Standard deviation) had normal hearing. Tinnitus was bilateral in 22 participants and unilateral in 36. Ears with chronic tinnitus presented significantly lower DPOAE suppression amplitudes than ears with acute tinnitus (p tinnitus ears present a high prevalence of enhancement, significantly different from controls (p tinnitus and control groups (p tinnitus becomes chronic, DPOAEs suppression presents changes that might reveal corresponding steps in tinnitus pathophysiology. Treatment implications are discussed.

  17. Long-term effect of hyperbaric oxygenation treatment on chronic distressing tinnitus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tan, J.; Tange, R. A.; Dreschler, W. A.; vd Kleij, A.; Tromp, E. C.

    1999-01-01

    Tinnitus is still a phenomenon with an unknown pathophysiology with few therapeutic measures. During the last two decades, hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBO) has been used in the treatment of sudden deafness and chronic distressing tinnitus. In this study, we prescribed HBO to 20 patients who had

  18. Frequency-Specific Alternations in the Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations in Chronic Tinnitus

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    Yu-Chen eChen

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus, a phantom ringing, buzzing or hissing sensation with potentially debilitating consequences, is thought to arise from aberrant spontaneous neural activity at one or more sites within the central nervous system; however, the location and specific features of these oscillations are poorly understood with respect to specific tinnitus features. Recent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI studies suggest that aberrant fluctuations in spontaneous low-frequency oscillations (LFO of the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD signal may be an important factor in chronic tinnitus; however, the role that frequency-specific components of LFO play in subjective tinnitus remains unclear. A total of 39 chronic tinnitus patients and 41 well-matched healthy controls participated in the resting-state fMRI scans. The LFO amplitudes were investigated using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF and fractional ALFF (fALFF in two different frequency bands (slow-4: 0.027-0.073 Hz and slow-5: 0.01-0.027 Hz. We observed significant differences between tinnitus patients and normal controls in ALFF/fALFF in the two bands (slow-4 and slow-5 in several brain regions including the superior frontal gyrus (SFG, inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, angular gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and middle occipital gyrus. Across the entire subject pool, significant differences in ALFF/fALFF between the two bands were found in the midbrain, basal ganglia, hippocampus and cerebellum (Slow 4>Slow 5, and in the middle frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus (Slow 5>Slow 4. We also observed significant interaction between frequency bands and patient groups in the orbitofrontal gyrus. Furthermore, tinnitus distress was positively correlated with the magnitude of ALFF in right SFG and the magnitude of fALFF slow-4 band in left SFG, whereas tinnitus duration was positively correlated with the magnitude of ALFF in

  19. Real-time fMRI feedback training may improve chronic tinnitus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haller, Sven [University Hospital Basel, Institute of Radiology, Department of Neuroradiology, Basel (Switzerland); Department of Imaging and Medical Informatics, Geneva University Hospital, Institute of Neuroradiology, Geneva (Switzerland); Birbaumer, Niels [University of Tuebingen, Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Tuebingen (Germany); Instituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Ospedale San Camillo, Venezia (Italy); Veit, Ralf [University of Tuebingen, Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Tuebingen (Germany)

    2010-03-15

    Tinnitus consists of a more or less constant aversive tone or noise and is associated with excess auditory activation. Transient distortion of this activation (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, rTMS) may improve tinnitus. Recently proposed operant training in real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) neurofeedback allows voluntary modification of specific circumscribed neuronal activations. Combining these observations, we investigated whether patients suffering from tinnitus can (1) learn to voluntarily reduce activation of the auditory system by rtfMRI neurofeedback and whether (2) successful learning improves tinnitus symptoms. Six participants with chronic tinnitus were included. First, location of the individual auditory cortex was determined in a standard fMRI auditory block-design localizer. Then, participants were trained to voluntarily reduce the auditory activation (rtfMRI) with visual biofeedback of the current auditory activation. Auditory activation significantly decreased after rtfMRI neurofeedback. This reduced the subjective tinnitus in two of six participants. These preliminary results suggest that tinnitus patients learn to voluntarily reduce spatially specific auditory activations by rtfMRI neurofeedback and that this may reduce tinnitus symptoms. Optimized training protocols (frequency, duration, etc.) may further improve the results. (orig.)

  20. Real-time fMRI feedback training may improve chronic tinnitus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haller, Sven; Birbaumer, Niels; Veit, Ralf

    2010-01-01

    Tinnitus consists of a more or less constant aversive tone or noise and is associated with excess auditory activation. Transient distortion of this activation (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, rTMS) may improve tinnitus. Recently proposed operant training in real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) neurofeedback allows voluntary modification of specific circumscribed neuronal activations. Combining these observations, we investigated whether patients suffering from tinnitus can (1) learn to voluntarily reduce activation of the auditory system by rtfMRI neurofeedback and whether (2) successful learning improves tinnitus symptoms. Six participants with chronic tinnitus were included. First, location of the individual auditory cortex was determined in a standard fMRI auditory block-design localizer. Then, participants were trained to voluntarily reduce the auditory activation (rtfMRI) with visual biofeedback of the current auditory activation. Auditory activation significantly decreased after rtfMRI neurofeedback. This reduced the subjective tinnitus in two of six participants. These preliminary results suggest that tinnitus patients learn to voluntarily reduce spatially specific auditory activations by rtfMRI neurofeedback and that this may reduce tinnitus symptoms. Optimized training protocols (frequency, duration, etc.) may further improve the results. (orig.)

  1. Brainstem auditory evoked response characteristics in normal-hearing subjects with chronic tinnitus and in non-tinnitus group

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    Shadman Nemati

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: While most of the people with tinnitus have some degrees of hearing impairment, a small percent of patients admitted to ear, nose and throat clinics or hearing evaluation centers are those who complain of tinnitus despite having normal hearing thresholds. This study was performed to better understanding of the reasons of probable causes of tinnitus and to investigate possible changes in the auditory brainstem function in normal-hearing patients with chronic tinnitus.Methods: In this comparative cross-sectional, descriptive and analytic study, 52 ears (26 with and 26 without tinnitus were examined. Components of the auditory brainstem response (ABR including wave latencies and wave amplitudes were determined in the two groups and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.Results: The mean differences between the absolute latencies of waves I, III and V was less than 0.1 ms between the two groups that was not statistically significant. Also, the interpeak latency values of waves I-III, III-V and I-V in both groups had no significant difference. Only, the V/I amplitude ratio in the tinnitus group was significantly higher (p=0.04.Conclusion: The changes observed in amplitude of waves, especially in the latter ones, can be considered as an indication of plastic changes in neuronal activity and its possible role in generation of tinnitus in normal-hearing patients.

  2. A multidisciplinary systematic review of the treatment for chronic idiopathic tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zenner, Hans-Peter; Delb, Wolfgang; Kröner-Herwig, Birgit; Jäger, Burkhard; Peroz, Ingrid; Hesse, Gerhard; Mazurek, Birgit; Goebel, Gerhard; Gerloff, Christian; Trollmann, Regina; Biesinger, Eberhard; Seidler, Harald; Langguth, Berthold

    2017-05-01

    The majority of tinnitus patients are affected by chronic idiopathic tinnitus, and almost 60 different treatment modalities have been reported. The present study is a multidisciplinary systematic analysis of the evidence for the different forms of treatment for chronic tinnitus. The results are used to form the basis of an S3 guideline. A systematic search was carried out in PubMed and the Cochrane Library. The basis for presenting the level of evidence was the evidence classification of the Oxford Centre of Evidence-based Medicine. Whenever available, randomised controlled trials were given preference for discussing therapeutic issues. All systematic reviews and meta-analyses were assessed for their methodological quality, and effect size was taken into account. As the need for patient counselling is self-evident, specific tinnitus counselling should be performed. Due to the high level of evidence, validated tinnitus-specific, cognitive behavioural therapy is strongly recommended. In addition, auditory therapeutic measures can be recommended for the treatment of concomitant hearing loss and comorbidities; those should also be treated with drugs whenever appropriate. In particular, depression should be treated, with pharmacological support if necessary. If needed, psychiatric treatment should also be given on a case-by-case basis. With simultaneous deafness or hearing loss bordering on deafness, a CI can also be indicated. For auditory therapeutic measures, transcranial magnetic or direct current stimulation and specific forms of acoustic stimulation (noiser/masker, retraining therapy, music, and coordinated reset) for the treatment of chronic tinnitus the currently available evidence is not yet sufficient for supporting their recommendation.

  3. Efficacy of Trimetazidine Dihydrochloride for Relieving Chronic Tinnitus: A Randomized Double-Blind Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumral, Tolgar Lütfi; Yıldırım, Güven; Berkiten, Güler; Saltürk, Ziya; Ataç, Enes; Atar, Yavuz; Uyar, Yavuz

    2016-01-01

    Objectives. To evaluate the efficacy of trimetazidine dihydrochloride as a treatment for chronic tinnitus. Methods. A total of 97 chronic tinnitus patients were evaluated in this randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. After assessing for eligibility, 82 patients were randomly assigned into placebo or trimetazidine groups according to the medication. The trimetazidine group received 20×3 mg/day per oral trimetazidine dihydrochloride and the placebo group received 20×3 mg/day per oral placebo for 3 months. Tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), visual analogue scale (VAS) questionnaires and audiometric results were used to determine the effectiveness of trimetazidine treatment. Results. The study group comprised 82 tinnitus subjects, 42 (51%) of whom received trimetazidine dihydrochloride and 40 (49%) who received placebo. There was no significant difference between placebo and trimetazidine groups in THI grade and VAS (both pre- and posttreatment scores) (P>0.05) and no significant improvement was observed in subjective loudness score in either group (P>0.05). Additionally there was no significant difference between groups in pre- and posttreatment pure tone hearing thresholds at all measured frequencies (P>0.05). Conclusion. Trimetazidine dihydrochloride therapy was ineffective for relieving chronic tinnitus. PMID:27230273

  4. Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) I/D and Alpha-Adducin (ADD1) G460W Gene Polymorphisms in Turkish Patients with Severe Chronic Tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuce, Salim; Sancakdar, Enver; Bağcı, Gokhan; Koc, Sema; Kurtulgan, Hande Kucuk; Bağcı, Binnur; Doğan, Mansur; Uysal, İsmail Onder

    2016-04-01

    Tinnitus is described as a disturbing sound sensation in the absence of external stimulation. We aimed to investigate whether there is any relationship between severe chronic tinnitus and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) I/D and α-adducin (ADD1) G460W gene polymorphisms. The patient group and control group consisted of 89 and 104 individuals, respectively. The evaluation of tinnitus was performed using the Strukturiertes Tinnitus-Interview (STI). The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) was used to evaluate the tinnitus severity. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) techniques were used for genotyping. With regard to the ACE I/D polymorphism, there was no significant difference in genotype and allele frequencies between the patient group and control group. However, a statistically significant difference was found in genotype (pgene polymorphism. Combined genotype analysis showed that the ACE II /ADD1 GW genotype was statistically significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group (X2: 7.15, p=0.007). The odds ratio value of the GW genotype was 2.5 (95% CI=1.4-4.7) (pgene polymorphism and susceptibility to severe chronic tinnitus. It was found that the GW genotype increased the disease risk by 2.5-fold compared with other genotypes. This indicates that ADD1 G460W polymorphism could be an important factor in the pathophysiology of tinnitus.

  5. Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy for chronic-tonal tinnitus - treatment outline and psychometric evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Argstatter, Heike; Grapp, Miriam; Plinkert, Peter K; Bolay, Hans Volker

    2012-01-01

    Musical training positively influences the cortical plasticity of the brain and has proven to be effective in treating chronic tinnitus. A neuro-music therapy concept, the "Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy" treatment was developed and evaluated. A prospective, cross-sectional design was used. N = 135 patients (mean age 47 years) with chronic, tonal tinnitus attended a standardized protocol for Neuro-Music Therapy (either "standard therapy" ST or "compact therapy" CT). The results were compared to a cognitive behavioral placebo music therapy procedure (PT). Tinnitus distress was assessed using the German version of the Tinnitus-Questionnaire (TQ) at admission, at discharge and six months after therapy. Changes were assessed statistically and by means of clinical significance. TQ scores significantly improved - independent of group allocation. But more than 80% of the music therapy patients (both ST and CT) revealed a reliable improvement ("responder") compared to 44% in the PT group. Therapy impact seems to be lasting since TQ scores remained stable until follow-up at six months. The "Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy" is a method with fast onset and long lasting effect for patients with "tonal" tinnitus. A number of potential working factors accounting for the treatment success are highlighted.

  6. [Tinnitus and psychiatric comorbidities].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goebel, G

    2015-04-01

    Tinnitus is an auditory phantom phenomenon characterized by the sensation of sounds without objectively identifiable sound sources. To date, its causes are not well understood. The perceived severity of tinnitus correlates more closely to psychological and general health factors than to audiometric parameters. Together with limbic structures in the ventral striatum, the prefrontal cortex forms an internal "noise cancelling system", which normally helps to block out unpleasant sounds, including the tinnitus signal. If this pathway is compromised, chronic tinnitus results. Patients with chronic tinnitus show increased functional connectivity in corticolimbic pathways. Psychiatric comorbidities are common in patients who seek help for tinnitus or hyperacusis. Clinicians need valid screening tools in order to identify patients with psychiatric disorders and to tailor treatment in a multidisciplinary setting.

  7. Design of a placebo-controlled, randomized study of the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of chronic tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landgrebe, Michael; Binder, Harald; Koller, Michael; Eberl, Yvonne; Kleinjung, Tobias; Eichhammer, Peter; Graf, Erika; Hajak, Goeran; Langguth, Berthold

    2008-04-15

    Chronic tinnitus is a frequent condition, which can have enormous impact on patient's life and which is very difficult to treat. Accumulating data indicate that chronic tinnitus is related to dysfunctional neuronal activity in the central nervous system. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive method which allows to focally modulate neuronal activity. An increasing amount of studies demonstrate reduction of tinnitus after repeated sessions of low-frequency rTMS and indicate that rTMS might represent a new promising approach for the treatment of tinnitus. However available studies have been mono-centric and are characterized by small sample sizes. Therefore, this multi-center trial will test the efficacy of rTMS treatment in a large sample of chronic tinnitus patients. This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind multi-center trial of two weeks 1 Hz rTMS-treatment in chronic tinnitus patients. Eligible patients will be randomized to either 2 weeks real or sham rTMS treatment. Main eligibility criteria: male or female individuals aged 18-70 years with chronic tinnitus (duration > 6 months), tinnitus-handicap-inventory-score > or = 38, age-adjusted normal sensorineural hearing (i.e. not more than 5 dB below the 10% percentile of the appropriate age and gender group (DIN EN ISO 7029), conductive hearing loss tinnitus severity according to the tinnitus questionnaire of Goebel and Hiller (baseline vs. end of treatment period). A total of 138 patients are needed to detect a clinical relevant change of tinnitus severity (i.e. 5 points on the questionnaire of Goebel and Hiller; alpha = 0.05; 1-beta = 0.80). Assuming a drop-out rate of less than 5% until the primary endpoint, 150 patients have to be randomized to guarantee the target number of 138 evaluable patients. The study will be conducted by otorhinolaryngologists and psychiatrists of 7 university hospitals and 1 municipal hospital in Germany. This study will provide important

  8. [Interdisciplinary management of chronic tinnitus (II)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosanowski, F; Hoppe, U; Köllner, V; Weber, A; Eysholdt, U

    2001-06-01

    Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sound in the absence of any appropriate external stimulation. It is a common, bothersome and hard-to-evaluate symptom and in most cases it cannot be objectified. Its incidence in Germany and the western world is about 10%. About 1-2% of the population are severely disturbed by tinnitus and it may disrupt everyday activities and sleep. Recent theoretical developments favour a neurophysiological approach as an explanation for tinnitus in addition to a psychoacoustic model based on peripheral lesion in the cochlea or auditory nerve. In the neurophysiological model, the processing of the tinnitus signal plays a dominant role in its detection, perception and evaluation. Therefore, attention and other psychological factors become important in the understanding and treatment of tinnitus. Many treatments of chronic tinnitus have been proposed and implemented. Today, cognitive-behavioural treatment is regarded as an important part of an integrative therapy which may be compiled of counselling, relaxation therapy, instrumental (hearing aid, tinnitus masker, tinnitus instrument, tinnitus noiser) and pharmacological tools (lidocaine, neurotransmitters). In well-controlled studies the empirical support for other therapeutical approaches such as acupuncture is weak. This work gives a review of the current knowledge of the etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, the interdisciplinary diagnostic approach and treatment of tinnitus and especially focuses on insurance and medico-legal aspects.

  9. Tinnitus with temporomandibular joint disorders: a specific entity of tinnitus patients?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vielsmeier, Veronika; Kleinjung, Tobias; Strutz, Jürgen; Bürgers, Ralf; Kreuzer, Peter Michael; Langguth, Berthold

    2011-11-01

    Tinnitus is frequently associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. However, the nature of the relationship is not fully understood. Here the authors compared 30 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of temporomandibular joint dysfunction and tinnitus to a group of 61 patients with tinnitus but without any subjective complaints of TMJ dysfunction with respect to clinical and demographic characteristics. Case-control study. Tertiary referral center. Tinnitus patients with and without TMJ dysfunction presenting at the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and th: Tinnitus Clinic at the University of Regensburg. Tinnitus patients with TMJ disorder had better hearing function (P neck movements (P = .001). Classical risk factors for tinnitus (age, male gender, hearing loss) are less relevant in tinnitus patients with TMJ disorder, suggesting a causal role of TMJ pathology in the generation and maintenance of tinnitus. Based on this finding, treatment of TMJ disorder may represent a causally oriented treatment strategy for tinnitus.

  10. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation induces oscillatory power changes in chronic tinnitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin eSchecklmann

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Chronic tinnitus is associated with neuroplastic changes in auditory and non-auditory cortical areas. About ten years ago, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS of auditory and prefrontal cortex was introduced as potential treatment for tinnitus. The resulting changes in tinnitus loudness are interpreted in the context of rTMS induced activity changes (neuroplasticity. Here, we investigate the effect of single rTMS sessions on oscillatory power to probe the capacity of rTMS to interfere with tinnitus-specific cortical plasticity. We measured 20 patients with bilateral chronic tinnitus and 20 healthy controls comparable for age, sex, handedness, and hearing level with a 63-channel EEG system. Educational level, intelligence, depressivity and hyperacusis were controlled for by analysis of covariance. Different rTMS protocols were tested: Left and right temporal and left and right prefrontal cortices were each stimulated with 200 pulses at 1Hz and with an intensity of 60% stimulator output. Stimulation of central parietal cortex with 6-fold reduced intensity (inverted passive-cooled coil served as sham condition. Before and after each rTMS protocol five minutes of resting state EEG were recorded. The order of rTMS protocols was randomized over two sessions with one week interval in between.Analyses on electrode level showed that people with and without tinnitus differed in their response to left temporal and right frontal stimulation. In tinnitus patients left temporal rTMS decreased frontal theta and delta and increased beta2 power, whereas right frontal rTMS decreased right temporal beta3 and gamma power. No changes or increases were observed in the control group. Only non-systematic changes in tinnitus loudness were induced by single sessions of rTMS.This is the first study to show tinnitus-related alterations of neuroplasticity that were specific to stimulation site and oscillatory frequency. The observed effects can be interpreted

  11. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation induces oscillatory power changes in chronic tinnitus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schecklmann, Martin; Lehner, Astrid; Gollmitzer, Judith; Schmidt, Eldrid; Schlee, Winfried; Langguth, Berthold

    2015-01-01

    Chronic tinnitus is associated with neuroplastic changes in auditory and non-auditory cortical areas. About 10 years ago, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of auditory and prefrontal cortex was introduced as potential treatment for tinnitus. The resulting changes in tinnitus loudness are interpreted in the context of rTMS induced activity changes (neuroplasticity). Here, we investigate the effect of single rTMS sessions on oscillatory power to probe the capacity of rTMS to interfere with tinnitus-specific cortical plasticity. We measured 20 patients with bilateral chronic tinnitus and 20 healthy controls comparable for age, sex, handedness, and hearing level with a 63-channel electroencephalography (EEG) system. Educational level, intelligence, depressivity and hyperacusis were controlled for by analysis of covariance. Different rTMS protocols were tested: Left and right temporal and left and right prefrontal cortices were each stimulated with 200 pulses at 1 Hz and with an intensity of 60% stimulator output. Stimulation of central parietal cortex with 6-fold reduced intensity (inverted passive-cooled coil) served as sham condition. Before and after each rTMS protocol 5 min of resting state EEG were recorded. The order of rTMS protocols was randomized over two sessions with 1 week interval in between. Analyses on electrode level showed that people with and without tinnitus differed in their response to left temporal and right frontal stimulation. In tinnitus patients left temporal rTMS decreased frontal theta and delta and increased beta2 power, whereas right frontal rTMS decreased right temporal beta3 and gamma power. No changes or increases were observed in the control group. Only non-systematic changes in tinnitus loudness were induced by single sessions of rTMS. This is the first study to show tinnitus-related alterations of neuroplasticity that were specific to stimulation site and oscillatory frequency. The observed effects can be

  12. Impact of reduction of tinnitus intensity on patients' quality of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drexler, Daniel; López-Paullier, Matías; Rodio, Silvana; González, Manuela; Geisinger, Darío; Pedemonte, Marisa

    2016-01-01

    Assess the impact of a reduction of tinnitus intensity achieved through sound stimulation during sleep on the improvement in the patients' quality of life. 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. Twelve patients with subjective idiopathic chronic tinnitus were studied. 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%). 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.

  13. Personality of the tinnitus patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    House, P R

    1981-01-01

    Personality and coping mechanisms are related to patients' perceptions of their tinnitus. Although the occurrence of tinnitus is not unusual, its nature varies from infrequent, barely noticeable sound to an unrelenting, absorbing disturbance of critical significance. Tinnitus is a subjective complaint: the same level of tinnitus may be described by one patient as intolerable and by another as barely noticeable. Stress is intricately related to tinnitus: persons with severe tinnitus experience excessive stress. This has debilitating effects on their defences and coping can become very difficult. Patients may demonstrate a cluster of hysterical defences or a serious degree of depression. Many tinnitus patients focus on their problem, objectifying it and thus intensifying the disturbance. Most tinnitus patients can be helped by psychological intervention. A small percentage of tinnitus patients can be classified as disturbed, with borderline personalities. These patients are usually not suitable for therapy or biofeedback training. Tinnitus can be stress-related disorder. As a person is faced with conflict, physiological changes occur as a result of the "fight or flight" reaction. This state of stress can be responsible for the onset or exacerbation of a tinnitus episode. Treatment by management of stress can be successful, promoting relief through a shift of focus, repose from a state of tension, and support of constructive defences.

  14. [Current aspects of tinnitus and depression].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kratzsch, V; Goebel, G

    2018-03-01

    Health authorities underestimate the negative influence of emotional factors such as depression, anxiety disorders, or somatoform disorders in the development of tinnitus and their contribution to a poor prognosis. This can lead to underestimation of the impairment suffered by tinnitus patients and, consequently, a possibly incorrect treatment approach or belated initiation of therapy. Mental disorders play a large role in the S3AWMF "Tinnitus" guidelines. Thus, the somatic and psychiatric approaches for treatment of chronic tinnitus patients are combined. Starting with taking chronic tinnitus patients' case history, special attention should be paid to comorbid mental disorders.

  15. Illness representations as mediators of the relationship between dispositional optimism and depression in patients with chronic tinnitus: A cross-sectional study.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vollmann, Manja; Scharloo, Margreet; Langguth, Berthold; Kalkouskaya, Natallia; Salewski, Christel

    2014-01-01

    Objective: Both dispositional optimism and illness representations are related to psychological health in chronic patients. In a group of chronic tinnitus sufferers, the interplay between these two variables was examined. Specifically, it was tested to what extent the relationship between

  16. Neurophysiological approach to tinnitus patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastreboff, P J; Gray, W C; Gold, S L

    1996-03-01

    The principal postulate of the neurophysiological model of tinnitus is that all levels of the auditory pathways and several nonauditory systems play essential roles in each case of tinnitus, stressing the dominance of nonauditory systems in determining the level of tinnitus annoyance. Thus it has been proposed to treat tinnitus by inducing and facilitating habituation to the tinnitus signal. The goal is to reach the stage at which, although patients may perceive tinnitus as unchanged when they focus on it, they are otherwise not aware of tinnitus. Furthermore, even when perceived, tinnitus does not evoke annoyance. Habituation is achieved by directive counseling combined with low-level, broad-band noise generated by wearable generators, and environmental sounds, according to a specific protocol. For habituation to occur, it is imperative to avoid masking tinnitus by these sounds. Since 1991, > 500 tinnitus patients have been seen in our center. About 40% exhibited hyperacusis to varying degrees. A survey of > 100 patients revealed > 80% of significant improvement in groups of patients treated with the full protocol involving counseling and the use of noise generators. Notably, in patients who received counseling only, the success rate was < 20%. The improvement in hyperacusis was observed in approximately 90% of treated patients.

  17. [New aspects of complex chronic tinnitus. I: Assessment of a multi-modality behavioral medicine treatment concept].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goebel, G; Keeser, W; Fichter, M; Rief, W

    1991-01-01

    "Complex tinnitus" is a diagnostic term denoting a disturbance pattern where the patient hears highly annoying and painful noises or sounds that do not originate from a recognisable external source and can be described only by the patient himself. It seems that the suffering mainly depends upon the extent to which the tinnitus is experienced as a phenomenon that is beyond control. Part I reports on an examination of the treatment success achieved with 28 consecutive patients who had been treated according to an integrative multimodal behavioural medicine concept. This resulted--despite continual loudness--in a decrease in the degree of unpleasantness of the tinnitus, by 17% (p less than 0.01) with corresponding normalisation of decisive symptom factors in Hopkins Symptom-Check-List (SCL-90-R) and Freiburg Personality-Inventary (FPI-R). On the whole, 19 out of the total of 28 patients showed essential to marked improvement of the disturbance pattern. Part II presents a multidimensional tinnitus model and the essential psychotherapeutic focal points of a multimodal psychotherapy concept in complex chronic tinnitus, as well as the parallel phenomena in the chronic pain syndrome.

  18. Some psychological aspects of tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reiss, M; Reiss, G

    1999-06-01

    Tinnitus rarely can be cured. The patient, however, needs help to avoid countless ineffective treatments and considerable cost. The clinical examination of patients with severe and chronic tinnitus must include associated psychological disturbances. After all medical and audiological treatments have failed, tinnitus patients often are advised to "learn to live with it." The aim of psychosocial treatment is assisting patients in the identification of aggravating factors in tinnitus and teaching them various coping skills.

  19. [Preliminary analysis of the effects of tailor-made notched music therapy on chronic idiopathic tinnitus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, R R; Diao, M F; Tian, F J; Sun, J J; Lin, X

    2017-05-07

    Objective: Tailor-made notched music was applied to alleviate the symptoms of chronic idiopathic tinnitus and compared its effectiveness with other existing sound treatment of tinnitus. Methods: Subjects ( n =43; ears=75 )were recruited during June 2015 to October 2016 from the out-patients of our hospital. These patients had chronic (longer than 6months) and idiopathic tinnitus, with or without significant sensorineural hearing loss. In the prospective design, the patients were randomly divided into group A (treated with tailor-made notched music) and group B (treated with analogous sound masking), and received the treatment for 3 months. The tinnitus scale, tinnitus questionnaire and audiological findings were evaluated before treatment, and at one month and three months after treatment started. Results: After onemonth of treatment, the effective rate between the two groups was 40.9% and 42.9%, there was no significant difference between the two groups (χ(2)= 0.017, P =0.897). The average VAS for patients in group A showed more decrease in group A than in group B(VAS: 1.8 vs . 0.8, the percentage : 29.5% vs . 13.6%), but there was no significant difference between the two groups ( t =-1.450, P =0.155). After 3 months of treatment, the effective rates were 68.2% and 23.8%, respectively. There was significant difference between the two groups (χ(2)= 8.503, P =0.004). The difference of the VAS scores between the two groups was statistically significant ( t =-3.263, P =0.002), and the VAS score of group A was less.After 3 months of treatment, there was significant decreaseinthe average tinnitus loudness for patients in group A( t =5.569, P tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) ( F =7.334, P tinnitus(χ(2)=11.289, P 0.05). Conclusions: Our resultssuggest that long-term normalized listening to tailor-made notched music, can significantly reduce the perceived tinnitus loudness in varying degrees and improve the quality of life of patients. The effects and possible

  20. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy as a Treatment for Chronic Tinnitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenna, Laurence; Marks, Elizabeth M; Hallsworth, Christopher A; Schaette, Roland

    2017-01-01

    Tinnitus is experienced by up to 15% of the population and can lead to significant disability and distress. There is rarely a medical or surgical target and psychological therapies are recommended. We investigated whether mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) could offer an effective new therapy for tinnitus. This single-site randomized controlled trial compared MBCT to intensive relaxation training (RT) for chronic, distressing tinnitus in adults. Both treatments involved 8 weekly, 120-min sessions focused on either relaxation (RT) or mindfulness meditation (MBCT). Assessments were completed at baseline and at treatment commencement 8 weeks later. The primary outcomes were tinnitus severity (Tinnitus Questionnaire) and psychological distress (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Non-Risk, CORE-NR), 16 weeks after baseline. The analysis utilized a modified intention-to-treat approach. A total of 75 patients were randomly allocated to MBCT (n = 39) or RT (n = 36). Both groups showed significant reductions in tinnitus severity and loudness, psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and disability. MBCT led to a significantly greater reduction in tinnitus severity than RT, with a mean difference of 6.3 (95% CI 1.3-11.4, p = 0.016). Effects persisted 6 months later, with a mean difference of 7.2 (95% CI 2.1-2.3, p = 0.006) and a standardized effect size of 0.56 (95% CI 0.16-0.96). Treatment was effective regardless of initial tinnitus severity, duration, or hearing loss. MBCT is effective in reducing tinnitus severity in chronic tinnitus patients compared to intensive RT. It also reduces psychological distress and disability. Future studies should explore the generalizability of this approach and how outcome relates to different aspects of the intervention. © 2017 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

  1. Effectiveness of sound therapy in patients with tinnitus resistant to previous treatments: importance of adjustments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flavia Alencar de Barros Suzuki

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: The difficulty in choosing the appropriate therapy for chronic tinnitus relates to the variable impact on the quality of life of affected patients and, thus, requires individualization of treatment. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of using sound generators with individual adjustments to relieve tinnitus in patients unresponsive to previous treatments. METHODS: A prospective study of 10 patients with chronic tinnitus who were unresponsive to previous drug treatments, five males and five females, with ages ranging from 41 to 78 years. Bilateral sound generators (Reach 62 or Mind 9 models were used daily for at least 6 h during 18 months. The patients were evaluated at the beginning, after 1 month and at each 3 months until 18 months through acuphenometry, minimum masking level, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, visual analog scale, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The sound generators were adjusted at each visit. RESULTS: There was a reduction of Tinnitus Handicap Inventory in nine patients using a protocol with a customized approach, independent of psychoacoustic characteristics of tinnitus. The best response to treatment occurred in those with whistle-type tinnitus. A correlation among the adjustments and tinnitus loudness and minimum masking level was found. Only one patient, who had indication of depression by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, did not respond to sound therapy. CONCLUSION: There was improvement in quality of life (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, with good response to sound therapy using customized settings in patients who did not respond to previous treatments for tinnitus.

  2. A psychometric study of complaints in chronic tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiller, W; Goebel, G

    1992-05-01

    Dimensions of psychological complaints due to chronic and disabling tinnitus were investigated by means of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), administered to a sample of 138 tinnitus sufferers who had been admitted to a psychosomatic hospital. Factor analysis revealed that tinnitus-related patterns of emotional and cognitive distress, intrusiveness, auditory perceptual difficulties, sleep disturbances, and somatic complaints can be differentiated. Cognitive distortions and inappropriate attitudes towards the tinnitus and it's personal consequences were found to be highly intercorrelated forming a subgroup within a broader and more general distress factor. The stability of the factor solution obtained was examined by systematically varying the number of factors to be extracted. Based on the results of this method, scales are proposed for the questionnaire which can be used in clinical and scientific work to specifically assess major areas of tinnitus-related distress and their degree of severity. Implications for a further evaluation of the instrument are discussed.

  3. Tinnitus: distinguishing between subjectively perceived loudness and tinnitus-related distress.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisabeth Wallhäusser-Franke

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Overall success of current tinnitus therapies is low, which may be due to the heterogeneity of tinnitus patients. Therefore, subclassification of tinnitus patients is expected to improve therapeutic allocation, which, in turn, is hoped to improve therapeutic success for the individual patient. The present study aims to define factors that differentially influence subjectively perceived tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related distress. METHODS: In a questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey, the data of 4705 individuals with tinnitus were analyzed. The self-report questionnaire contained items about subjective tinnitus loudness, type of onset, awareness and localization of the tinnitus, hearing impairment, chronic comorbidities, sleep quality, and psychometrically validated questionnaires addressing tinnitus-related distress, depressivity, anxiety, and somatic symptom severity. In a binary step-wise logistic regression model, we tested the predictive power of these variables on subjective tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related distress. RESULTS: The present data contribute to the distinction between subjective tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related distress. Whereas subjective loudness was associated with permanent awareness and binaural localization of the tinnitus, tinnitus-related distress was associated with depressivity, anxiety, and somatic symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: Subjective tinnitus loudness and the potential presence of severe depressivity, anxiety, and somatic symptom severity should be assessed separately from tinnitus-related distress. If loud tinnitus is the major complaint together with mild or moderate tinnitus-related distress, therapies should focus on auditory perception. If levels of depressivity, anxiety or somatic symptom severity are severe, therapies and further diagnosis should focus on these symptoms at first.

  4. Tinnitus: Distinguishing between Subjectively Perceived Loudness and Tinnitus-Related Distress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallhäusser-Franke, Elisabeth; Brade, Joachim; Balkenhol, Tobias; D'Amelio, Roberto; Seegmüller, Andrea; Delb, Wolfgang

    2012-01-01

    Objectives Overall success of current tinnitus therapies is low, which may be due to the heterogeneity of tinnitus patients. Therefore, subclassification of tinnitus patients is expected to improve therapeutic allocation, which, in turn, is hoped to improve therapeutic success for the individual patient. The present study aims to define factors that differentially influence subjectively perceived tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related distress. Methods In a questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey, the data of 4705 individuals with tinnitus were analyzed. The self-report questionnaire contained items about subjective tinnitus loudness, type of onset, awareness and localization of the tinnitus, hearing impairment, chronic comorbidities, sleep quality, and psychometrically validated questionnaires addressing tinnitus-related distress, depressivity, anxiety, and somatic symptom severity. In a binary step-wise logistic regression model, we tested the predictive power of these variables on subjective tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related distress. Results The present data contribute to the distinction between subjective tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related distress. Whereas subjective loudness was associated with permanent awareness and binaural localization of the tinnitus, tinnitus-related distress was associated with depressivity, anxiety, and somatic symptom severity. Conclusions Subjective tinnitus loudness and the potential presence of severe depressivity, anxiety, and somatic symptom severity should be assessed separately from tinnitus-related distress. If loud tinnitus is the major complaint together with mild or moderate tinnitus-related distress, therapies should focus on auditory perception. If levels of depressivity, anxiety or somatic symptom severity are severe, therapies and further diagnosis should focus on these symptoms at first. PMID:22529921

  5. Neuronal correlates of maladaptive coping: an EEG-study in tinnitus patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sven Vanneste

    Full Text Available Here we aimed to investigate the neuronal correlates of different coping styles in patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. Adaptive and maladaptive coping styles were determined in 85 tinnitus patients. Based on resting state EEG recordings, coping related differences in brain activity and connectivity were found. Maladaptive coping behavior was related to increases in subjective tinnitus loudness and distress, higher tinnitus severity and higher depression scores. EEG recordings demonstrated increased alpha activity over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC as well as increased connectivity in the default (i.e. resting state network in tinnitus patients with a maladaptive coping style. Correlation analysis revealed that the changes in the DLPFC correlate primarily with maladaptive coping behavior, whereas the changes in the sgACC correlate with tinnitus severity and depression. Our findings are in line with previous research in the field of depression that during resting state a alpha band hyperconnectivity exists within the default network for patients who use a maladaptive coping style, with the sgACC as the dysfunctional node and that the strength of the connectivity is related to focusing on negative mood and catastrophizing about the consequences of tinnitus.

  6. Tinnitus Patient Navigator

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Cure About Us Initiatives News & Events Professional Resources Tinnitus Patient Navigator Want to get started on the ... unique and may require a different treatment workflow. Tinnitus Health-Care Providers If you, or someone you ...

  7. Assessing audiological, pathophysiological, and psychological variables in chronic tinnitus: a study of reliability and search for prognostic factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiller, W; Goebel, G

    1999-01-01

    The development and course of chronic tinnitus are determined by both biological and psychological factors. To combine these different sources of data, we developed a standardized interview to assess tinnitus history, summarize audiological findings, screen for etiological conditions, and explore tinnitus-related psychological complaints (Structured Tinnitus Interview). The results of a test-retest study with 65 tinnitus inpatients show that most of these components can be assessed with acceptable or high reliability. Further data based on 166 patients demonstrate that tinnitus annoyance was to some extent different from patterns of general psychological complaints, although there were medium intercorrelations with depression. Significant predictors of tinnitus annoyance were (a) continuous tinnitus without intervals, (b) hearing loss, (c) increasing tinnitus loudness over time, (d) poor maskability, (e) history of sudden hearing loss, and (f) associated craniomandibular disorder. Psychological distress was not significantly increased in patients whose tinnitus was associated to vascular disorder, cervical spine dysfunction, acoustic trauma, Menihre's disease, or neurological disorder.

  8. Right-Ear Advantage for Speech-in-Noise Recognition in Patients with Nonlateralized Tinnitus and Normal Hearing Sensitivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai, Yihsin; Husain, Fatima T

    2018-04-01

    Despite having normal hearing sensitivity, patients with chronic tinnitus may experience more difficulty recognizing speech in adverse listening conditions as compared to controls. However, the association between the characteristics of tinnitus (severity and loudness) and speech recognition remains unclear. In this study, the Quick Speech-in-Noise test (QuickSIN) was conducted monaurally on 14 patients with bilateral tinnitus and 14 age- and hearing-matched adults to determine the relation between tinnitus characteristics and speech understanding. Further, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), tinnitus loudness magnitude estimation, and loudness matching were obtained to better characterize the perceptual and psychological aspects of tinnitus. The patients reported low THI scores, with most participants in the slight handicap category. Significant between-group differences in speech-in-noise performance were only found at the 5-dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) condition. The tinnitus group performed significantly worse in the left ear than in the right ear, even though bilateral tinnitus percept and symmetrical thresholds were reported in all patients. This between-ear difference is likely influenced by a right-ear advantage for speech sounds, as factors related to testing order and fatigue were ruled out. Additionally, significant correlations found between SNR loss in the left ear and tinnitus loudness matching suggest that perceptual factors related to tinnitus had an effect on speech-in-noise performance, pointing to a possible interaction between peripheral and cognitive factors in chronic tinnitus. Further studies, that take into account both hearing and cognitive abilities of patients, are needed to better parse out the effect of tinnitus in the absence of hearing impairment.

  9. Tinnitus sensitization: Sensory and psychophysiological aspects of a new pathway of acquired centralization of chronic tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zenner, Hans P; Pfister, Markus; Birbaumer, Niels

    2006-12-01

    Acquired centralized tinnitus (ACT) is the most frequent form of chronic tinnitus. The proposed ACT sensitization (ACTS) assumes a peripheral initiation of tinnitus whereby sensitizing signals from the auditory system establish new neuronal connections in the brain. Consequently, permanent neurophysiological malfunction within the information-processing modules results. Successful treatment has to target these malfunctioning information processing. We present in this study the neurophysiological and psychophysiological aspects of a recently suggested neurophysiological model, which may explain the symptoms caused by central cognitive tinnitus sensitization. Although conditioned reflexes, as a causal agent of chronic tinnitus, respond to extinction procedures, sensitization may initiate a vicious circle of overexcitation of the auditory system, resisting extinction and habituation. We used the literature database as indicated under "References" covering English and German works. For the ACTS model we extracted neurophysiological hypotheses of the auditory stimulus processing and the neuronal connections of the central auditory system with other brain regions to explain the malfunctions of auditory information processing. The model does not assume information-processing changes specific for tinnitus but treats the processing of tinnitus signals comparable with the processing of other external stimuli. The model uses the extensive knowledge available on sensitization of perception and memory processes and highlights the similarities of tinnitus with central neuropathic pain. Quality, validity, and comparability of the extracted data were evaluated by peer reviewing. Statistical techniques were not used. According to the tinnitus sensitization model, a tinnitus signal originates (as a type I-IV tinnitus) in the cochlea. In the brain, concerned with perception and cognition, the 1) conditioned associations, as postulated by the tinnitus model of Jastreboff, and the 2

  10. Cost of care for subjective tinnitus in relation to patient satisfaction.

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    Goldstein, Eric; Ho, Chuan-Xing; Hanna, Rania; Elinger, Clara; Yaremchuk, Kathleen L; Seidman, Michael D; Jesse, Michelle T

    2015-03-01

    A consistent management algorithm for subjective tinnitus remains to be elucidated. Chronic tinnitus yields approximately US$2110 in annual health care costs per patient. However, it is unclear whether spending more in the management of tinnitus equates with greater patient satisfaction. Thus, the aim of this study is to correlate patient satisfaction with patient demographics, provider recommendations, and total health care-related expenditures. A retrospective chart review and a patient satisfaction questionnaire. All data were collected from a large Midwestern hospital. Patients were included who presented to the tinnitus clinic during the year 2011 and were between the ages of 18 and 89 years. They were excluded with diagnoses of Ménière's disease, pulsatile tinnitus, acoustic neuromas, or autoimmune inner ear diseases. The retrospective data and satisfaction surveys were entered by 3 of the authors. Responses were based on Likert scales. Of the 692 patients included, 230 completed and returned the satisfaction questionnaire (33.2% response rate), yielding an overall mean of $662.60 charges. The frequency of intervention recommendations per patients ranged from 0 to 13, with a median of 4. Spearman's correlations did not result in significant correlations between patient satisfaction and number of clinic visits (P=.499) or associated charges (P=.453). Given that the variability among provider recommendations, the high overall mean of tinnitus-related charges, and patient satisfaction was not related to costs, further research is needed examining patient preference in the treatment of tinnitus. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.

  11. [Integrated intensive treatment of tinnitus: decrease of the tinnitus-related distress during a one-year follow-up study].

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    Mazurek, B; Seydel, C; Haupt, H; Szczepek, A; Klapp, B F; Schrom, T

    2009-01-01

    The therapy of the chronic tinnitus is aimed at improving the way patients cope with their tinnitus and at reducing the tinnitus-related distress. The present study investigated the changes of psychometric parameters that occurred in patients with chronic tinnitus after 7-days outpatient multidisciplinary therapy. The changes were monitored for up to 1 year in order to evaluate the long-term efficiency. Main emphasis of the intensive tinnitus therapy applied was placed on tinnitus habituation and on teaching the patients how to apply coping strategies. The main elements of the multimodal concept included progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson, physiotherapy, educative seminars, training of selective attention and, lastly, the change of judgment, attitude and behaviour towards tinnitus. Psychometric parameters and tinnitus-related distress were assessed prior to and after the therapy (at 3, 6 and 12 months) using the tinnitus questionnaire (TQ) according to Goebel and Hiller. Furthermore, subjects waiting for therapy (waiting list) were recruited to the control group and compared with the therapy group which had received therapy 3 months earlier. The therapy group showed a significant reduction of the TQ total score after 3 months as compared to the control group. Moreover, we observed a long-term, progressive positive outcome during the one-year follow-up. The TQ total score was reduced by 10.9 points. There was an obvious decrease of the emotional and cognitive distress as well as of the intrusiveness of tinnitus, as per evaluation of TQ subscales. The outpatient intensive multidisciplinary tinnitus therapy with long-term aftercare has proved to be an effective method in the treatment of patients with chronic tinnitus. The outpatient setting enables the instant implementation of strategies learned during therapy in the patients' everyday life.

  12. PSYCHOLOGICAL MORBIDITY IN PATIENTS WITH TINNITUS : A HOSPITAL BASED CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

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    Arti

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Tinnitus is not a disease but a symptom of hearing sound when no external sound is present. Studies have shown that some people, the sound causes anxiety or interferes with concentration, incr eased awareness of depression and personality disorders. To this purpose we evaluated the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in chronic tinnitus using MINI interview. METHODS: A sample of 53 male and female patients with tinnitus between the age of 13 and 50 years participated in the study. Patients with ear infections , disease of th e heart or blood vessels , Meniere's disease , brain tumors , exposure to certain medications, a previous head injury and earwax were excluded. The subjects so chosen, were explained the nature of the study. Da ta was collected from outpatient ENT Clinics regarding demographic and clinical profiles from these patients. Each subject was then administered Mini International Neuropsychaitric Interview (M.I.N.I RESULTS: More numbers of females were there than males and majority were in between 30 - 39 years. Both married and unmarried people were equally affected. Middle class and upper lower classes were most affected. The prevalence of psychiatric co morbidity in these tinnitus patients follows in descending order: M ajor depressive disorder>>Social Phobia > Suicide > Panic - disorder > Obsessive – compulsive – disorder > Agarophobia = Dysthymic - disorder=Generalized - anxiety. CONCLUSION : We observed that the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in chronic tinnitus patients were as follows in descending order Major - depressive - disorder >> Social - Phobia > Suicide > Pani c - disorder > Obsessive - compulsive – disorder > Agarophobia = Dysthymic disorder=Generalized - anxiety . Treatment of this psychiatric morbidity with medications and psychotherapy may likely reduce the severity of tinnitus in many of these patients.

  13. Comparison of tinnitus and psychological aspects between the younger and older adult patients with tinnitus.

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    Park, So Young; Han, Jung Ju; Hwang, Jae Hyung; Whang, Eul Sung; Yeo, Sang Won; Park, Shi Nae

    2017-04-01

    To explore the differences in various tinnitus-related features and psychological aspects between the younger and older adult patients with tinnitus. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of the adult patients who visited our tinnitus clinic in 2013 and completed full tinnitus assessment including audiometry, tinnitus matching, standardized tinnitus questionnaires, and psychometric questionnaires. The younger group included patients aged 20-45 years (n=64), and the older group, those older than 65 years (n=76). Clinical features, hearing levels, matched tinnitus pitches and loudness, self-report tinnitus severity scores, Beck depression inventory scores, and stress scores were compared between the groups. Tinnitus duration was longer in the older group (p=0.002). Mean PTAs were 16dB HL in the younger, and 38dB HL in the older groups (ptinnitus loudness was greater in the older group (64dB HL vs. 36dB HL, ptinnitus, depression, and stress scores did not differ between the groups. The older patients seemed to be more receptive to tinnitus. The majority of older tinnitus patients had concomitant hearing loss, and thus hearing rehabilitation should be considered preferentially for tinnitus management in this age group. Subjective tinnitus severity, depressive symptoms, and the stress levels were similar between the younger and older tinnitus patients. Therefore, treatment could be planned based upon the comprehensive understanding of the tinnitus characteristics and psychological aspects in each patient irrespective of age. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Tinnitus Patients with Comorbid Headaches: The Influence of Headache Type and Laterality on Tinnitus Characteristics

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    Berthold Langguth

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundBoth clinical experience and clinical studies suggest a relationship between tinnitus and headache. Here, we aimed to investigate the influence of comorbid headache type and headache laterality on tinnitus characteristics.MethodThe Tinnitus Research Initiative database was screened for patients of the Tinnitus Center of the University Regensburg who reported comorbid headaches. These patients were contacted to complete additional validated questionnaires. Based on these data, patients were categorized according to headache type and headache laterality, and their clinical characteristics were compared with tinnitus patients, who did not report comorbid headaches.ResultsData from 193 patients with tinnitus and comorbid headaches were compared with those from 765 tinnitus patients without comorbid headaches. Tinnitus patients with comorbid headache have higher scores in tinnitus questionnaires, a lower quality of life and more frequently comorbidities such as painful sensation to loud sounds, vertigo, pain (neck, temporomandibular, and general, and depressive symptoms when compared with tinnitus patients without headaches. Both headache laterality and headache type interact with the degree of comorbidity with higher impairment in patients with left-sided and bilateral headaches as well as in patients with migraine or cluster headache.ConclusionThe observed increased impairment in tinnitus patients with comorbid headache can be explained as an additive effect of both disorders on health-related quality of life. The more frequent occurrence of further comorbidities suggests a generally increased amplification of sensory signals in a subset of tinnitus patients with comorbid headaches.

  15. Evaluation of a compact tinnitus therapy by electrophysiological tinnitus decompensation measures.

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    Low, Yin Fen; Argstatter, Heike; Bolay, Hans Volker; Strauss, Daniel J

    2008-01-01

    Large-scale neural correlates of the tinnitus decompensation have been identified by using wavelet phase stability criteria of single sweep sequences of auditory late responses (ALRs). Our previous work showed that the synchronization stability in ALR sequences might be used for objective quantification of the tinnitus decompensation and attention which link to Jastreboff tinnitus model. In this study, we intend to provide an objective evaluation for quantifying the effect of music therapy in tinnitus patients. We examined neural correlates of the attentional mechanism in single sweep sequences of ALRs in chronic tinnitus patients who underwent compact therapy course by using the maximum entropy auditory paradigm. Results by our measure showed that the extent of differentiation between attended and unattended conditions improved significantly after the therapy. It is concluded that the wavelet phase synchronization stability of ALRs single sweeps can be used for the objective evaluation of tinnitus therapies, in this case the compact tinnitus music therapy.

  16. Learning tinnitus

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    van Hemmen, J. Leo

    Tinnitus, implying the perception of sound without the presence of any acoustical stimulus, is a chronic and serious problem for about 2% of the human population. In many cases, tinnitus is a pitch-like sensation associated with a hearing loss that confines the tinnitus frequency to an interval of the tonotopic axis. Even in patients with a normal audiogram the presence of tinnitus may be associated with damage of hair-cell function in this interval. It has been suggested that homeostatic regulation and, hence, increase of activity leads to the emergence of tinnitus. For patients with hearing loss, we present spike-timing-dependent Hebbian plasticity (STDP) in conjunction with homeostasis as a mechanism for ``learning'' tinnitus in a realistic neuronal network with tonotopically arranged synaptic excitation and inhibition. In so doing we use both dynamical scaling of the synaptic strengths and altering the resting potential of the cells. The corresponding simulations are robust to parameter changes. Understanding the mechanisms of tinnitus induction, such as here, may help improving therapy. Work done in collaboration with Julie Goulet and Michael Schneider. JLvH has been supported partially by BCCN - Munich.

  17. [The tinnitus questionnaire. A standard instrument for grading the degree of tinnitus. Results of a multicenter study with the tinnitus questionnaire].

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    Goebel, G; Hiller, W

    1994-03-01

    The clinical examination of patients with severe and chronic tinnitus must include associated psychological disturbances. The present paper describes traditional diagnostic methods of ENT practice as well as the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) which has been evaluated in a number of studies. This instrument differentiates between emotional and cognitive distress, auditory perceptual difficulties and self-experienced intrusiveness produced by the tinnitus. The results of a German multicenter study are presented which show that the TQ can be used to demonstrate differences of tinnitus distress under different clinical conditions (e.g., ENT clinic vs psychosomatic clinic and in- vs out-patient care). The TQ can be employed for comparative studies in different tinnitus-related institutions and for the evaluation of the relative effects of different treatment approaches.

  18. 15-year prospective follow-up study of behavioral therapy in a large sample of inpatients with chronic tinnitus.

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    Goebel, G; Kahl, M; Arnold, W; Fichter, M

    2006-12-01

    The results of this study are in accordance with the assumption that cognitive-oriented therapy enabling the patient to live with tinnitus is of primary importance to enhance quality of life. This study describes the success of an integrative behavioral-medicine inpatient treatment for complex chronic tinnitus and presents its long-term effects. In 1987 we developed and evaluated a new treatment concept of psychological treatment of complex chronic tinnitus based on international experience and results. To evaluate the influence, effects and individual results of the specific therapy we analyzed the data of 434 consecutively treated patients. To investigate the long-term effects of the treatment, we contacted the patients 15 years after discharge from the hospital. We used the tinnitus questionnaire (TQ) and visual analog scales (VAS) for specific tinnitus variables (loudness, discomfort, control of tinnitus, stress, general mood). The German version of the Derogatis psychopathology checklist (SCL-90-R) was used to analyze the impact of additional symptoms (depression, anxiety, introversion, etc.). Compared with a control group (patients on a waiting list) significant and clinically relevant effects were found. At the outcome, there were significant improvements in almost all parameters measured. For evaluation of the long-term effect we succeeded in contacting 312 of 434 former patients. Data were assessed using the same questionnaires that had been employed at the first contact. In all, 271 patients (86%) returned the questionnaires. Data for 244 cases (mean age 63 years; 79 females, 165 males) were complete enough to be used for data analysis. The results of the follow-up were as unexpected as clear: 15 years after conclusion of the treatment, the improvements of the tinnitus parameters and additional symptoms were stable when compared with the end of therapy.

  19. Investigation of Tinnitus Characteristics in 36 Patients with Subjective Tinnitus with Unknown Etiology

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    Mahdi Bakhshaee

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Tinnitus represents the perception of sound without an external stimulus. The prevalence of tinnitus ranges from 3% to 30%. In most cases its etiology is unknown. Tinnitus can be classified as pulsatile or nonpulsatile. Nonpulsatile form is the most common form and almost exclusively subjective in nature. There is a range of condition attributed to nonpulsatile high frequency tinnitus (acoustic neuroma, Meniere’s disease, ototoxic agents, and noise exposure, etc. There are many studies about form, site, loudness, and frequency of tinnitus and how it can affect the quality of patient life. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive and analytic study. Thirty-six patients (23 men and 13 women with mean age 53.1 year old with subjective tinnitus evaluated in Pezhvak audiometric clinic in Mashhad.The data consisting of age sex, loudness, frequency form and site of tinnitus. Evaluation of effects of tinnitus on the quality of life and habits was performed with a tinnitus questionnaire (TQ. Results: Tinnitus was unilateral in 64% of cases. The right site was more common. Mean pitch was 7.03 kHz and average loudness was 3.8 dB SPL. SDS was in normal range in all of patients. There was a high frequency sensory neural hearing loss (above the 4 kHz in most of the patients. The greatest score (60.3% of TQ related to intrusiveness aspect. Sleep disorder has the lowest score (39/3%. Global score was 52.4%. Conclusion: Nonpulsatile subjective tinnitus has a broad range of etiology with unknown mechanism in most cases and without any history of underlying disease in a large group of patients. This symptom mostly involves the patients` lifestyle that is intrusiveness aspect in comparison with the other aspects including sleep, hearing and somatic complaints. There is no cure for most patient and more studies are needed in the future.

  20. Short and intense tailor-made notched music training against tinnitus: the tinnitus frequency matters.

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    Henning Teismann

    Full Text Available Tinnitus is one of the most common diseases in industrialized countries. Here, we developed and evaluated a short-term (5 subsequent days and intensive (6 hours/day tailor-made notched music training (TMNMT for patients suffering from chronic, tonal tinnitus. We evaluated (i the TMNMT efficacy in terms of behavioral and magnetoencephalographic outcome measures for two matched patient groups with either low (≤8 kHz, N = 10 or high (>8 kHz, N = 10 tinnitus frequencies, and the (ii persistency of the TMNMT effects over the course of a four weeks post-training phase. The results indicated that the short-term intensive TMNMT took effect in patients with tinnitus frequencies ≤8 kHz: subjective tinnitus loudness, tinnitus-related distress, and tinnitus-related auditory cortex evoked activity were significantly reduced after TMNMT completion. However, in the patients with tinnitus frequencies >8 kHz, significant changes were not observed. Interpreted in their entirety, the results also indicated that the induced changes in auditory cortex evoked neuronal activity and tinnitus loudness were not persistent, encouraging the application of the TMNMT as a longer-term training. The findings are essential in guiding the intended transfer of this neuro-scientific treatment approach into routine clinical practice.

  1. Does stapes surgery improve tinnitus in patients with otosclerosis?

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    Ismi, Onur; Erdogan, Osman; Yesilova, Mesut; Ozcan, Cengiz; Ovla, Didem; Gorur, Kemal

    Otosclerosis (OS) is the primary disease of the human temporal bone characterized by conductive hearing loss and tinnitus. The exact pathogenesis of tinnitus in otosclerosis patients is not known and factors affecting the tinnitus outcome in otosclerosis patients are still controversial. To find the effect of stapedotomy on tinnitus for otosclerosis patients. Fifty-six otosclerosis patients with preoperative tinnitus were enrolled to the study. Pure tone average Air-Bone Gap values, preoperative tinnitus pitch, Air-Bone Gap closure at tinnitus frequencies were evaluated for their effect on the postoperative outcome. Low pitch tinnitus had more favorable outcome compared to high pitch tinnitus (p=0.002). Postoperative average pure tone thresholds Air-Bone Gap values were not related to the postoperative tinnitus (p=0.213). There was no statistically significant difference between postoperative Air-Bone Gap closure at tinnitus frequency and improvement of high pitch tinnitus (p=0.427). There was a statistically significant difference between Air-Bone Gap improvement in tinnitus frequency and low pitch tinnitus recovery (p=0.026). Low pitch tinnitus is more likely to be resolved after stapedotomy for patients with otosclerosis. High pitch tinnitus may not resolve even after closure of the Air-Bone Gap at tinnitus frequencies. Copyright © 2016 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  2. Does multi-modal cervical physical therapy improve tinnitus in patients with cervicogenic somatic tinnitus?

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    Michiels, S; Van de Heyning, P; Truijen, S; Hallemans, A; De Hertogh, W

    2016-12-01

    Tinnitus can be related to many different aetiologies such as hearing loss or a noise trauma, but it can also be related to the somatosensory system of the cervical spine, called cervicogenic somatic tinnitus (CST). Case studies suggest a positive effect of cervical spine treatment on tinnitus complaints in patients with CST, but no experimental studies are available. To investigate the effect of a multimodal cervical physical therapy treatment on tinnitus complaints in patients with CST. Randomized controlled trial. Patients with a combination of severe subjective tinnitus (Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI): 25-90 points) and neck complaints (Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire (NBQ) > 14 points). All patients received cervical physical therapy for 6 weeks (12 sessions). Patients were randomized in an immediate-start therapy group (n = 19) and a 6-week delayed-start therapy group (n = 19). TFI and NBQ-scores were documented at baseline, after the wait-and-see period in the delayed-start group, after treatment and after 6 weeks follow-up. The Global Perceived Effect (GPE) was documented at all measuring moments, except at baseline. In all patients (n = 38) TFI and NBQ-scores decreased significantly after treatment (p = 0.04 and p tinnitus. This effect was maintained in 24% of patients after follow-up at six weeks. Cervical physical therapy can have a positive effect on subjective tinnitus complaints in patients with a combination of tinnitus and neck complaints. Larger studies, using more responsive outcome measures, are however necessary to prove this effect. NCT02016313. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Is tinnitus an early voice of masked hypertension? High masked hypertension rate in patients with tinnitus.

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    Gun, Taylan; Özkan, Selçuk; Yavuz, Bunyamin

    2018-04-23

    Tinnitus is hearing a sound without any external acoustic stimulus. There are some clues of hypertension can cause tinnitus in different ways. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between tinnitus and masked hypertension including echocardiographic parameters and severity of tinnitus. This study included 88 patients with tinnitus of at least 3 months duration and 85 age and gender-matched control subjects. Tinnitus severity index was used to classify the patients with tinnitus. After a complete medical history, all subjects underwent routine laboratory examination, office blood pressure measurement, hearing tests and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Masked hypertension is defined as normal office blood pressure measurement and high ambulatory blood pressure level. Baseline characteristics in patients and controls were similar. Prevalence of masked hypertension was significantly higher in patients with tinnitus than controls (18.2% vs 3.5%, p = 0.002). Office diastolic BP (76 ± 8.1 vs. 72.74 ± 8.68, p = 0.01), ambulatory 24-H diastolic BP (70.2 ± 9.6 vs. 66.9 ± 6.1, p = 0.07) and ambulatory daytime diastolic BP (73.7 ± 9.5 vs. 71.1 ± 6.2, p = 0.03) was significantly higher in patients with tinnitus than control group. Tinnitus severity index in patients without masked hypertension was 0 and tinnitus severity index in patients with masked hypertension were 2 (1-5). This study demonstrated that masked hypertension must be kept in mind if there is a complaint of tinnitus without any other obvious reason.

  4. Neurofeedback for Tinnitus Treatment - Review and Current Concepts.

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    Güntensperger, Dominik; Thüring, Christian; Meyer, Martin; Neff, Patrick; Kleinjung, Tobias

    2017-01-01

    An effective treatment to completely alleviate chronic tinnitus symptoms has not yet been discovered. However, recent developments suggest that neurofeedback (NFB), a method already popular in the treatment of other psychological and neurological disorders, may provide a suitable alternative. NFB is a non-invasive method generally based on electrophysiological recordings and visualizing of certain aspects of brain activity as positive or negative feedback that enables patients to voluntarily control their brain activity and thus triggers them to unlearn typical neural activity patterns related to tinnitus. The purpose of this review is to summarize and discuss previous findings of neurofeedback treatment studies in the field of chronic tinnitus. In doing so, also an overview about the underlying theories of tinnitus emergence is presented and results of resting-state EEG and MEG studies summarized and critically discussed. To date, neurofeedback as well as electrophysiological tinnitus studies lack general guidelines that are crucial to produce more comparable and consistent results. Even though neurofeedback has already shown promising results for chronic tinnitus treatment, further research is needed in order to develop more sophisticated protocols that are able to tackle the individual needs of tinnitus patients more specifically.

  5. Outcomes of long-term outpatient tinnitus-coping therapy: psychometric changes and value of tinnitus-control instruments.

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    Caffier, Philipp P; Haupt, Heidemarie; Scherer, Hans; Mazurek, Birgit

    2006-12-01

    Increasing tinnitus compliance and coping are desirable aims of successful treatment in chronic tinnitus. However, application of established procedures such as tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is often relatively short. In addition, the value of tinnitus control instruments (TCI) is questionable, especially for minor severity levels of tinnitus, and the comparability of treatment results is low. To evaluate long-term changes of tinnitus-related distress, defined psychometric data were collected in patients with compensated tinnitus (cT) or decompensated tinnitus (dT) during a standardized 2-yr outpatient tinnitus-coping therapy (TCT). In a prospective clinical investigation, the data of 70 tinnitus patients were recorded at the beginning and at 6-mo intervals, with a final investigation after 24 mo. The first group consisted of 40 patients with cT and dT who were randomly assigned to a treatment group and a waiting-list control group. After a period of 12 mo without treatment, the control group was treated similarly. The tinnitus questionnaire (TQ) of Goebel and Hiller, visual analog scales (VAS), and a severity questionnaire for tinnitus-associated complaints were used as psychodiagnostic instruments. Therapy components consisted of counseling, fitting patients with TCIs (TCI provision), auditory and relaxation training, and psychosomatic care if necessary. A second group of 30 patients with cT receiving TCT without TCI devices was investigated to evaluate the additive efficacy of TCI in cT. The initial TQ score did not differ between the treatment group and the waiting-list control group. After 12 mo, the control group did not show any significant changes, but the treatment group had improved significantly. During TCT, the combined data of both groups showed a statistically significant decrease of the TQ score in dT (59.1 to 34.8) and cT (32.8 to 24.0). These changes were especially reflected by the subscales of cognitive and emotional distress and also by the

  6. [Psychosomatic stress factors in compensated and decompensated tinnitus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stobik, Corinna; Weber, Rainer K; Münte, Thomas F; Frommer, Jörg

    2003-08-01

    In modern medical practice, chronic decompensated tinnitus is defined as a complex psychosomatic process in which mental and social factors are considered to have a determining effect on the patient's subjective response to the impairment of otological or other somatic functions attributed to tinnitus. What is still largely unknown is the interaction of the individual factors and their impact on the patient's ability to cope with tinnitus. The impact of psycho-social and somatic factors on the subjective experience of patients with compensated and decompensated tinnitus is evaluated. 53 patients with chronic tinnitus were divided into two groups, compensated and decompensated, on the basis of their subjective experience of the disorder, established according to the tinnitus questionnaire published by Goebel and Hiller. Self-assessment instruments and a survey of symptoms of somatic stress disorders were used to compare the two groups in terms of differences in the patients' mental and psycho-social behaviour, in their strategies for coping with tinnitus and in the incidence of co-morbidity. The patients with decompensated tinnitus suffered from more pronounced mental and social disabilities, were more prone to depression and used less effective techniques to cope with their illness. The principal difference between the two groups, however, appeared to lie in a significantly higher degree of somatic multi-morbidity, where a particularly strong correlation was found between tinnitus and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and hypacusis. 81 percent of the total sample of patients suffered from impaired hearing. Patients with decompensated tinnitus experienced greater communication difficulties as a result of their auditory impairment. In the diagnosis and therapy of tinnitus, in addition to psychic and psycho-social aspects greater attention ought to be paid to somatic factors, influencing the patient's ability to cope with the disorder.

  7. Characteristics of somatic tinnitus patients with and without hyperacusis.

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    Massimo Ralli

    Full Text Available Determine if somatic tinnitus patients with hyperacusis have different characteristics from those without hyperacusis.172 somatic tinnitus patients with (n = 82 and without (n = 90 hyperacusis referred to the Tinnitus Unit of Sapienza University of Rome between June 2012 and June 2016 were compared for demographic characteristics, tinnitus features, self-administered questionnaire scores, nature of somatic modulation and history.Compared to those without hyperacusis, patients with somatic tinnitus and hyperacusis: (a were older (43.38 vs 39.12 years, p = 0.05, (b were more likely to have bilateral tinnitus (67.08% vs 55.56%, p = 0.04, (c had a higher prevalence of somatic modulation of tinnitus (53.65% vs 36.66%, p = 0.02 and (d scored significantly worse on tinnitus annoyance (39.34 vs 22.81, p<0.001 and subjective hearing level (8.04 vs 1.83, p<0.001.Our study shows significantly higher tinnitus modulation and worse self-rating of tinnitus and hearing ability in somatic tinnitus patients with hyperacusis versus somatic tinnitus patients without hyperacusis. These differences could prove useful in developing a better understanding of the pathophysiology and establishing a course of treatment for these two groups of patients.

  8. Clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus evaluated with the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire in Japan: A case series.

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    Takashi Kojima

    Full Text Available The Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire was determined as a standardized questionnaire for obtaining patient case histories and for characterizing patients into subgroups at the Tinnitus Research Initiative in 2006. In this study, we developed a Japanese version of this questionnaire for evaluating the clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus. The Japanese version of the questionnaire will be available for evaluating treatments for tinnitus and for comparing data on tinnitus in research centers.To evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus in Japan using a newly developed Japanese version of Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire.This was a prospective study based on patient records.University hospitals, general hospitals, and clinics.We collected patient data using a Japanese translated version of the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire. In total, 584 patients who visited our institutions in Japan between August 2012 and March 2014 were included (280 males and 304 females; age 13-92 years; mean age, 60.8. We examined patients after dividing them into two groups according to the presence or absence of hyperacusis. The collected results were compared with those from the Tinnitus Research Initiative database.Compared with the TRI database, there were significantly more elderly female patients and fewer patients with trauma-associated tinnitus. There was a statistically lower ratio of patients with hyperacusis. We found that patients with tinnitus in addition to hyperacusis had greater tinnitus severity and exhibited higher rates of various complications.The Japanese version of the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire developed in this study can be a useful tool for evaluating patients with tinnitus in Japan. The results of this multicenter study reflect the characteristics of patients with tinnitus who require medical care in Japan. Our data provides a preliminary basis for an international

  9. Anticonvulsants for tinnitus.

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    Hoekstra, Carlijn El; Rynja, Sybren P; van Zanten, Gijsbert A; Rovers, Maroeska M

    2011-07-06

    Tinnitus is the perception of sound or noise in the absence of an external or internal acoustic stimulation. It is a common and potentially distressing symptom for which no adequate therapy exists. To assess the effectiveness of anticonvulsants in patients with chronic tinnitus. We searched the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL (2010, Issue 2), MEDLINE, EMBASE, bibliographies and additional sources for published and unpublished trials. The date of the most recent search was 26 May 2010. We selected randomised controlled trials in patients with chronic tinnitus comparing orally administered anticonvulsants with placebo. The primary outcome was improvement in tinnitus measured with validated questionnaires. Secondary outcomes were improvement in tinnitus measured with self-assessment scores, improvement in global well-being or accompanying symptoms, and adverse drug effects. Three authors assessed risk of bias and extracted data independently. Seven trials (453 patients) were included in this review. These studies investigated four different anticonvulsants: gabapentin, carbamazepine, lamotrigine and flunarizine. The risk of bias of most studies was 'high' or 'unclear'. Three studies included a validated questionnaire (primary outcome). None of them showed a significant positive effect of anticonvulsants. One study showed a significant negative effect of gabapentin compared to placebo with an increase in Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) score of 18.4 points (standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07 to 1.58). A second study showed a positive, non-significant effect of gabapentin with a difference compared to placebo of 2.4 points on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) (SMD -0.11, 95% CI -0.48 to 0.25). When the data from these two studies are pooled no effect of gabapentin is found (SMD 0.07, 95% CI -0.26 to 0.40). A third study reported no differences on the THI after treatment with gabapentin

  10. Neurofeedback for Tinnitus Treatment – Review and Current Concepts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Güntensperger, Dominik; Thüring, Christian; Meyer, Martin; Neff, Patrick; Kleinjung, Tobias

    2017-01-01

    An effective treatment to completely alleviate chronic tinnitus symptoms has not yet been discovered. However, recent developments suggest that neurofeedback (NFB), a method already popular in the treatment of other psychological and neurological disorders, may provide a suitable alternative. NFB is a non-invasive method generally based on electrophysiological recordings and visualizing of certain aspects of brain activity as positive or negative feedback that enables patients to voluntarily control their brain activity and thus triggers them to unlearn typical neural activity patterns related to tinnitus. The purpose of this review is to summarize and discuss previous findings of neurofeedback treatment studies in the field of chronic tinnitus. In doing so, also an overview about the underlying theories of tinnitus emergence is presented and results of resting-state EEG and MEG studies summarized and critically discussed. To date, neurofeedback as well as electrophysiological tinnitus studies lack general guidelines that are crucial to produce more comparable and consistent results. Even though neurofeedback has already shown promising results for chronic tinnitus treatment, further research is needed in order to develop more sophisticated protocols that are able to tackle the individual needs of tinnitus patients more specifically. PMID:29249959

  11. Neurofeedback for Tinnitus Treatment – Review and Current Concepts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominik Güntensperger

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available An effective treatment to completely alleviate chronic tinnitus symptoms has not yet been discovered. However, recent developments suggest that neurofeedback (NFB, a method already popular in the treatment of other psychological and neurological disorders, may provide a suitable alternative. NFB is a non-invasive method generally based on electrophysiological recordings and visualizing of certain aspects of brain activity as positive or negative feedback that enables patients to voluntarily control their brain activity and thus triggers them to unlearn typical neural activity patterns related to tinnitus. The purpose of this review is to summarize and discuss previous findings of neurofeedback treatment studies in the field of chronic tinnitus. In doing so, also an overview about the underlying theories of tinnitus emergence is presented and results of resting-state EEG and MEG studies summarized and critically discussed. To date, neurofeedback as well as electrophysiological tinnitus studies lack general guidelines that are crucial to produce more comparable and consistent results. Even though neurofeedback has already shown promising results for chronic tinnitus treatment, further research is needed in order to develop more sophisticated protocols that are able to tackle the individual needs of tinnitus patients more specifically.

  12. Change in functional connectivity in tinnitus and its relation with tinnitus laterality

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    Song, Eun Jee; Kim, Eui Jong; Choi, Woo Suk [Dept. of Radiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Ryu, Chang Woo; Jahang, Geon Ho; Park, Moon Suh; Byun, Jae Yong; Park, Soon Chan [Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-12-15

    To identify potential differences in resting-state networks according to laterality of tinnitus using resting-state functional MRI (fMRI). A total of 83 age-matched subjects consisting of 19 patients with right-sided tinnitus (Rt-T), 22 patients with left-sided tinnitus (Lt-T), 22 patients with bilateral tinnitus (Bil-T), and 20 healthy controls underwent resting-state blood oxygenation-level dependent fMRI scans. Independent component analysis was used to obtain the functional connectivities in the auditory network (AN) and the default mode network (DMN), which were compared between each group using the voxel-wise one-way ANOVA. In addition, lateralization of the auditory cortex was assessed within each group using a region of interest (ROI). Comparisons between tinnitus groups showed unusual clusters with different functional connectivities in the AN and the DMN. The Rt-T group had large clusters with higher functional connectivity in the right middle temporal gyrus and temporopolar area compared with the Lt-/Bil-T and control groups. ROI analysis showed that the Rt-/Lt-T groups had dominant functional connectivity in the right auditory cortex and the Bil-T and control groups had left-dominant auditory connectivity. These results suggest that chronic tinnitus is related to aberrant laterality of the auditory cortex. These findings help clarify the neural mechanism of tinnitus and specify the targets for localization of treatment.

  13. Change in functional connectivity in tinnitus and its relation with tinnitus laterality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Eun Jee; Kim, Eui Jong; Choi, Woo Suk; Ryu, Chang Woo; Jahang, Geon Ho; Park, Moon Suh; Byun, Jae Yong; Park, Soon Chan

    2016-01-01

    To identify potential differences in resting-state networks according to laterality of tinnitus using resting-state functional MRI (fMRI). A total of 83 age-matched subjects consisting of 19 patients with right-sided tinnitus (Rt-T), 22 patients with left-sided tinnitus (Lt-T), 22 patients with bilateral tinnitus (Bil-T), and 20 healthy controls underwent resting-state blood oxygenation-level dependent fMRI scans. Independent component analysis was used to obtain the functional connectivities in the auditory network (AN) and the default mode network (DMN), which were compared between each group using the voxel-wise one-way ANOVA. In addition, lateralization of the auditory cortex was assessed within each group using a region of interest (ROI). Comparisons between tinnitus groups showed unusual clusters with different functional connectivities in the AN and the DMN. The Rt-T group had large clusters with higher functional connectivity in the right middle temporal gyrus and temporopolar area compared with the Lt-/Bil-T and control groups. ROI analysis showed that the Rt-/Lt-T groups had dominant functional connectivity in the right auditory cortex and the Bil-T and control groups had left-dominant auditory connectivity. These results suggest that chronic tinnitus is related to aberrant laterality of the auditory cortex. These findings help clarify the neural mechanism of tinnitus and specify the targets for localization of treatment

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

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    Pia Lau

    2015-01-01

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

  15. [Preliminary investigation of psychologic factors in 76 tinnitus patients].

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    Mao, Kunhua; Jiang, Wen; Feng, Yong

    2011-08-01

    To study the psychological aspects of tinnitus patients, to analyze the distribution of psychologic obstacle in tinnitus patients, and then to provide information for diagnosing and treating tinnitus clinically. All patients were detected their frequency and loudness of tinnitus. Then they were evaluated by symptom checklist 90 (SCL-90), life satisfaction scale, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and tinnitus handicap inventory (THI). All data were analyzed with statistical software SPSS11.0. (1)There was no straight line correlation between frequency, loudness of tinnitus and the patient's scores from SCL-90, life satisfaction rating scale (LSR), life satisfaction index A (LSIA), LSIB, PSQI, THI. (2) To 76 tinnitus patients, some factors of SCL-90 were higher than internal nom. Compared with internal nom, tinnitus patients' score of LSR, LSIA and LSIB were all lower than it. Many of tinnitus patients had sleep disorder, the ratio was higher than internal nom. (3) Grouping these patients, based on the score of THI. To THI four grade group and THI five grade group, their satisfaction of lives were lower, some factors of SCL-90 were higher than internal nom. To THI five grade group, the ratio about sleep disorder was higher than internal nom. There is no straight line correlation between frequency, loudness of tinnitus and the patient's scores from SCL-90, LSR, LSIA, LSIB, PSQ1, THI. Grouping based on the score of THI, the groups of THI four grade and THI five grade are approved that they have psychologic obstacle obviously, they should be paid close attention.

  16. Personality Traits in Patients with Subjective Idiopathic Tinnitus

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    Mahboobeh Adami Dehkordi

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Tinnitus is a common complaint in patients referred to otorhinolaryngology clinics and is a condition where one hears a sound without any distinguishable external acoustic source or electrical stimulus. About 3-30% of adults experience different degrees of tinnitus during their life. This study aims to ascertain and compare personality traits between patients with tinnitus and a control group.   Materials and Methods: In a case control study, 66 participants were assessed. The case group consisted of 33 patients who suffered from tinnitus for at least two months, in addition to 33 healthy volunteers who were selected among their family (preferably of the same age and sex. A standard demographic questionnaire and an Eyzenck personality questionnaire were filled for both groups. A tinnitus severity index (TSI questionnaire was only filled for the case group. Data from each group was compared by Mann-Whitney U and Chi-Square tests. SPSS V.18 was the selected software.   Results: Statistical analysis showed a meaningful difference in neuroticism (P=0.001 and extraversion (P=0.001 between the patients and the controls; however, there was no statistical difference between these groups regarding psychotism.   Conclusion:  Tinnitus can be associated with personality characteristics. This study showed that in patients with tinnitus, neuroticism increases and extraversion decreases. Considering the personality and psychotic traits observed in the patients with tinnitus, psychiatric consultation is recommended.

  17. [Some aspects of tinnitus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reiss, M; Reiss, G

    1999-09-16

    Tinnitus is the sensation of sound, a sensation generated by the auditory system because of a pathology, without any external acoustic or electrical stimulation. Most often, it is associated with a sensorineural hearing loss. Tinnitus is still one of the most frequent symptoms encountered by the otorhinolaryngologist and other doctors. Diagnosis and therapy are demanding due to complex etiology and secondary symptoms. Tinnitus is a symptom and not a disease. Therefore a thorough diagnosis is necessary. First of all one has to evaluate whether there is a treatable underlying organic disease possibly responsible for symptoms like tinnitus. The evaluation of the patient includes the history, ENT-status, audiological and vestibular findings, investigative imaging and examinations by other specialists. The therapeutic aim is the compensation of tinnitus. There is no universal medical or surgical treatment. Acute tinnitus is treated like sudden deafness. For chronic forms, the analysis of the causes is particularly important for developing an individual consultation and therapy plan. Providing information to the patient is the first step for a sensible treatment of the symptoms. Supportive therapy includes a psychosomatic therapy and the use of medication or instrumentation.

  18. Joint medico-psychological consultation for patients suffering from tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Degive, Colette; Kos, Maria-Izabel

    2006-01-01

    Because no effective treatment against tinnitus is available, all sorts of approaches have been developed. We believe the care of tinnitus patients concerns mainly ENT medical doctors. In order to take care of such patients, we started in 1993 a joint medico-psychological consultation (JMPC) to dispense adequate care for patients and training to the ENT residents. Every patient visiting our clinic for a tinnitus consultation benefits first from a comprehensive audiological examination. Once all objective causes of tinnitus are excluded, those patients who were not able to accept their auditory disorder or who insist on focusing on the annoyance caused by the perception of their tinnitus are invited by the doctor to the JMPC. The intolerance caused by tinnitus is enhanced by psychological and social aspects. These aspects are considered and discussed during the JMPC. The patients talk about their tinnitus bringing additional information on professional, familial and relational issues. In the JMPC, the therapists try to help the patients to void the affective irritation and the internal tension they clearly demonstrate. When the patients notice that the therapists accept their distress, they usually talk more calmly about their hearing irritation and even consider it tolerable. The medical and psychological information given during the JMPC helps the patients to understand the links between tinnitus and the disturbing elements of their current life. During the JMPC, the medical residents have been able to observe how somatic complaints can lead to complaints of another nature, to distress, to aggressive or angered behaviors. They have acknowledged the way the psychologist deals with the attitudes of these patients. This learning process became mandatory to all our residents specializing in ENT. At the end of their training they should have learned how to help the patient accept the tinnitus and the irritation it causes. They should be able to help tinnitus patients

  19. The Mozart effect in patients suffering from tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attanasio, Giuseppe; Cartocci, Giulia; Covelli, Edoardo; Ambrosetti, Elena; Martinelli, Valentina; Zaccone, Mariagrazia; Ponzanetti, Alessandra; Gueli, Nicolò; Filipo, Roberto; Cacciafesta, Mauro

    2012-11-01

    The study suggests that Mozart therapy could be a valid alternative to the common sound therapy methods in tinnitus patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of the Mozart effect as indexed by a variation in tinnitus intensity and tolerability. Sixty-two individuals aged between 22 and 78 years, reporting tinnitus for at least 1 year, were enrolled for the study. All patients attended a 1 h cognitive behavioral counseling session and listened to Mozart's sonata k448 for 1 h per day for a month. Afterwards patients listened to Beethoven's Für Elise sonata for 1 h per day for a month. To evaluate the general stress level, the impact of tinnitus on patients' quality of life, and the intensity of tinnitus, patients were invited to participate in three tests: the Measure du Stress Psychologique (MSP) questionnaire, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and a 0 to 10 visual analog scale (VAS). For all the parameters investigated, MSP, THI, and intensity, there was a general significant improvement between the pre- and post-listening evaluation. A significant improvement, as regards THI and intensity, could already be appreciated after a single exposure to Mozart's sonata.

  20. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy as a Treatment for Chronic Tinnitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    OpenAIRE

    McKenna, L.; Marks, E. M.; Hallsworth, C. A.; Schaette, R.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is experienced by up to 15% of the population and can lead to significant disability and distress. There is rarely a medical or surgical target and psychological therapies are recommended. We investigated whether mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) could offer an effective new therapy for tinnitus. METHODS: This single-site randomized controlled trial compared MBCT to intensive relaxation training (RT) for chronic, distressing tinnitus in adults. Both treatments in...

  1. Retraining therapy for chronic tinnitus. A critical analysis of its status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kroener-Herwig, B; Biesinger, E; Gerhards, F; Goebel, G; Verena Greimel, K; Hiller, W

    2000-01-01

    Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), as conceived of mainly by PJ Jastreboff, has recently received increasing attention in the media, as well as in seminars and congresses on treatment methods for chronic tinnitus. It is often claimed, though not explicitly in scientific publications, that TRT is currently the most efficacious therapy for tinnitus, obtaining improvement rates exceeding 80%. This assertion is highly significant in light of the most likely increasing prevalence of chronic tinnitus and ensuing urgent demand for effective therapies. Before examining the evidence regarding the effectiveness of TRT, Jastreboff's theoretical idea of tinnitus as a neurophysiological disorder is examined and evaluated. This idea is plausible and is supported by some evidence. The interaction between neuroacoustic and emotional processes emphasized by Jastreboff is, however, neither new nor sufficiently elaborated with respect to the underlying psychological factors. The TRT intervention technique and its main components 'directive counselling' and use of 'noise generators' are found to be theoretically well grounded. The lack of detailed information concerning TRT implementation and the potential consequence that differing interventions may be labelled TRT are criticized. Jastreboff's obvious opposition to psychologists' participation in TRT, despite the increase in efficacy they could affect through utilization of cognitive restructuring techniques and behaviour modification interventions, is also criticized. Finally, studies regarding the efficacy of TRT are reviewed and severe methodological shortcomings (e.g. lack of controlled randomized group studies) in TRT research are noted. Taking the current state of evidence into account, we conclude that there is no convincing empirical support for the assumption that TRT is superior to other treatments, since no comparative studies have been conducted. It is contended that there is more substantial empirical support for the

  2. Tinnitus sensitization: a neurophysiological pathway of chronic complex tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zenner, Hans P

    2006-01-01

    A novel neuro- and psychophysiological pathway for central cognition of tinnitus, i.e. tinnitus sensitization, is presented here. As a complement to the neurophysiological pathway for the conditioned reflex according to Jastreboff, which permits therapeutic procedures to bring about an extinction of the tinnitus (e.g. by the acoustic tinnitus retraining therapy), sensitization can be treated with procedures that act at the cognitive level. Since on the one hand therapeutic extinction procedures (e.g. the therapeutic application of sound) are still to be proven effective in controlled studies, while on the other cognitive interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapies have in fact acquired evidence level IIa in prospective studies, it is indeed appropriate to discuss whether the earlier neurophysiological model of a conditioned reflex is sufficient on its own, and whether in fact it needs to be complemented with the sensitization model.

  3. Cluster Analysis to Identify Possible Subgroups in Tinnitus Patients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Berge, Minke J. C.; Free, Rolien H.; Arnold, Rosemarie; de Kleine, Emile; Hofman, Rutger; van Dijk, J. Marc C.; van Dijk, Pim

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: In tinnitus treatment, there is a tendency to shift from a "one size fits all" to a more individual, patient-tailored approach. Insight in the heterogeneity of the tinnitus spectrum might improve the management of tinnitus patients in terms of choice of treatment and identification of

  4. Differences Among Patients That Make Their Tinnitus Worse or Better

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyler, Richard S.; Ji, Haihong; Coelho, Claudia; Gogel, Stephanie A.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose Our objective was to identify activities that influence tinnitus and to determine if conditional probabilities exist among such variables. Method Two hundred fifty-eight patients were asked the following two questions: “When you have your tinnitus, which of the following makes it worse?” and “Which of the following reduces your tinnitus?” Results Things that made tinnitus better included noise (31%) and relaxation (15%). Things that made tinnitus worse included being in a quiet place (48%), stress (36%), being in a noisy place (32%), and lack of sleep (27%). Almost 6% of patients suggested coffee/tea and 4% said certain foods made their tinnitus worse. Conditional probabilities indicated that for those whose tinnitus is not worse in quiet, it is usually not reduced by noise. For those whose tinnitus is not worse in noise, it is usually not reduced in quiet. Conclusion There are dramatic differences among patients. Such differences need to be considered in planning treatments. PMID:26649850

  5. Relationship between Audiometric slope and tinnitus pitch in tinnitus patients: insights into the mechanisms of tinnitus generation.

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    Martin Schecklmann

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Different mechanisms have been proposed to be involved in tinnitus generation, among them reduced lateral inhibition and homeostatic plasticity. On a perceptual level these different mechanisms should be reflected by the relationship between the individual audiometric slope and the perceived tinnitus pitch. Whereas some studies found the tinnitus pitch corresponding to the maximum hearing loss, others stressed the relevance of the edge frequency. This study investigates the relationship between tinnitus pitch and audiometric slope in a large sample. METHODOLOGY: This retrospective observational study analyzed 286 patients. The matched tinnitus pitch was compared to the frequency of maximum hearing loss and the edge of the audiogram (steepest hearing loss by t-tests and correlation coefficients. These analyses were performed for the whole group and for sub-groups (uni- vs. bilateral (117 vs. 338 ears, pure-tone vs. narrow-band (340 vs. 115 ears, and low and high audiometric slope (114 vs. 113 ears. FINDINGS: For the right ear, tinnitus pitch was in the same range and correlated significantly with the frequency of maximum hearing loss, but differed from and did not correlate with the edge frequency. For the left ear, similar results were found but the correlation between tinnitus pitch and maximum hearing loss did not reach significance. Sub-group analyses (bi- and unilateral, tinnitus character, slope steepness revealed identical results except for the sub-group with high audiometric slope which revealed a higher frequency of maximum hearing loss as compared to the tinnitus pitch. CONCLUSION: The study-results confirm a relationship between tinnitus pitch and maximum hearing loss but not to the edge frequency, suggesting that tinnitus is rather a fill-in-phenomenon resulting from homeostatic mechanisms, than the result of deficient lateral inhibition. Sub-group analyses suggest that audiometric steepness and the side of affected ear

  6. Relationship between Audiometric Slope and Tinnitus Pitch in Tinnitus Patients: Insights into the Mechanisms of Tinnitus Generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schecklmann, Martin; Vielsmeier, Veronika; Steffens, Thomas; Landgrebe, Michael; Langguth, Berthold; Kleinjung, Tobias

    2012-01-01

    Background Different mechanisms have been proposed to be involved in tinnitus generation, among them reduced lateral inhibition and homeostatic plasticity. On a perceptual level these different mechanisms should be reflected by the relationship between the individual audiometric slope and the perceived tinnitus pitch. Whereas some studies found the tinnitus pitch corresponding to the maximum hearing loss, others stressed the relevance of the edge frequency. This study investigates the relationship between tinnitus pitch and audiometric slope in a large sample. Methodology This retrospective observational study analyzed 286 patients. The matched tinnitus pitch was compared to the frequency of maximum hearing loss and the edge of the audiogram (steepest hearing loss) by t-tests and correlation coefficients. These analyses were performed for the whole group and for sub-groups (uni- vs. bilateral (117 vs. 338 ears), pure-tone vs. narrow-band (340 vs. 115 ears), and low and high audiometric slope (114 vs. 113 ears)). Findings For the right ear, tinnitus pitch was in the same range and correlated significantly with the frequency of maximum hearing loss, but differed from and did not correlate with the edge frequency. For the left ear, similar results were found but the correlation between tinnitus pitch and maximum hearing loss did not reach significance. Sub-group analyses (bi- and unilateral, tinnitus character, slope steepness) revealed identical results except for the sub-group with high audiometric slope which revealed a higher frequency of maximum hearing loss as compared to the tinnitus pitch. Conclusion The study-results confirm a relationship between tinnitus pitch and maximum hearing loss but not to the edge frequency, suggesting that tinnitus is rather a fill-in-phenomenon resulting from homeostatic mechanisms, than the result of deficient lateral inhibition. Sub-group analyses suggest that audiometric steepness and the side of affected ear affect this

  7. Anticonvulsants for tinnitus.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoekstra, C.E.; Rynja, S.P.; Zanten, G.A.; Rovers, M.M.

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is the perception of sound or noise in the absence of an external or internal acoustic stimulation. It is a common and potentially distressing symptom for which no adequate therapy exists. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of anticonvulsants in patients with chronic

  8. Evidence of psychosomatic influences in compensated and decompensated tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stobik, Corinna; Weber, Rainer K; Münte, Thomas F; Walter, Marc; Frommer, Jörg

    2005-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role and interaction of individual factors on decompensated tinnitus. Subjects consisted of 53 adult patients with chronic tinnitus. They were selected and assigned to two groups, compensated (n = 28) and decompensated (n = 25), according to the results of an established tinnitus questionnaire. Both groups were evaluated and compared. The patients with decompensated tinnitus suffered from more pronounced social disabilities, were more prone to depression, and used less effective techniques to cope with their illness. They showed a higher degree of somatic multimorbidity, with particularly strong correlations between tinnitus and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and hypoacusis. As a consequence, in the psychosomatic tinnitus therapy, greater attention should be given to the treatment of the somatic complaints in addition to psychological and psychosocial aspects.

  9. Somatic tinnitus prevalence and treatment with tinnitus retraining therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostermann, K; Lurquin, P; Horoi, M; Cotton, P; Hervé, V; Thill, M P

    2016-01-01

    Somatic tinnitus originates from increased activity of the dorsal cochlear nucleus, a cross-point between the somatic and auditory systems. Its activity can be modified by auditory stimulation or somatic system manipulation. Thus, sound enrichment and white noise stimulation might decrease tinnitus and associated somatic symptoms. The present uncontrolled study sought to determine somatic tinnitus prevalence among tinnitus sufferers, and to investigate whether sound therapy with counselling (tinnitus retraining therapy; TRT) may decrease tinnitus-associated somatic symptoms. To determine somatic tinnitus prevalence, 70 patients following the TRT protocol completed the Jastreboff Structured Interview (JSI) with additional questions regarding the presence and type of somatic symptoms. Among 21 somatic tinnitus patients, we further investigated the effects of TRT on tinnitus-associated facial dysesthesia. Before and after three months of TRT, tinnitus severity was evaluated using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and facial dysesthesia was assessed with an extended JSI-based questionnaire. Among the evaluated tinnitus patients, 56% presented somatic tinnitus-including 51% with facial dysesthesia, 36% who could modulate tinnitus by head and neck movements, and 13% with both conditions. Self-evaluation indicated that TRT significantly improved tinnitus and facial dysesthesia in 76% of patients. Three months of TRT led to a 50% decrease in mean THI and JSI scores regarding facial dysesthesia. Somatic tinnitus is a frequent and underestimated condition. We suggest an extension of the JSI, including specific questions regarding somatic tinnitus. TRT significantly improved tinnitus and accompanying facial dysesthesia, and could be a useful somatic tinnitus treatment.

  10. Assessment of temporomandibular and cervical spine disorders in tinnitus patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Björne, Assar

    2007-01-01

    In treating patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction it was noticed that tinnitus and vertigo were common in such patients and there was also muscular tension in jaw and neck. During treatment of these patients it was also noted that injection of lidocaine in a jaw muscle (m. pt. lat.) reduced not only their muscular problems but also that the tinnitus was reduced while the local anesthetic was active. Evaluation of 39 patients with disabling tinnitus, and all suffered from tinnitus, revealed that 10 of them had bilateral tinnitus and TMJ disorders revealed that pain in the face, temples or jaw occurred often among these patients. Many of such patients had also symptoms of cervical spine disorders, head, neck and shoulder pain, and limitations in side bending and rotation were also frequent complaints. One-third of these patients could influence tinnitus by jaw movements and 75% could trigger vertigo by head or neck movements. Treatment of jaw and neck disorders in 24 patients with Ménière's disease had a beneficial effect on not only their episodic vertigo but also on their tinnitus and aural fullness. At the 3-year follow-up, intensity of all symptoms were significantly reduced (p<0.001).

  11. Speech comprehension difficulties in chronic tinnitus and its relation to hyperacusis

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    Veronika Vielsmeier

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available AbstractObjectiveMany tinnitus patients complain about difficulties regarding speech comprehension. In spite of the high clinical relevance little is known about underlying mechanisms and predisposing factors. Here, we performed an exploratory investigation in a large sample of tinnitus patients to (1 estimate the prevalence of speech comprehension difficulties among tinnitus patients, to (2 compare subjective reports of speech comprehension difficulties with objective measurements in a standardized speech comprehension test and to (3 explore underlying mechanisms by analyzing the relationship between speech comprehension difficulties and peripheral hearing function (pure tone audiogram, as well as with co-morbid hyperacusis as a central auditory processing disorder. Subjects and MethodsSpeech comprehension was assessed in 361 tinnitus patients presenting between 07/2012 and 08/2014 at the Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Clinic at the University of Regensburg. The assessment included standard audiological assessment (pure tone audiometry, tinnitus pitch and loudness matching, the Goettingen sentence test (in quiet for speech audiometric evaluation, two questions about hyperacusis, and two questions about speech comprehension in quiet and noisy environments (How would you rate your ability to understand speech?; How would you rate your ability to follow a conversation when multiple people are speaking simultaneously?. Results Subjectively reported speech comprehension deficits are frequent among tinnitus patients, especially in noisy environments (cocktail party situation. 74.2% of all investigated patients showed disturbed speech comprehension (indicated by values above 21.5 dB SPL in the Goettingen sentence test. Subjective speech comprehension complaints (both in general and in noisy environment were correlated with hearing level and with audiologically-assessed speech comprehension ability. In contrast, co-morbid hyperacusis was only correlated

  12. Treating chronic tinnitus: comparison of cognitive-behavioural and habituation-based treatments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zachriat, Claudia; Kröner-Herwig, Birgit

    2004-01-01

    Using a randomized control group trial the long-term efficacy of a habituation-based treatment as conceived by Jastreboff, and a cognitive-behavioural tinnitus coping training were compared. An educational intervention was administered as a control condition. Both treatments were conducted in a group format (habituation-based treatment, 5 sessions; tinnitus coping training, 11 sessions). Educational intervention was delivered in a single group session. Patients were categorized according to their level of disability due to tinnitus (low, high), age and gender and then randomly allocated to the treatment conditions (habituation-based treatment, n = 30; tinnitus coping training, n = 27; educational intervention, n = 20). Data assessment included follow-ups of up to 21 months. Several outcome variables including disability due to tinnitus were assessed either by questionnaire or diary. Findings reveal highly significant improvements in both tinnitus coping training and habituation-based treatment in comparison with the control group. While tinnitus coping training and habituation-based treatment do not differ significantly in reduction of tinnitus disability, improvement in general well-being and adaptive behaviour is greater in tinnitus coping training than habituation-based treatment. The decrease in disability remains stable throughout the last follow-up in both treatment conditions.

  13. Cortical activity in tinnitus patients and its modification by phonostimulation

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    Katarzyna Pawlak-Osińska

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to observe spontaneous cortical activity and cortical activity modulated by tinnitus-matched sound in tinnitus patients and healthy subjects with no otoneurologic symptoms. METHOD: Data were prospectively collected from 50 tinnitus patients and 25 healthy subjects. Cortical activity was recorded in all subjects with eyes closed and open and during photostimulation, hyperventilation and acoustic stimulation using 19-channel quantitative electroencephalography. The sound applied in the tinnitus patients was individually matched with the ability to mask or equal the tinnitus. The maximal and mean amplitude of the delta, theta, alpha and beta waves and the type and amount of the pathologic EEG patterns were noted during each recording. Differences in cortical localization and the influence of sound stimuli on spontaneous cortical activity were evaluated between the groups. RESULTS: The tinnitus group exhibited decreased delta activity and increased alpha and beta activity. Hyperventilation increased the intensity of the differences. The tinnitus patients had more sharp-slow waves and increased slow wave amplitude. Sound stimuli modified the EEG recordings; the delta and beta wave amplitudes were increased, whereas the alpha-1 wave amplitude was decreased. Acoustic stimulation only slightly affected the temporal region. CONCLUSION: Cortical activity in the tinnitus patients clearly differed from that in healthy subjects, i.e., tinnitus is not a “phantom” sign. The changes in cortical activity included decreased delta wave amplitudes, increased alpha-1, beta-1 and beta-h wave amplitudes and pathologic patterns. Cortical activity modifications occurred predominantly in the temporal region. Acoustic stimulation affected spontaneous cortical activity only in tinnitus patients, and although the applied sound was individually matched, the pathologic changes were only slightly improved.

  14. Prefrontal cortex based sex differences in tinnitus perception: same tinnitus intensity, same tinnitus distress, different mood.

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    Sven Vanneste

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Tinnitus refers to auditory phantom sensation. It is estimated that for 2% of the population this auditory phantom percept severely affects the quality of life, due to tinnitus related distress. Although the overall distress levels do not differ between sexes in tinnitus, females are more influenced by distress than males. Typically, pain, sleep, and depression are perceived as significantly more severe by female tinnitus patients. Studies on gender differences in emotional regulation indicate that females with high depressive symptoms show greater attention to emotion, and use less anti-rumination emotional repair strategies than males. METHODOLOGY: The objective of this study was to verify whether the activity and connectivity of the resting brain is different for male and female tinnitus patients using resting-state EEG. CONCLUSIONS: Females had a higher mean score than male tinnitus patients on the BDI-II. Female tinnitus patients differ from male tinnitus patients in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC extending to the frontopolar cortex in beta1 and beta2. The OFC is important for emotional processing of sounds. Increased functional alpha connectivity is found between the OFC, insula, subgenual anterior cingulate (sgACC, parahippocampal (PHC areas and the auditory cortex in females. Our data suggest increased functional connectivity that binds tinnitus-related auditory cortex activity to auditory emotion-related areas via the PHC-sgACC connections resulting in a more depressive state even though the tinnitus intensity and tinnitus-related distress are not different from men. Comparing male tinnitus patients to a control group of males significant differences could be found for beta3 in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC. The PCC might be related to cognitive and memory-related aspects of the tinnitus percept. Our results propose that sex influences in tinnitus research cannot be ignored and should be taken into account in functional

  15. The impact of Type D personality on health-related quality of life in tinnitus patients is mainly mediated by anxiety and depression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bartels, Hilke; Pedersen, Susanne S.; van der Laan, Bernard F A M

    2010-01-01

    To evaluate the impact of Type D personality on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and self-reported tinnitus-related distress in chronic tinnitus patients and whether this relationship is mediated by indicators of psychological distress (i.e., vital exhaustion, anxiety, and depression)....

  16. [Pre- and posttreatment results of an inpatient neurotologic and psychosomatic tinnitus therapy].

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    Schaaf, H; Hesse, G

    2015-08-01

    Inpatient treatment of chronic complex tinnitus can be necessary for patients with a high symptomatic strain, mostly accompanied by a corresponding mental comorbidity, and/or for patients that can only perceive their psychogenic suffering through somatization into tinnitus. We report the results of 368 consecutively treated inpatients with chronic complex tinnitus. Patients' audiometric data were collected, and at the beginning and end of treatment, the Mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire (Mini-TQ12; Hiller und Goebel) was completed, as was the German version of the Hospitality Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS). Effect sizes were calculated for both questionnaires. Mean treatment duration was 38.8 days (standard deviation, SD: 13.6 days). The main therapeutic elements were intensive disorder-specific neurotologic counselling and psychoeducation; improvement of hearing by fitting of hearing aids, complemented by an individualized hearing therapy; and intensive individual and group-based psychotherapy. In addition to tinnitus, 82.1% of the patients had reduced hearing requiring rehabilitation with hearing aids. After hospitalization, a highly significant improvement in tinnitus strain could be demonstrated by the Mini-TQ12. Furthermore, a significant reduction in the depression and anxiety components of HADS was also achieved, with high effect sizes of 1.6 to 2.2. No reduction of tinnitus symptoms to a medium- or low-range level was experienced by 8.9% of patients. With corresponding symptomatic suffering, disorder-specific inpatient tinnitus treatment comprising neurotologic and psychosomatic alignment can achieve medium- to high-range therapeutic effects.

  17. Disentangling Tinnitus Distress and Tinnitus Presence by Means of EEG Power Analysis

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    Martin Meyer

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The present study investigated 24 individuals suffering from chronic tinnitus (TI and 24 nonaffected controls (CO. We recorded resting-state EEG and collected psychometric data to obtain information about how chronic tinnitus experience affects the cognitive and emotional state of TI. The study was meant to disentangle TI with high distress from those who suffer less from persistent tinnitus based on both neurophysiological and behavioral data. A principal component analysis of psychometric data uncovers two distinct independent dimensions characterizing the individual tinnitus experience. These independent states are distress and presence, the latter is described as the perceived intensity of sound experience that increases with tinnitus duration devoid of any considerable emotional burden. Neuroplastic changes correlate with the two independent components. TI with high distress display increased EEG activity in the oscillatory range around 25 Hz (upper β-band that agglomerates over frontal recording sites. TI with high presence show enhanced EEG signal strength in the δ-, α-, and lower γ-bands (30–40 Hz over bilateral temporal and left perisylvian electrodes. Based on these differential patterns we suggest that the two dimensions, namely, distress and presence, should be considered as independent dimensions of chronic subjective tinnitus.

  18. Expectations for Tinnitus Treatment and Outcomes: A Survey Study of Audiologists and Patients.

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    Husain, Fatima T; Gander, Phillip E; Jansen, Jaclyn N; Shen, Sa

    2018-04-01

    Roughly 10-15% of the general population is affected by tinnitus and this percentage is estimated to rise in future. Because there is currently no cure for tinnitus, treatment is limited and is primarily achieved through management of symptoms and counseling. This study compared audiologists' and patients' responses to related survey questions about their expectations regarding tinnitus treatment. Two separate surveys were created, one for patients with tinnitus, and one for practicing audiologists who may treat such patients. The surveys included several related questions, such that comparison of the two could reveal where patients' and audiologists' expectations for tinnitus care were in agreement and areas in which they differed. The surveys for audiologists and adults with tinnitus were 31- and 38-item questionnaires, respectively. Both surveys comprised demographic questions followed by several tinnitus-related questions in either multiple-choice or Likert-scale format. We received 230 completed Patient Surveys and 68 completed Audiologist Surveys. All survey recruitment was completed online. Responses were collected via the Survey Monkey web tool (http://www.surveymonkey.com/). Responses were analyzed within and between surveys and grouped into topical categories (assessment, counseling, current available tinnitus information, satisfaction and expectations, improving tinnitus management). For data within each survey, descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were used. For selected comparisons between surveys, cross-tabulations were used. Hierarchical regression modeling was conducted to further explore (1) the perceived effectiveness of treatment received, and (2) how each group defined treatment success. Differences were noted between the two groups' responses to the question on the definition of treatment success; audiologists reported decreased awareness (77%), stress/anxiety relief (63%), and increased knowledge of tinnitus (63%) most commonly

  19. Tinnitus: Distinguishing between Subjectively Perceived Loudness and Tinnitus-Related Distress

    OpenAIRE

    Wallhäusser-Franke, Elisabeth; Brade, Joachim; Balkenhol, Tobias; D'Amelio, Roberto; Seegmüller, Andrea; Delb, Wolfgang

    2012-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: Overall success of current tinnitus therapies is low, which may be due to the heterogeneity of tinnitus patients. Therefore, subclassification of tinnitus patients is expected to improve therapeutic allocation, which, in turn, is hoped to improve therapeutic success for the individual patient. The present study aims to define factors that differentially influence subjectively perceived tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related distress. METHODS: In a questionnaire-based cross-section...

  20. Electric field-navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation for chronic tinnitus: a randomized, placebo-controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahlsten, Hanna; Virtanen, Juuso; Joutsa, Juho; Niinivirta-Joutsa, Katri; Löyttyniemi, Eliisa; Johansson, Reijo; Paavola, Janika; Taiminen, Tero; Sjösten, Noora; Salonen, Jaakko; Holm, Anu; Rauhala, Esa; Jääskeläinen, Satu K

    2017-09-01

    Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may alleviate tinnitus. We evaluated effects of electric field (E-field) navigated rTMS targeted according to tinnitus pitch. No controlled studies have investigated anatomically accurate E-field-rTMS for tinnitus. Effects of E-field-rTMS were evaluated in a prospective randomised placebo-controlled 6-month follow-up study on parallel groups. Patients received 10 sessions of 1 Hz rTMS or placebo targeted to the left auditory cortex corresponding to tonotopic representation of tinnitus pitch. Effects were evaluated immediately after treatment and at 1, 3 and 6 months. Primary outcome measures were visual analogue scores (VAS 0-100) for tinnitus intensity, annoyance and distress, and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Thirty-nine patients (mean age 50.3 years). The mean tinnitus intensity (F 3  = 15.7, p tinnitus, differences between active and placebo groups remained non-significant, due to large placebo-effect and wide inter-individual variation.

  1. [On the interdisciplinary S3 guidelines for the treatment of chronic idiopathic tinnitus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zenner, H-P; Delb, W; Kröner-Herwig, B; Jäger, B; Peroz, I; Hesse, G; Mazurek, B; Goebel, G; Gerloff, C; Trollmann, R; Biesinger, E; Seidler, H; Langguth, B

    2015-06-01

    Tinnitus is a frequent symptom, which, particularly in combination with comorbidities, can result in a severe disease-related burden. Chronic idiopathic tinnitus (CIT) is the most frequent type of tinnitus. A considerable number of treatment strategies are used to treat CIT-for many of which there is no evidence of efficacy. In order to enable scientific evidence-based treatment of CIT, German interdisciplinary S3 guidelines have recently been constructed for the first time. Here we present a short form of these S3 guidelines. The guidelines were constructed based on a meta-analysis of the treatment of chronic tinnitus performed by the authors. Additionally, a systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases. Furthermore, a systematic search for international guidelines was performed in Google, as well as in the Guidelines International Network and National Guideline Clearinghouse (USA) database. Evidence was classified according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine system. According to the guidelines, alongside counselling, manualized structured tinnitus-specific cognitive behavioral therapy (tCBT) with a validated treatment manual is available as evidence-based therapy. In addition, the guidelines recommend concurrent treatment of comorbidities, including drug-based treatment, where appropriate. Particularly important is treatment of anxiety and depression. Where a psychic or psychiatric comorbidity is suspected, further diagnosis and treatment should be performed by an appropriately qualified specialist (psychiatrist, neurologist, psychosomatic medicine consultant) or psychological psychotherapist. In cases accompanied by deafness or hearing loss bordering on deafness, cochlear implants may be indicated. No recommendations can be made for drug-based treatment of CIT, audiotherapy, transcranial magnetic or electrical stimulation, specific forms of acoustic stimulation or music therapy; or such recommendations

  2. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Probe State- and Trait-Like Conditions in Chronic Tinnitus: A Proof-of-Principle Study

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    Martin Schecklmann

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. Several neuroscience tools showed the involvement of auditory cortex in chronic tinnitus. In this proof-of-principle study we probed the capability of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS for the measurement of brain oxygenation in auditory cortex in dependence from chronic tinnitus and from intervention with transcranial magnetic stimulation. Methods. Twenty-three patients received continuous theta burst stimulation over the left primary auditory cortex in a randomized sham-controlled neuronavigated trial (verum = 12; placebo = 11. Before and after treatment, sound-evoked brain oxygenation in temporal areas was measured with fNIRS. Brain oxygenation was measured once in healthy controls (n=12. Results. Sound-evoked activity in right temporal areas was increased in the patients in contrast to healthy controls. Left-sided temporal activity under the stimulated area changed over the course of the trial; high baseline oxygenation was reduced and vice versa. Conclusions. By demonstrating that rTMS interacts with auditory evoked brain activity, our results confirm earlier electrophysiological findings and indicate the sensitivity of fNIRS for detecting rTMS induced changes in brain activity. Moreover, our findings of trait- and state-related oxygenation changes indicate the potential of fNIRS for the investigation of tinnitus pathophysiology and treatment response.

  3. Evaluation of Audiological Characteristics of Patients with Tinnitus ‎Referring to Otolaryngology Clinics of Babol

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    K Kiakojori

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Tinnitus is a common symptom associated with hearing loss and its related disorders. Awareness of audiological features is of paramount importance for effective management of tinnitus. This study aimed to evaluate audiological characteristics of tinnitus in patients referring to otolaryngology clinics of Babol, Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 patients with tinnitus (47 male, 73 female with mean age of 47.12±15.285 years referring to otolaryngology clinics of Babol, Iran. Patients were examined via pure tone audiometry at frequency of 250-8000 Hz to determine the location and type of tinnitus. FINDINGS: In this study, 104 patients (88.7% had hearing loss, 103 patients had tonal tinnitus with dizziness, 17 patients had loud tinnitus with no dizziness, 45 cases (37.5% had bilateral tinnitus, 75 patients (62.5% had unilateral tinnitus, and 17 patients had family history of tinnitus. Among female patients, two cases (1.7% experienced tinnitus during pregnancy, while in four patients (3.3%, it was reported immediately after pregnancy. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has a higher prevalence among patients with tinnitus

  4. Association between sleep disorders, hyperacusis and tinnitus: Evaluation with tinnitus questionnaires

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra B Fioretti

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Patients with tinnitus are heterogeneous and several factors influence the impact of this symptom on the quality of life. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between age, gender, sleep disorders, hyperacusis and tinnitus annoyance and to demonstrate the utility of tinnitus questionnaires as screening tools for sleep disorders and hyperacusis in patients with tinnitus. 37 consecutive patients (18 males and 19 females with subjective tinnitus lasting over 3 months were evaluated with a complete interview, otological examination, pure tone audiometry, Italian version of tinnitus sample case history (TSCH and tinnitus handicap inventory (THI. Statistical analysis was performed with the Wilcoxon′s rank sum test, the Spearman′s rho non-parametric correlation and the logistic regression analysis. THI grades were slight (16%, mild (32%, moderate (30%, severe (19% and catastrophic (3%. Based on the answers to TSCH 20 patients reported sleep disorders (54% and 20 patients reported hyperacusis (54%. 11 patients (30% reported sleep disorders and hyperacusis. No significant correlation was found between the severity of tinnitus and patients′ age and gender. Significant correlation was found between sleep disorders (P = 0.0009 and tinnitus annoyance and between hyperacusis (P = 0.03 and tinnitus annoyance. TSCH and THI may be considered as screening tools in the clinical practice to evidence sleep disorders and hyperacusis in patients with tinnitus.

  5. Outcomes of clinical trial: tinnitus masking versus tinnitus retraining therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, James A; Schechter, Martin A; Zaugg, Tara L; Griest, Susan; Jastreboff, Pawel J; Vernon, Jack A; Kaelin, Christine; Meikle, Mary B; Lyons, Karen S; Stewart, Barbara J

    2006-02-01

    A controlled clinical study was conducted to evaluate prospectively the clinical efficacy of tinnitus masking (TM) and tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) in military veterans having clinically significant tinnitus. Qualifying patients were placed into the two groups in an alternating manner (to avoid selection bias), and treatment was administered at 0, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. Outcomes of treatment were evaluated using three self-administered tinnitus questionnaires (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire, Tinnitus Severity Index) and the verbally administered TRT interview forms. Findings are presented from the three written questionnaires, and from two of the interview questions (percentage time aware of, and annoyed by, tinnitus). Outcomes were analyzed on an intent-to-treat basis, using a multilevel modeling approach. Of the 123 patients enrolled, 118 were included in the analysis. Both groups showed significant declines (improvements) on these measures, with the TRT decline being significantly greater than for TM. The greater declines in TRT compared to TM occurred most strongly in patients who began treatment with a "very big" tinnitus problem. When patients began treatment with a "moderate" tinnitus problem, the benefits of TRT compared to TM were more modest.

  6. Does a single session of theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation of inferior temporal cortex affect tinnitus perception?

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    Moser Tobias

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cortical excitability changes as well as imbalances in excitatory and inhibitory circuits play a distinct pathophysiological role in chronic tinnitus. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS over the temporoparietal cortex was recently introduced to modulate tinnitus perception. In the current study, the effect of theta-burst stimulation (TBS, a novel rTMS paradigm was investigated in chronic tinnitus. Twenty patients with chronic tinnitus completed the study. Tinnitus severity and loudness were monitored using a tinnitus questionnaire (TQ and a visual analogue scale (VAS before each session. Patients received 600 pulses of continuous TBS (cTBS, intermittent TBS (iTBS and intermediate TBS (imTBS over left inferior temporal cortex with an intensity of 80% of the individual active or resting motor threshold. Changes in subjective tinnitus perception were measured with a numerical rating scale (NRS. Results TBS applied to inferior temporal cortex appeared to be safe. Although half of the patients reported a slight attenuation of tinnitus perception, group analysis resulted in no significant difference when comparing the three specific types of TBS. Converting the NRS into the VAS allowed us to compare the time-course of aftereffects. Only cTBS resulted in a significant short-lasting improvement of the symptoms. In addition there was no significant difference when comparing the responder and non-responder groups regarding their anamnestic and audiological data. The TQ score correlated significantly with the VAS, lower loudness indicating less tinnitus distress. Conclusion TBS does not offer a promising outcome for patients with tinnitus in the presented study.

  7. Efficacy and safety of bilateral continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS for the treatment of chronic tinnitus: design of a three-armed randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Plontke Stefan K

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tinnitus, the perception of sound and noise in absence of an auditory stimulus, has been shown to be associated with maladaptive neuronal reorganization and increased activity of the temporoparietal cortex. Transient modulation of tinnitus by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS indicated that these areas are critically involved in the pathophysiology of tinnitus and suggested new treatment strategies. However, the therapeutic efficacy of rTMS in tinnitus is still unclear, individual response is variable, and the optimal stimulation area disputable. Recently, continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS has been put forward as an effective rTMS protocol for the reduction of pathologically enhanced cortical excitability. Methods 48 patients with chronic subjective tinnitus will be included in this randomized, placebo controlled, three-arm trial. The treatment consists of two trains of cTBS applied bilaterally to the secondary auditory cortex, the temporoparietal associaction cortex, or to the lower occiput (sham condition every working day for four weeks. Primary outcome measure is the change of tinnitus distress as quantified by the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ. Secondary outcome measures are tinnitus loudness and annoyance as well as tinnitus change during and after treatment. Audiologic and speech audiometric measurements will be performed to assess potential side effects. The aim of the present trail is to investigate effectiveness and safety of a four weeks cTBS treatment on chronic tinnitus and to compare two areas of stimulation. The results will contribute to clarify the therapeutic capacity of rTMS in tinnitus. Trial registration The trial was registered with the clinical trials register of http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00518024.

  8. Tinnitus: patients do not have to 'just live with it'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Craig W; Sandridge, Sharon A; Bea, Scott M; Cherian, Kay; Cherian, Neil; Kahn, Karyn M; Kaltenbach, James

    2011-05-01

    Tinnitus is distressing and affects the quality of life for many patients. Because primary care physicians may be the entry point for patients seeking help for tinnitus, we urge them to acknowledge this symptom and its potential negative impact on the patient's health and quality of life. Physicians should actively listen to the patient and provide hope and encouragement, but also provide realistic expectations about the course of treatment. The patient must also understand that there may be no singular "cure" for tinnitus and that management may involve multidisciplinary assessment and treatment.

  9. Study of tonotopic brain changes with functional MRI and FDG-PET in a patient with unilateral objective cochlear tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guinchard, A-C; Ghazaleh, Naghmeh; Saenz, M; Fornari, E; Prior, J O; Maeder, P; Adib, S; Maire, R

    2016-11-01

    We studied possible brain changes with functional MRI (fMRI) and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in a patient with a rare, high-intensity "objective tinnitus" (high-level SOAEs) in the left ear of 10 years duration, with no associated hearing loss. This is the first case of objective cochlear tinnitus to be investigated with functional neuroimaging. The objective cochlear tinnitus was measured by Spontaneous Otoacoustic Emissions (SOAE) equipment (frequency 9689 Hz, intensity 57 dB SPL) and is clearly audible to anyone standing near the patient. Functional modifications in primary auditory areas and other brain regions were evaluated using 3T and 7T fMRI and FDG-PET. In the fMRI evaluations, a saturation of the auditory cortex at the tinnitus frequency was observed, but the global cortical tonotopic organization remained intact when compared to the results of fMRI of healthy subjects. The FDG-PET showed no evidence of an increase or decrease of activity in the auditory cortices or in the limbic system as compared to normal subjects. In this patient with high-intensity objective cochlear tinnitus, fMRI and FDG-PET showed no significant brain reorganization in auditory areas and/or in the limbic system, as reported in the literature in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Acoustic startle reflex and pre-pulse inhibition in tinnitus patients

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Kelly Shadwick; Wei Sun

    2014-01-01

    Gap induced pre-pulse inhibition (Gap-PPI) of acoustic startle reflex has been used as a measurement of tinnitus in animal models. However, whether this test is sensitive to detect tinnitus in humans is still unclear. Based on the testing procedure used in animal studies, a human subject testing method was formulated and conducted to investigate if a similar result could be found in tinnitus patients. Audiologic and tinnitus assessments and acoustic startle reflex measurements were performed on seven tinnitus subjects and nine age matched subjects without tinnitus. There was no significant difference found between the control and tinnitus group on the Gap-PPI across the frequencies evaluated. The amplitude of the startle response in the tinnitus group with normal hearing thresholds was significantly higher than the control group and those with tinnitus and hearing loss. This preliminary result suggests that hyperexcitability in the central auditory system may be involved in tinnitus. There was no correlation between hearing thresholds and the increased amplitude of startle response.

  11. Reduced volume of Heschl's gyrus in tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Peter; Andermann, Martin; Wengenroth, Martina; Goebel, Rainer; Flor, Herta; Rupp, André; Diesch, Eugen

    2009-04-15

    The neural basis of tinnitus is unknown. Recent neuroimaging studies point towards involvement of several cortical and subcortical regions. Here we demonstrate that tinnitus may be associated with structural changes in the auditory cortex. Using individual morphological segmentation, the medial partition of Heschl's gyrus (mHG) was studied in individuals with and without chronic tinnitus using magnetic resonance imaging. Both the tinnitus and the non-tinnitus group included musicians and non-musicians. Patients exhibited significantly smaller mHG gray matter volumes than controls. In unilateral tinnitus, this effect was almost exclusively seen in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the affected ear. In bilateral tinnitus, mHG volume was substantially reduced in both hemispheres. The tinnitus-related volume reduction was found across the full extent of mHG, not only in the high-frequency part usually most affected by hearing loss-induced deafferentation. However, there was also evidence for a relationship between volume reduction and hearing loss. Correlations between volume and hearing level depended on the subject group as well as the asymmetry of the hearing loss. The volume changes observed may represent antecedents or consequences of tinnitus and tinnitus-associated hearing loss and also raise the possibility that small cortical volume constitutes a vulnerability factor.

  12. [Effectiveness of partial and complete instrumental masking in chronic tinnitus. Studies with reference to retraining therapy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Wedel, H; von Wedel, U C; Streppel, M; Walger, M

    1997-09-01

    Jastreboff und Hazell [9] developed a neurophysiological approach to tinnitus perception, including the important role of the central nervous system in the maintenance and intrusiveness of tinnitus. They introduced tinnitus-retraining therapy, consisting of four different strategies: (1) directive and person-centered counseling; (2) hearing aids and/or noise generators and/or environmental sounds; (3) psychological therapy; (4) adjacent therapies. Tinnitus should not be masked as with a tinnitus-masker, but must be able to be heard in addition to the noise! A noise generator or hearing aid should be worn at least 6-8 h per day over a period of up to 18 months. In additions several clinical visits are required in order to reinforce the counseling. The actual results show complete tinnitus remission for about 20-30% and partial remission for 50-60% of the patients [6]. We report on a retrospective study in patients wearing hearing aids or tinnitus-maskers over a period of 3 years. We compared the results of patients using partial tinnitus masking to those using complete masking. The tinnitus-related and general psychological complaints were acquired by the 52-item tinnitus questionnaire developed by Hallam et al. [4] and modified by Goebel and Hiller [3]. To describe the dimensions of tinnitus-related distress the scales are labelled emotional distress, cognitive distress, emotional and cognitive distress, intrusiveness, auditory perceptual difficulties, sleep disturbance and somatic complaints. Positive changes for the global tinnitus questionnaire score of more than 10 points are significant in the dimensions of tinnitus-related distress and are described as partial tinnitus-reduction. The group with partial masking effects can be compared to those performing retraining therapy to day because directive and personal centered counseling were integrated for all patients. Patients reporting partial masking effects through their aids (hearing aid or noise generator

  13. The occlusal imaging and analysis system by T-scan III in tinnitus patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Berardino, Federica; Filipponi, Eliana; Schiappadori, Massimo; Forti, Stella; Zanetti, Diego; Cesarani, Antonio

    2016-04-01

    Several studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) in tinnitus patients ranges from 7% to 95%, and it is reported in literature that idiopathic tinnitus patients should be referred to a dentist to define whether or not the tinnitus is associated with TMD. However, the possible pathophysiological relation between TMDs and tinnitus is not generally investigated in clinical practice. The patterns and forces of occlusal contacts have been studied by means of T-scan III in 47 tinnitus patients (23 suffering from idiopathic tinnitus and 24 affected by Ménière disease [MD]) and 13 healthy subjects. The center of force target was offset in the opposite direction in 15/23 idiopathic tinnitus and in 7/24 MD patients (p = 0.026). No significant variation was found in the occlusal force. Our data suggest that a diagnostic screening method for occlusal stability in the intercuspidal position might be clinically useful in idiopathic tinnitus patients. Copyright © 2016 Chang Gung University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Auditive stimulation therapy as an intervention in subacute and chronic tinnitus: a prospective observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusatz, Martin; Ostermann, Thomas; Aldridge, David

    2005-01-01

    Tinnitus is a noise, a ringing, or a roaring sound in the affected ear and is becoming an increasingly serious problem for health care systems. Integrative treatment concepts are currently regarded as promising therapeutic approaches for managing tinnitus. The aim of this study was to present the results of auditive stimulation therapy, a program of music therapy developed specifically for tinnitus treatment. We collected data on outpatient treatment results from 155 tinnitus patients and evaluated them in a prospective observational study with three defined times of measurement (start, end, and 6 months after the end of treatment). Apart from anamnestic data and subjective evaluation of treatment, the major outcome parameter was the score of the tinnitus questionnaire. To evaluate effectiveness of the therapy, we calculated effect sizes (according to Cohen). Fifty-one percent of the patients were male, and the mean patient age was 49 years. Of the 155 patients, 137 (88%) were capable of gainful employment, which means that they fell in the age range between 18 and 65 years. The duration of tinnitus was more than 6 months for 80% of patients, and 43% had been suffering from tinnitus for more than 3 years. In general, all subscales of the tinnitus questionnaire showed highly significant changes (t-test, p observe a reduction to the level prior to treatment. The values for the effect sizes mostly ranged between medium (> 0.5) and high (> 0.8). Closer investigations indicated that a combination of music therapy and psychological training rendered the best effect sizes. This study demonstrated that music therapy is an effective integrated treatment approach and offers a way to make progress in tinnitus treatment.

  15. Suppression of Tinnitus in Chinese Patients Receiving Regular Cochlear Implant Programming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ying; Wang, Hong; Han, Dong Xu; Li, Ming Hua; Wang, Yu; Xiao, Yu Li

    2016-04-01

    To assess the clinical effect of cochlear implant programming on tinnitus. Tinnitus patients (n = 234) were divided into 3 groups: (1) preoperative tinnitus (n = 108), (2) postoperative tinnitus occurring before implant switch-on at week 4 (n = 88), and (3) tinnitus occurring more than 1 year postoperatively (n = 44). Patients in each group were randomly allocated into a programming subgroup that received programming for 12 weeks postoperatively or after tinnitus occurrence or a control subgroup. Impedance testing and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) were performed preoperatively and at 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks postoperatively (groups 1 and 2) or after tinnitus occurrence (group 3). Comparisons were performed using t tests and chi-square tests. Impedance was significantly lower in the programming subgroup than in the control subgroup in groups 1 and 2 at 8 and 12 weeks and in group 3 at 12 weeks. The THI scores decreased in both programming and control subgroups in all groups. However, this decrease was pronounced in the programming subgroup, whereas in the control subgroup, it occurred slowly over time. Cochlear implant programming decreases impedance and improves tinnitus symptoms. © The Author(s) 2015.

  16. Patients' Perception of a Symptomatic Tinnitus among Nigerians: A ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Tinnitus is a very common otologic symptom presented by patients worldwide yet it's a poorly understood disorder. This study is aimed at assessing the perception of patients of their tinnitus. A multi-center prospective study carried out in Ear, Nose and Throat Department of two tertiary health institutions in Nigeria over a ...

  17. Radiologic diagnostic and therapeutic options in patients with pulsatile tinnitus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wanke, Isabel; Universitaetsklinikum Essen; Forsting, Michael

    2010-01-01

    A pulse synchronous tinnitus is characterized by a rhythmic sound that is in sync with the patient heartbeat or respiration and can be perceived by the patient as a bruit. Different from the more common classic and continuous ear sound, with pulse synchronous tinnitus one may often discover a pathological neovascular condition that can be diagnosed with medical imaging. This review covers the different conditions leading to pulse synchronous tinnitus and provides indications requiring preventive and active treatment to avoid potential but serious sequela for the patient. (orig.)

  18. Clinical trial to compare tinnitus masking and tinnitus retraining therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, J A; Schechter, M A; Zaugg, T L; Griest, S; Jastreboff, P J; Vernon, J A; Kaelin, C; Meikle, M B; Lyons, K S; Stewart, B J

    2006-12-01

    Both tinnitus masking (TM) and tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) can be effective therapies for amelioration of tinnitus. TM may be more effective for patients in the short term, but with continued treatment TRT may produce the greatest effects. Although TM and TRT have been used for many years, research has not documented definitively the efficacy of these methods. The present study was a controlled clinical trial to prospectively evaluate the clinical efficacy of these two methods for US military veterans with severe tinnitus. Over 800 veterans were screened to ensure that enrolled patients had tinnitus of sufficient severity to justify 18 months of individualized treatment. Qualifying patients (n=123) were placed quasi-randomly (alternating placement) into treatment with either TM or TRT. Treatment was administered at 0, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. Outcomes of treatment were evaluated primarily using three self-administered tinnitus questionnaires (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire, Tinnitus Severity Index). Findings are presented from the three written questionnaires with respect to three categories of patients: describing tinnitus as a 'moderate,' 'big,' and 'very big' problem at baseline. Based on effect sizes, both groups showed considerable improvement overall. In general, TM effects remained fairly constant over time while TRT effects improved incrementally. For the patients with a 'moderate' and 'big' problem, TM provided the greatest benefit at 3 and 6 months; benefit to these TRT patients was slightly greater at 12 months, and much greater at 18 months. For patients with a 'very big' problem, TM provided the greatest benefit at 3 months. For these latter patients, results were about the same between groups at 6 months, and improvement for TRT was much greater at 12 months, with further gains at 18 months.

  19. Brain Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography Gender Differences in Tinnitus Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shlamkovich, Nathan; Gavriel, Haim; Eviatar, Ephraim; Lorberboym, Mordechay; Aviram, Eliad

    2016-10-01

    Increased metabolism in the left auditory cortex has been reported in tinnitus patients. However, gender difference has not been addressed. To assess the differences in Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) results between the genders in tinnitus patients. Retrospective cohort. Included were patients referred to our clinic between January 2011 and August 2013 who complained of tinnitus and underwent fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET to assess brain metabolism. Univariate and multivariate nominal logistic regressions were used to evaluate the association between upper temporal gyrus (UTG; right and left) and gender. Included were 140 patients (87 males) with an average age of 52.5 yr (median = 53.1). Bilateral tinnitus was found in 85 patients (60.7%), left sided in 30 (21.4%), and right sided in 21(15%). Increased uptake in the UTG was found in 60% of the patients on either side. Males had a statistically significant increased uptake in the UTG in those with unilateral tinnitus and in the entire population. We present the largest study reported so far on tinnitus patients who have undergone FDG-PET-CT. We found a statistically significant difference between the genders in FDG uptake by the UTG. Further investigations should be undertaken to reveal the etiologies for these differences and to assess different therapeutic protocols according to gender. American Academy of Audiology

  20. Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy Enhances Task-Negative Activity in Tinnitus Patients

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    Christoph M. Krick

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Suffering from tinnitus causes mental distress in most patients. Recent findings point toward a diminished activity of the brain's default-mode network (DMN in subjects with mental disorders including depression or anxiety and also recently in subjects with tinnitus-related distress. We recently developed a therapeutic intervention, namely the Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy (HNMT, which shows an effective reduction of tinnitus-related distress following a 1-week short-term treatment. This approach offers the possibility to evaluate the neural changes associated with the improvements in tinnitus distress. We previously reported gray matter (GM reorganization in DMN regions and in primary auditory areas following HNMT in cases of recent-onset tinnitus. Here we evaluate on the same patient group, using functional MRI (fMRI, the activity of the DMN following the improvements tinnitus-related distress related to the HNMT intervention.Methods: The DMN activity was estimated by the task-negative activation (TNA during long inter-trial intervals in a word recognition task. The level of TNA was evaluated twice, before and after the 1-week study period, in 18 treated tinnitus patients (“treatment group,” TG, 21 passive tinnitus controls (PTC, and 22 active healthy controls (AC. During the study, the participants in TG and AC groups were treated with HNMT, whereas PTC patients did not receive any tinnitus-specific treatment. Therapy-related effects on DMN activity were assessed by comparing the pairs of fMRI records from the TG and PTC groups.Results: Treatment of the TG group with HNMT resulted in an augmented DMN activity in the PCC by 2.5% whereas no change was found in AC and PTC groups. This enhancement of PCC activity correlated with a reduction in tinnitus distress (Spearman Rho: −0.5; p < 0.005.Conclusion: Our findings show that an increased DMN activity, especially in the PCC, underlies the improvements in tinnitus

  1. Sensorineural Tinnitus: Its Pathology and Probable Therapies

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    Aage R. Møller

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus is not a single disease but a group of different diseases with different pathologies and therefore different treatments. Regarding tinnitus as a single disease is hampering progress in understanding of the pathophysiology of tinnitus and perhaps, more importantly, it is a serious obstacle in development of effective treatments for tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus is a phantom sound that takes many different forms and has similarities with chronic neuropathic pain. The pathology may be in the cochlea, in the auditory nerve, or, most commonly, in the brain. Like chronic neuropathic pain tinnitus is not life threatening but influences many normal functions such as sleep and the ability to concentrate on work. Some forms of chronic tinnitus have two components, a (phantom sound and a component that may best be described as suffering or distress. The pathology of these two components may be different and the treatment that is most effective may be different for these two components. The most common form of treatment of tinnitus is pharmacological agents and behavioral treatment combined with sound therapy. Less common treatments are hypnosis and acupuncture. Various forms of neuromodulation are becoming in use in an attempt to reverse maladaptive plastic changes in the brain.

  2. Tinnitus services in the United Kingdom: a survey of patient experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McFerran, Don; Hoare, Derek J; Carr, Simon; Ray, Jaydip; Stockdale, David

    2018-02-13

    Tinnitus service provision in the United Kingdom has been investigated from the healthcare provider's perspective demonstrating considerable regional variation particularly regarding availability of psychological treatments. An audiological-based tinnitus service, however, was reportedly available for all tinnitus patients in the UK. The aim of the current study was to define and evaluate nationwide tinnitus healthcare services from the patients' viewpoint. Secondary analyses were performed on data from a 33-item questionnaire provided by the British Tinnitus Association. The questionnaire had been distributed via email and social media. Responses from 937 participants who had or had previously experienced tinnitus were analysed. All but one person had at some time consulted their GP. About one in five received medication in primary care. The majority were referred to secondary care, generally an ENT surgeon or audiovestibular physician; some were referred directly to audiological services. In secondary care the majority underwent audiometric testing and over half underwent MRI scanning. Drugs were prescribed less frequently in secondary care. About one third of patients were referred onwards from diagnostic services in secondary care to receive therapeutic interventions for tinnitus. Therapy was generally delivered by an audiologist or hearing therapist. Just under two fifths of people discharged from secondary care returned to their GP, with most returning within one year. Over a third of this group were re-referred to secondary care. Few patients saw a psychologist (2.6%) though some psychological treatments were delivered by appropriately trained audiologists. Negative counselling from healthcare professionals in both primary and secondary care settings was reported. Although the UK has developed a national service for patients with tinnitus many people find it difficult to access, being blocked at the primary care level or after secondary care diagnostic

  3. Temporomandibular joint disorder complaints in tinnitus: further hints for a putative tinnitus subtype.

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    Veronika Vielsmeier

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Tinnitus is considered to be highly heterogeneous with respect to its etiology, its comorbidities and the response to specific interventions. Subtyping is recommended, but it remains to be determined which criteria are useful, since it has not yet been clearly demonstrated whether and to which extent etiologic factors, comorbid states and interventional response are related to each other and are thus applicable for subtyping tinnitus. Analyzing the Tinnitus Research Initiative Database we differentiated patients according to presence or absence of comorbid temporomandibular joint (TMJ disorder complaints and compared the two groups with respect to etiologic factors. METHODS: 1204 Tinnitus patients from the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI Database with and without subjective TMJ complaints were compared with respect to demographic, tinnitus and audiological characteristics, questionnaires, and numeric ratings. Data were analysed according to a predefined statistical analysis plan. RESULTS: Tinnitus patients with TMJ complaints (22% of the whole group were significantly younger, had a lower age at tinnitus onset, and were more frequently female. They could modulate or mask their tinnitus more frequently by somatic maneuvers and by music or sound stimulation. Groups did not significantly differ for tinnitus duration, type of onset (gradual/abrupt, onset related events (whiplash etc., character (pulsatile or not, hyperacusis, hearing impairment, tinnitus distress, depression, quality of life and subjective ratings (loudness etc.. CONCLUSION: Replicating previous work in tinnitus patients with TMJ complaints, classical risk factors for tinnitus like older age and male gender are less relevant in tinnitus patients with TMJ complaints. By demonstrating group differences for modulation of tinnitus by movements and sounds our data further support the notion that tinnitus with TMJ complaints represents a subgroup of tinnitus with clinical

  4. Tinnitus- related distress: evidence from fMRI of an emotional stroop task

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    Dennis Golm

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic tinnitus affects 5 % of the population, 17 % suffer under the condition. This distress seems mainly to be dependent on negative cognitive-emotional evaluation of the tinnitus and selective attention to the tinnitus. A well-established paradigm to examine selective attention and emotional processing is the Emotional Stroop Task (EST. Recent models of tinnitus distress propose limbic, frontal and parietal regions to be more active in highly distressed tinnitus patients. Only a few studies have compared high and low distressed tinnitus patients. Thus, this study aimed to explore neural correlates of tinnitus-related distress. Methods Highly distressed tinnitus patients (HDT, n = 16, low distressed tinnitus patients (LDT, n = 16 and healthy controls (HC, n = 16 underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI during an EST, that used tinnitus-related words and neutral words as stimuli. A random effects analysis of the fMRI data was conducted on the basis of the general linear model. Furthermore correlational analyses between the blood oxygen level dependent response and tinnitus distress, loudness, depression, anxiety, vocabulary and hypersensitivity to sound were performed. Results Contradictory to the hypothesis, highly distressed patients showed no Stroop effect in their reaction times. As hypothesized HDT and LDT differed in the activation of the right insula and the orbitofrontal cortex. There were no hypothesized differences between HDT and HC. Activation of the orbitofrontal cortex and the right insula were found to correlate with tinnitus distress. Conclusions The results are partially supported by earlier resting-state studies and corroborate the role of the insula and the orbitofrontal cortex in tinnitus distress.

  5. [Integrated intensive treatment of tinnitus: method and initial results].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazurek, B; Georgiewa, P; Seydel, C; Haupt, H; Scherer, H; Klapp, B F; Reisshauer, A

    2005-07-01

    In recent years, no major advances have been made in understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of tinnitus. Hence, the present therapeutic strategies aim at decoupling the subconscious from the perception of tinnitus. Mindful of the lessons drawn from existing tinnitus retraining and desensitisation therapies, a new integrated day hospital strategy of treatment lasting 7-14 days has been developed at the Charité Hospital and is presented in the present paper. The strategy for treating tinnitus in the proximity of patient domicile is designed for patients who feel disturbed in their world of perception and their efficiency due to tinnitus and give evidence of mental and physical strain. In view of the etiologically non-uniform and multiple events connected with tinnitus, consideration was also given to the fact that somatic and psychosocial factors are equally involved. Therefore, therapy should aim at diagnosing and therapeutically influencing those psychosocial factors that reduce the hearing impression to such an extent that the affected persons suffer from strain. The first results of therapy-dependent changes of 46 patients suffering from chronic tinnitus are presented. The data were evaluated before and after 7 days of treatment and 6 months after the end of treatment. Immediately after the treatment, the scores of both the tinnitus questionnaire (Goebel and Hiller) and the subscales improved significantly. These results were maintained during the 6-month post-treatment period and even improved.

  6. [Attention diversion in tinnitus therapy. Comparison of the effects of different treatment methods].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eysel-Gosepath, K; Gerhards, F; Schicketanz, K-H; Teichmann, K; Benthien, M

    2004-05-01

    Diversion or distraction of auditory attention is a core principle of tinnitus retraining therapy as introduced by P. Jastreboff and J. Hazell. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a different form of attention diversion in tinnitus therapy. In a prospective and randomized study, 40 patients suffering from chronic tinnitus were assigned to two different groups, A or B. All patients received appropriate counselling and were instructed in relaxation training. Patients in group A learned to distract attention away from the tinnitus by using sound or music. White noise generators or hearing aids were applied in this group. Patients in group B were instructed to direct their attention away from the tinnitus using imagination that was facilitated by the use of light and warmth stimuli as distracters. Different standardized questionnaires were used for an evaluation of therapy effectiveness. In both groups, patients were significantly less annoyed and disabled by their tinnitus immediately after therapy and after 6 months. Tinnitus annoyance still proved to be reduced 1 year after the end of the therapy. There were no significant differences in the effects of each treatment. Attention diversion is an important method for decreasing tinnitus-related distress. Patients should be instructed to use not only auditory but also visual and thermal sensations in order to distract attention away from their tinnitus.

  7. Complementary Therapies for Significant Dysfunction from Tinnitus: Treatment Review and Potential for Integrative Medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruth Q. Wolever

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus is a prevalent and costly chronic condition; no universally effective treatment exists. Only 20% of patients who report tinnitus actually seek treatment, and when treated, most patients commonly receive sound-based and educational (SBE therapy. Additional treatment options are necessary, however, for nonauditory aspects of tinnitus (e.g., anxiety, depression, and significant interference with daily life and when SBE therapy is inefficacious or inappropriate. This paper provides a comprehensive review of (1 conventional tinnitus treatments and (2 promising complementary therapies that have demonstrated some benefit for severe dysfunction from tinnitus. While there has been no systematic study of the benefits of an Integrative Medicine approach for severe tinnitus, the current paper reviews emerging evidence suggesting that synergistic combinations of complementary therapies provided within a whole-person framework may augment SBE therapy and empower patients to exert control over their tinnitus symptoms without the use of medications, expensive devices, or extended programs.

  8. Auditory adaptation testing as a tool for investigating tinnitus origin: two patients with vestibular schwannoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silverman, Carol A; Silman, Shlomo; Emmer, Michele B

    2017-06-01

    To enhance the understanding of tinnitus origin by disseminating two case studies of vestibular schwannoma (VS) involving behavioural auditory adaptation testing (AAT). Retrospective case study. Two adults who presented with unilateral, non-pulsatile subjective tinnitus and bilateral normal-hearing sensitivity. At the initial evaluation, the otolaryngologic and audiologic findings were unremarkable, bilaterally. Upon retest, years later, VS was identified. At retest, the tinnitus disappeared in one patient and was slightly attenuated in the other patient. In the former, the results of AAT were positive for left retrocochlear pathology; in the latter, the results were negative for the left ear although a moderate degree of auditory adaptation was present despite bilateral normal-hearing sensitivity. Imaging revealed a small VS in both patients, confirmed surgically. Behavioural AAT in patients with tinnitus furnishes a useful tool for exploring tinnitus origin. Decrease or disappearance of tinnitus in patients with auditory adaptation suggests that the tinnitus generator is the cochlea or the cochlear nerve adjacent to the cochlea. Patients with unilateral tinnitus and bilateral, symmetric, normal-hearing thresholds, absent other audiovestibular symptoms, should be routinely monitored through otolaryngologic and audiologic re-evaluations. Tinnitus decrease or disappearance may constitute a red flag for retrocochlear pathology.

  9. Tinnitus-Induced Suicide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serhan Derin

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus is one of the most common complaints in otolaryngology practice. Tinnitus may often be accompanied with hearing loss and vertigo. Tinnitus may impair the quality of life in advanced degrees. In very rare cases, it may cause suicide. In this report, we presented the case of a 61-year-old female patient who attempted suicide due to tinnitus. She suffered from constant tinnitus in both ears since she had undergone serous otitis media two months ago. Despite medical treatment, tinnitus did not improve, and lately, she suffered from severe insomnia. Due to severe tinnitus and insomnia, she drank hydrochloric acid. She was consequently admitted to our emergency department by her family. On physical examination, the patient’s vital signs were stable and floor of the mouth mucosa, gingiva, and hard and soft palate had widely ulcerated areas. Severe laryngeal edema and ulceration was observed on laryngoscopic examination. The eardrum was myringosclerotic on otoscopic examination. The patient was closely followed for respiratory distress; however, tracheostomy was not required. The abovementioned case suggests that patients admitted with complaints of tinnitus should be questioned for severity of depressive symptoms, considering that the presence of depressive symptoms in these patients may result in an attempt of suicide. These patients should be evaluated not only in otolaryngology clinics but also in psychiatric clinics, and subsequently receive appropriate support.

  10. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale in patients with tinnitus and hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomaa, Mohammed Abdel Motaal; Elmagd, Manal Hassan Abo; Elbadry, Mohammed Mohammed; Kader, Rafeek Mohammed Abdel

    2014-08-01

    The study was proposed to evaluate co-morbid depression, anxiety and stress associated with tinnitus patients. The study was done on 196 subjects: 100 patients suffering from subjective tinnitus associated with hearing loss (tinnitus group), 45 patients suffering from hearing loss only (hearing loss group) and 50 healthy subjects not suffering from tinnitus or hearing loss (control group); the age ranges from 20 to 60 years old. The studied sample was subjected to full ear, nose and throat examinations and audiological evaluation. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) was developed by Levibond H and Levibond F to assess three self-report scales designed to measure the negative emotional status of depression, anxiety and stress. All patients and control group were evaluated by DASS. (1) Depression: males were affected more than females. All patients over 60 years were affected by depression. The duration of tinnitus seems correlating with the severity of depression. Only 2 patients (4.3 %) of the hearing loss group suffer from depression. (2) Anxiety: 90 % of males suffer from anxiety as compared to 83.3 % females. The age group 20-29 years old suffers more than other age groups. Only 4 patients (8.7 %) of hearing loss group suffer from anxiety. (3) Stress: females seem to be affected by the stress (76.7 %) more than males (67.5). Patients in age group 30-39 suffer the most from the disease. There is a direct correlation between duration of tinnitus and severity of stress. No one of the hearing loss group suffers from stress. In conclusion, depression, anxiety and stress should be taken into consideration in the treatment of patients suffering from tinnitus.

  11. The relationship between tinnitus pitch and parameters of audiometry and distortion product otoacoustic emissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keppler, H; Degeest, S; Dhooge, I

    2017-11-01

    Chronic tinnitus is associated with reduced auditory input, which results in changes in the central auditory system. This study aimed to examine the relationship between tinnitus pitch and parameters of audiometry and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. For audiometry, the parameters represented the edge frequency of hearing loss, the frequency of maximum hearing loss and the frequency range of hearing loss. For distortion product otoacoustic emissions, the parameters were the frequency of lowest distortion product otoacoustic emission amplitudes and the frequency range of reduced distortion product otoacoustic emissions. Sixty-seven patients (45 males, 22 females) with subjective chronic tinnitus, aged 18 to 73 years, were included. No correlation was found between tinnitus pitch and parameters of audiometry and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. However, tinnitus pitch fell mostly within the frequency range of hearing loss. The current study seems to confirm the relationship between tinnitus pitch and the frequency range of hearing loss, thus supporting the homeostatic plasticity model.

  12. The occlusal imaging and analysis system by T-scan III in tinnitus patients

    OpenAIRE

    Di Berardino, Federica; Filipponi, Eliana; Schiappadori, Massimo; Forti, Stella; Zanetti, Diego; Cesarani, Antonio

    2016-01-01

    Background: Several studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) in tinnitus patients ranges from 7% to 95%, and it is reported in literature that idiopathic tinnitus patients should be referred to a dentist to define whether or not the tinnitus is associated with TMD. However, the possible pathophysiological relation between TMDs and tinnitus is not generally investigated in clinical practice. Methods: The patterns and forces of occlusal contacts hav...

  13. A central nervous system approach to tinnitus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoekstra, C.E.L

    2013-01-01

    Chronic tinnitus is a phantom auditory perception of meaningless sound. It is a highly prevalent symptom with potential severe morbidity. In this thesis diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of tinnitus are assessed, based on the notion that tinnitus most probably arises from hyperactivity in the

  14. Psychoacoustic Tinnitus Loudness and Tinnitus-Related Distress Show Different Associations with Oscillatory Brain Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balkenhol, Tobias; Wallhäusser-Franke, Elisabeth; Delb, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    Background The phantom auditory perception of subjective tinnitus is associated with aberrant brain activity as evidenced by magneto- and electroencephalographic studies. We tested the hypotheses (1) that psychoacoustically measured tinnitus loudness is related to gamma oscillatory band power, and (2) that tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related distress are related to distinct brain activity patterns as suggested by the distinction between loudness and distress experienced by tinnitus patients. Furthermore, we explored (3) how hearing impairment, minimum masking level, and (4) psychological comorbidities are related to spontaneous oscillatory brain activity in tinnitus patients. Methods and Findings Resting state oscillatory brain activity recorded electroencephalographically from 46 male tinnitus patients showed a positive correlation between gamma band oscillations and psychoacoustic tinnitus loudness determined with the reconstructed tinnitus sound, but not with the other psychoacoustic loudness measures that were used. Tinnitus-related distress did also correlate with delta band activity, but at electrode positions different from those associated with tinnitus loudness. Furthermore, highly distressed tinnitus patients exhibited a higher level of theta band activity. Moreover, mean hearing loss between 0.125 kHz and 16 kHz was associated with a decrease in gamma activity, whereas minimum masking levels correlated positively with delta band power. In contrast, psychological comorbidities did not express significant correlations with oscillatory brain activity. Conclusion Different clinically relevant tinnitus characteristics show distinctive associations with spontaneous brain oscillatory power. Results support hypothesis (1), but exclusively for the tinnitus loudness derived from matching to the reconstructed tinnitus sound. This suggests to preferably use the reconstructed tinnitus spectrum to determine psychoacoustic tinnitus loudness. Results also support

  15. Phenotypic characteristics of hyperacusis in tinnitus.

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    Martin Schecklmann

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Many people with tinnitus also suffer from hyperacusis. Both clinical and basic scientific data indicate an overlap in pathophysiologic mechanisms. In order to further elucidate the interplay between tinnitus and hyperacusis we compared clinical and demographic characteristics of tinnitus patients with and without hyperacusis by analyzing a large sample from an international tinnitus patient database. MATERIALS: The default dataset import [November 1(st, 2012] from the Tinnitus Research Initiative [TRI] Database was used for analyses. Hyperacusis was defined by the question "Do sounds cause you pain or physical discomfort?" of the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire. Patients who answered this question with "yes" were contrasted with "no"-responders with respect to 41 variables. RESULTS: 935 [55%] out of 1713 patients were characterized as hyperacusis patients. Hyperacusis in tinnitus was associated with younger age, higher tinnitus-related, mental and general distress; and higher rates of pain disorders and vertigo. In relation to objective audiological assessment patients with hyperacusis rated their subjective hearing function worse than those without hyperacusis. Similarly the tinnitus pitch was rated higher by hyperacusis patients in relation to the audiometrically determined tinnitus pitch. Among patients with tinnitus and hyperacusis the tinnitus was more frequently modulated by external noise and somatic maneuvers, i.e., exposure to environmental sounds and head and neck movements change the tinnitus percept. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the comorbidity of hyperacusis is a useful criterion for defining a sub-type of tinnitus which is characterized by greater need of treatment. The higher sensitivity to auditory, somatosensory and vestibular input confirms the notion of an overactivation of an unspecific hypervigilance network in tinnitus patients with hyperacusis.

  16. Therapy of unspecific tinnitus without organic cause

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    Seiler, Gerda

    2006-08-01

    training and structured group psychotherapy. Ad 4: Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT: Unfortunately, the published results of the TRT are methodically frequently bad and scientific of a poor value. Many of the studies presented until now regarding tinnitus retraining therapy are not informative in their scientific context. In a study with 95 patients with a chronic tinnitus TRT could show a significant, more than six months lasting stable success by comparison to a combination of TET with group behaviour therapy (improvement be achieved around at least ten points in the tinnitus questionnaire (TF. Ad 5: Pharmacological therapies: Rheological drugs (medicines for hemodilution could not show any statistically significant effect in the treatment of tinnitus. Studies to the medical treatment with tocainides (lidocaine showed repeatable positive effects on tinnitus in higher dosages (as of 1.2 mg/day. Lamotrigine as a medicine had an effect positively only at with a small fraction of patients. Two studies with GABA receptor agonists could not prove therapeutic effects for tinnitus. Undesired side-effects were observed. Injections with Carvoverine (a glutamate antagonist achieved significantly successes with a special form of tinnitus, the “Cochlear-synaptic tinnitus (CST". A tricyclic antidepressant (Amitriptilin could prove superiority against placebo. This effect could be confirmed in another study. However Clonazepame (a benzodiazepine, could not achieve any improvement. Short-term improvements were achieved with other benzodiazepines (Clonazepame, Diazepam, Flurazepame, Oxacepame and Alprazolame. A German retrospective study suggests a graded pharmacological therapy by means of rheological infusion therapy, applications of neurotransmitters, and injections of lidocaine. This method achieved a disappearance or a recovery of the complaints at 95.3% of the acute and 26.7% of the chronic cases. Ad 6: Surgical procedures: The effects of the operative excision of the stapes

  17. Therapy of unspecific tinnitus without organic cause.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frank, Wilhelm; Konta, Brigitte; Seiler, Gerda

    2006-08-30

    (TRT) Unfortunately, the published results of the TRT are methodically frequently bad and scientific of a poor value. Many of the studies presented until now regarding tinnitus retraining therapy are not informative in their scientific context. In a study with 95 patients with a chronic tinnitus TRT could show a significant, more than six months lasting stable success by comparison to a combination of TET with group behaviour therapy (improvement be achieved around at least ten points in the tinnitus questionnaire (TF)). AD 5: PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPIES Rheological drugs (medicines for hemodilution) could not show any statistically significant effect in the treatment of tinnitus. Studies to the medical treatment with tocainides (lidocaine) showed repeatable positive effects on tinnitus in higher dosages (as of 1.2 mg/day). Lamotrigine as a medicine had an effect positively only at with a small fraction of patients. Two studies with GABA receptor agonists could not prove therapeutic effects for tinnitus. Undesired side-effects were observed. Injections with Carvoverine (a glutamate antagonist) achieved significantly successes with a special form of tinnitus, the "Cochlear-synaptic tinnitus (CST)". A tricyclic antidepressant (Amitriptilin) could prove superiority against placebo. This effect could be confirmed in another study. However Clonazepame (a benzodiazepine), could not achieve any improvement. Short-term improvements were achieved with other benzodiazepines (Clonazepame, Diazepam, Flurazepame, Oxacepame and Alprazolame). A German retrospective study suggests a graded pharmacological therapy by means of rheological infusion therapy, applications of neurotransmitters, and injections of lidocaine. This method achieved a disappearance or a recovery of the complaints at 95.3% of the acute and 26.7% of the chronic cases. AD 6: SURGICAL PROCEDURES The effects of the operative excision of the stapes (stapedectomy) showed significant effects concerning tinnitus. This

  18. The potential etiologic factors influencing tinnitus intensity in patients with temporomandibular disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demirkol, Nermin; Demirkol, Mehmet; Usumez, Aslihan; Sari, Fatih; Akcaboy, Cihan

    2017-08-30

    To investigate the potential relationships between the intensity of tinnitus associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and potential etiologic factors, including age, gender, freeway space, sleep bruxism (SB), joint clicking, and headache. The sample was comprised of 90 patients without any hearing loss, as confirmed by otorhinolaryngology, who self-reported subjective tinnitus and simultaneous TMD, based on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD). The results showed a positive, weak correlation between the intensity of tinnitus and age (r = 0.225, p = 0.033). The presence of SB and headache were seen in higher proportions in the present sample, at 75.5% (n = 68) and 66.6% (n = 60), respectively. In a population of patients with subjective tinnitus and TMD, no significant associations were found between tinnitus intensity and age, freeway space, SB, clicking presence, and headache, though gender did show a weak correlation with tinnitus intensity.

  19. A critical evaluation of Web sites offering patient information on tinnitus.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Kieran, Stephen M

    2012-02-01

    The Internet is a vast information resource for both patients and healthcare professionals. However, the quality and content often lack formal scrutiny, so we examined the quality of patient information regarding tinnitus on the Internet. Using the three most popular search engines (google.com, yahoo.com, and msn.com), we found pertinent Web sites using the search term tinnitus. Web sites\\' accountability and authorship were evaluated using previously published criteria. The quality of patient information about tinnitus was assessed using a new 10-point scale, the Tinnitus Information Value (TIV). Statistical analysis was performed using the independent sample t-test (p Tinnitus information available on the Internet is indeed variable, and care should be taken in recommending tinnitus Web sites to patients.

  20. The importance of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in patients with tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaspar, L; Jurcova, D; Ocadlik, I; Makovnik, M; Hlinstakova, S; Bendzala, M; Gasparova, E; Fulleova, M; Dukat, A

    2011-01-01

    Arterial hypertension belongs to the most important factors of origin and lasting of tinnitus. We have studied 18 subjects suffering from tinnitus without the history of diagnosed or treated arterial hypertension. ABPM method was used for diagnosing arterial hypertension. 12 patients (66%) fulfilled the criteria for arterial hypertension. Our results illustrate that arterial hypertension diagnosis is devoted an insufficient attention in patients with tinnitus. ABPM should therefore be used in all patients with tinnitus, immediately after its manifestation and also repeatedly during its course. With early diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, some complications, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, heart and/or kidney failure can be thus prevented (Tab. 1, Fig. 5, Ref. 10). Full Text in free PDF www.bmj.sk.

  1. [Counselling versus cognitive group therapy for tinnitus. A retrospective study of their efficacy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, A; Lins, U; Wetscher, I; Welzl-Müller, K; Weichbold, V

    2004-03-01

    Both counselling and group therapy have been recommended for supporting patients with chronic tinnitus. It is unclear which of these treatments is superior. This retrospective study aimed at comparing relief from tinnitus distress following counselling with that following cognitive group therapy. Distress relief was also compared to the distress level of the waiting group patients. Tinnitus distress was assessed through the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ, Goebel and Hiller) at three different times: before treatment (in waiting list patients: at initial contact) and at 3 and 6 months after initial assessment. Data from 21 patients per group were included in the analysis. The initial tinnitus distress scores were similar in all groups (about 48 TQ points out of a maximum of 84). After 3 months, both counselling subjects and group therapy participants exhibited a significant distress reduction of 13 TQ points, which remained stable after 6 months. Patients on the waiting list experienced no distress relief over time. Results from our data demonstrate the need for a future prospective study on the comparison of efficacy of counselling vs cognitive group therapy.

  2. Tinnitus in patients with temporo-mandibular joint disorder: Proposal for a new treatment protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attanasio, Giuseppe; Leonardi, Alessandra; Arangio, Paolo; Minni, Antonio; Covelli, Edoardo; Pucci, Resi; Russo, Francesca Yoshie; De Seta, Elio; Di Paolo, Carlo; Cascone, Piero

    2015-06-01

    The present study was designed to verify the correlation between tinnitus and temporomandibular joint dysfunction.86 consecutive patients were enrolled in the study, all affected by subjective tinnitus without hearing impairment, from both genders, age between 18 and 60 years old. The final number of patients included in the study was 55. All patients received a temporo-mandibular joint examination. All the patients were asked to rate the severity of their symptoms before and after treatment using a VAS scale and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and they followed a standardized protocol for the investigation of tinnitus. All the subjects were monitored by the same researcher and they underwent the same splint treatment. The comparison between pre- and posttreatment phase scores showed in patients with predisposition of TMD and with TMD a statistically significant decrease of THI and VAS values. The characteristics of tinnitus and the degree of response to treatment confirmed the relationship between tinnitus and TMD. The authors believe that, when the most common causes of tinnitus, such as otologic disorders and neurological diseases are excluded, it is correct to evaluate the functionality of the temporo-mandibular joint and eventually treat its pathology to obtain tinnitus improvement or even resolution. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. 1-Hz rTMS in the treatment of tinnitus: A sham-controlled, randomized multicenter trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landgrebe, Michael; Hajak, Göran; Wolf, Stefan; Padberg, Frank; Klupp, Philipp; Fallgatter, Andreas J; Polak, Thomas; Höppner, Jacqueline; Haker, Rene; Cordes, Joachim; Klenzner, Thomas; Schönfeldt-Lecuona, Carlos; Kammer, Thomas; Graf, Erika; Koller, Michael; Kleinjung, Tobias; Lehner, Astrid; Schecklmann, Martin; Pöppl, Timm B; Kreuzer, Peter; Frank, Elmar; Langguth, Berthold

    Chronic tinnitus is a frequent, difficult to treat disease with high morbidity. This multicenter randomized, sham-controlled trial investigated the efficacy and safety of 1-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the left temporal cortex in patients with chronic tinnitus. Tinnitus patients were randomized to receive 10 sessions of either real or sham 1-Hz-rTMS (2000 stimuli, 110% motor threshold) to the left temporal cortex. The primary outcome was the change in the sum score of the tinnitus questionnaire (TQ) of Goebel and Hiller from baseline to end of treatment. A total of 163 patients were enrolled in the study (real rTMS: 75; sham rTMS: 78). At day 12, the baseline mean of 43.1 TQ points in 71 patients assigned to real rTMS changed by -0.5 points; it changed by 0.5 points from a baseline of 42.1 in 75 patients randomized to sham rTMS (adjusted mean difference between groups: -1.0; 95.19% confidence interval: -3.2 to 1.2; p = 0.36). All secondary outcome measures including measures of depression and quality of life showed no significant differences either (p > 0.11). The number of participants with side-effects or adverse events did not differ between groups. Real 1-Hz-rTMS over the left temporal cortex was well tolerated but not superior compared with sham rTMS in improving tinnitus severity. These findings are in contrast to results from studies with smaller sample sizes and put the efficacy of this rTMS protocol for treatment of chronic tinnitus into question. Controlled Trials: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN89848288. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. When the ringing in the earsgetsunbearable : Illness representations, self-instructions and adjustment to tinnitus

    OpenAIRE

    Vollmann, Manja; Kalkouskaya, Natallia; Langguth, Berthold; Scharloo, Margreet

    2012-01-01

    ObjectiveChronic tinnitus can severely impair a person's quality of life. The degree of impairment, however, is not closely related to tinnitus loudness. Applying the common sense model (CSM) of self-regulation of health and illness, this study investigated to what extent psychological factors, i.e. illness representations and positive/negative self-instructions, are associated with the degree of tinnitus-related complaints.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 118 patients diagnosed with chr...

  5. Relation of distortion product otoacoustic emission and tinnitus in normal hearing patients: A pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Datt Modh

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Tinnitus, the perception of the sound in the absence of an external acoustic source, disrupts the daily life 1 out of every 200 adults, yet its physiological basis remains largely a mystery. The generation of tinnitus is commonly linked with the impaired functioning of the outer hair cells (OHC inside the cochlea. Otoacoustic emissions are the objective test used to assess their activity. Objective: The objective of the investigation was to study the features of Distortion product OtoAcoustic emissions (DPOAE in a group of tinnitus patients with normal hearing and to find out whether there is any difference in DPOAE findings in the tinnitus patients with normal hearing and in persons with normal hearing with no complaint of tinnitus. Materials and Methods: The participants consisted of two groups. The subject group consisted of 16 ears of patients, in which 6 subjects were having tinnitus in both ears while 4 subjects were having tinnitus only in one ear. All subjects were aged between 20 to 60 years with complaint of tinnitus with audiometrically normal hearing. Control group was comprised of 16 audiometrically normal hearing ears of persons who were age and gender matched with the subject groups and had no complaint of tinnitus. Both the subject group as well as control group was subjected for DPOAE test. Findings of both the groups were compared using the unpaired t test. Result and conclusion: It was observed that the amplitudes of DPOAE were significantly lower in tinnitus patients than that of persons without complaint of tinnitus, at a frequency of 1281-1560, 5120-6250, 7243-8837 Hz, which imply that decrease of DPOAEs amplitudes may be related to the presence of tinnitus. It can be concluded that there is association between tinnitus and reduced OHC activity which indicate the OHC of cochlea are involved in the generation of tinnitus.

  6. Multisensory attention training for treatment of tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiegel, D P; Linford, T; Thompson, B; Petoe, M A; Kobayashi, K; Stinear, C M; Searchfield, G D

    2015-05-28

    Tinnitus is the conscious perception of sound with no physical sound source. Some models of tinnitus pathophysiology suggest that networks associated with attention, memory, distress and multisensory experience are involved in tinnitus perception. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a multisensory attention training paradigm which used audio, visual, and somatosensory stimulation would reduce tinnitus. Eighteen participants with predominantly unilateral chronic tinnitus were randomized between two groups receiving 20 daily sessions of either integration (attempting to reduce salience to tinnitus by binding with multisensory stimuli) or attention diversion (multisensory stimuli opposite side to tinnitus) training. The training resulted in small but statistically significant reductions in Tinnitus Functional Index and Tinnitus Severity Numeric Scale scores and improved attentional abilities. No statistically significant improvements in tinnitus were found between the training groups. This study demonstrated that a short period of multisensory attention training reduced unilateral tinnitus, but directing attention toward or away from the tinnitus side did not differentiate this effect.

  7. Association between tinnitus retraining therapy and a tinnitus control instrument.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Mari; Soma, Keiko; Ando, Reiko

    2009-10-01

    Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), which is an adaptation therapy for tinnitus based on the neurophysiological model proposed by Jastreboff in 1990,consists of directive counseling and acoustic therapy with a tinnitus control instrument (TCI) or other devices. For the past 5 years, our hospital has administered TRT characterized by the use of a TCI. In this study, we reviewed the clinical course of patients with tinnitus who presented to our outpatient clinic for tinnitus and hearing loss during the 3-year period from April 2004 to March 2007 and underwent TRT with a TCI. Among 188 patients with tinnitus (105 males and 83 females), 88 patients (51 males and 37 females, excluding dropouts) who purchased a TCI and continued therapy were included in the study. Significant improvement in Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores was found as early as 1 month of treatment and later compared with those on initial examination, suggesting that TRT with a TCI may be an effective treatment for tinnitus. Among the noises generated by the TCI, the sound pressure output from the TCI was set at just below tinnitus loudness level both of the first adjustment and the second adjustment. Speech noise and white noise were frequently selected, whereas high-frequency noise and pink noise were infrequently selected. Speech noise was most frequently selected at the first adjustment, and the number of patients selecting white noise increased at the second adjustment. The results that we compared the two also revealed that the mean hearing level and tinnitus loudness levels were higher in the white noise group than in the speech noise group, which suggested that the inner ear disorder was more harder in the white noise group. Both the THI score and VAS grade improved after 1 month of treatment in the speech noise group, whereas improvement in these parameters was observed in the white noise group after 6 months of treatment. These results suggest that it took

  8. Trauma-associated tinnitus: audiological, demographic and clinical characteristics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter M Kreuzer

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Tinnitus can result from different etiologies. Frequently, patients report the development of tinnitus after traumatic injuries. However, to which extent this specific etiologic factor plays a role for the phenomenology of tinnitus is still incompletely understood. Additionally, it remains a matter of debate whether the etiology of tinnitus constitutes a relevant criterion for defining tinnitus subtypes. OBJECTIVE: By investigating a worldwide sample of tinnitus patients derived from the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI Database, we aimed to identify differences in demographic, clinical and audiological characteristics between tinnitus patients with and without preceding trauma. MATERIALS: A total of 1,604 patients were investigated. Assessment included demographic data, tinnitus related clinical data, audiological data, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, the Tinnitus Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, various numeric tinnitus rating scales, and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Scale (WHOQoL. RESULTS: Our data clearly indicate differences between tinnitus patients with and without trauma at tinnitus onset. Patients suffering from trauma-associated tinnitus suffer from a higher mental burden than tinnitus patients presenting with phantom perceptions based on other or unknown etiologic factors. This is especially the case for patients with whiplash and head trauma. Patients with posttraumatic noise-related tinnitus experience more frequently hyperacousis, were younger, had longer tinnitus duration, and were more frequently of male gender. CONCLUSIONS: Trauma before tinnitus onset seems to represent a relevant criterion for subtypization of tinnitus. Patients with posttraumatic tinnitus may require specific diagnostic and therapeutic management. A more systematic and - at best - standardized assessment for hearing related sequelae of trauma is needed for a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and

  9. Trauma-associated tinnitus: audiological, demographic and clinical characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreuzer, Peter M; Landgrebe, Michael; Schecklmann, Martin; Staudinger, Susanne; Langguth, Berthold

    2012-01-01

    Tinnitus can result from different etiologies. Frequently, patients report the development of tinnitus after traumatic injuries. However, to which extent this specific etiologic factor plays a role for the phenomenology of tinnitus is still incompletely understood. Additionally, it remains a matter of debate whether the etiology of tinnitus constitutes a relevant criterion for defining tinnitus subtypes. By investigating a worldwide sample of tinnitus patients derived from the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI) Database, we aimed to identify differences in demographic, clinical and audiological characteristics between tinnitus patients with and without preceding trauma. A total of 1,604 patients were investigated. Assessment included demographic data, tinnitus related clinical data, audiological data, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, the Tinnitus Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, various numeric tinnitus rating scales, and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Scale (WHOQoL). Our data clearly indicate differences between tinnitus patients with and without trauma at tinnitus onset. Patients suffering from trauma-associated tinnitus suffer from a higher mental burden than tinnitus patients presenting with phantom perceptions based on other or unknown etiologic factors. This is especially the case for patients with whiplash and head trauma. Patients with posttraumatic noise-related tinnitus experience more frequently hyperacousis, were younger, had longer tinnitus duration, and were more frequently of male gender. Trauma before tinnitus onset seems to represent a relevant criterion for subtypization of tinnitus. Patients with posttraumatic tinnitus may require specific diagnostic and therapeutic management. A more systematic and - at best - standardized assessment for hearing related sequelae of trauma is needed for a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and for developing more tailored treatment approaches as well.

  10. Effect of low-level laser therapy in the treatment of cochlear tinnitus: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehkordi, Mahboobeh Adami; Einolghozati, Sasan; Ghasemi, Seyyed Mohsen; Abolbashari, Samaneh; Meshkat, Mojtaba; Behzad, Hadi

    2015-01-01

    Many treatments for chronic tinnitus have been attempted, but the condition remains difficult to cure, especially in the case of cochlear tinnitus. We conducted a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the effect of low-dose laser therapy on chronic cochlear tinnitus. Our study population was made up of 66 patients-33 who received active laser treatment (case group) and 33 who received inactive dummy treatment (control group). Patients in the laser group received 5 mV with a wavelength of 650 nm for 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. The controls followed the same schedule, but they were "treated" with an inactive device. The degree of tinnitus was evaluated before and after treatment in each group in three ways: (1) the Tinnitus Severity Index (TSI), (2) a subjective 10-point self-assessment scale for tinnitus loudness, and (3) the Tinnitus Evaluation Test (TET). At study's end, we found no statistically significant differences between the case and control groups in the number of patients who experienced a reduction in TSI values (p = 0.589) or a reduction in subjective self-assessment scores (p = 0.475). Nor did we find any significant reductions in the loudness (p = 0.665) and frequency (p = 0.396) of tinnitus as determined by the TET. We conclude that 5-mV laser therapy with a wavelength of 650 nm is no better than placebo for improving hearing thresholds overall or for treating tinnitus with regard to age, sex, environmental noise level, and the duration of tinnitus.

  11. When the ringing in the ears gets unbearable: Illness representations, self-instructions and adjustment to tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vollmann, Manja; Kalkouskaya, Natallia; Langguth, Berthold; Scharloo, Margreet

    2012-08-01

    Chronic tinnitus can severely impair a person's quality of life. The degree of impairment, however, is not closely related to tinnitus loudness. Applying the common sense model (CSM) of self-regulation of health and illness, this study investigated to what extent psychological factors, i.e. illness representations and positive/negative self-instructions, are associated with the degree of tinnitus-related complaints. In this cross-sectional study, 118 patients diagnosed with chronic tinnitus filled in questionnaires assessing illness representations (IPQ-R), positive and negative self-instructions (TRSS), and tinnitus-related complaints (TQ). The regression analysis yielded a number of significant associations between illness representations and tinnitus-related complaints, particularly for the IPQ-R dimensions identity, consequences, coherence, and emotional representations. With regard to self-instructions and tinnitus-related complaints, significant effects were found only for negative self-instructions. Moreover, multiple mediation analyses revealed that the effects of consequences and emotional representations on tinnitus-related complaints were (partially) due to the use of negative self-instructions. Psychological factors are strongly related to the extent of tinnitus-related complaints. The findings provide an indication of which aspects should be targeted in psychological and psychotherapeutic tinnitus treatment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Intra-individual variability in tinnitus patients : current thoughts and perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dauman, N; Erlandsson, S; Lundlin, L; Dauman, R

    2015-04-01

    Most tinnitus studies have attempted to compare groups of individuals, thus revealing inter-individuals differences, i.e., variations between compared subjects. For methodological reasons, inter-individual studies cannot take into account the variability of tinnitus experience, which has been known for decades to be relevant in daily practice with tinnitus patients. The concept of intra-individual variability has been promoted in the research literature, in order to shed light on this aspect of individual perception. In previous studies, unrelated to hearing, the concept of intra-individual variability implied inclusion of the environment (i.e., physical and social interactions) as a factor of individual performance. In tinnitus research, we believe that the concept of variability (within a person) could find a place beside the concept of variation (between groups of subjects). In this paper, four perspectives of tinnitus experiences from the clinical and research fields are described: (1) ENT consultation; (2) short-term group psychotherapy; (3) psychodynamic psychotherapy; and (4) clinical psychological research. Intra-individual variability stresses the importance of defining tinnitus in a dynamic way, contrary to the current definition of tinnitus as the perception of sound(s). In clinical practice, it is useful to embrace the perspective of the perceiver of tinnitus, and to include social and cultural circumstances as well as audiological/physical changes.

  13. Tonic tensor tympani syndrome in tinnitus and hyperacusis patients: A multi-clinic prevalence study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Myriam Westcott

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Tonic tensor tympani syndrome (TTTS is an involuntary, anxiety-based condition where the reflex threshold for tensor tympani muscle activity is reduced, causing a frequent spasm. This can trigger aural symptoms from tympanic membrane tension, middle ear ventilation alterations and trigeminal nerve irritability. TTTS is considered to cause the distinctive symptoms of acoustic shock (AS, which can develop after exposure to an unexpected loud sound perceived as highly threatening. Hyperacusis is a dominant AS symptom. Aural pain/blockage without underlying pathology has been noted in tinnitus and hyperacusis patients, without wide acknowledgment. This multiclinic study investigated the prevalence of TTTS symptoms and AS in tinnitus and hyperacusis patients. This study included consecutive patients with tinnitus and/or hyperacusis seen in multiple clinics. Data collected: Symptoms consistent with TTTS (pain/numbness/burning in and around the ear; aural "blockage"; mild vertigo/nausea; "muffled" hearing; tympanic flutter; headache; onset or exacerbation from exposure to loud/intolerable sounds; tinnitus/hyperacusis severity. All patients were medically cleared of underlying pathology, which could cause these symptoms. 60.0% of the total sample (345 patients, 40.6% of tinnitus only patients, 81.1% of hyperacusis patients had ≥1 symptoms (P < 0.001. 68% of severe tinnitus patients, 91.3% of severe hyperacusis patients had ≥1 symptoms (P < 0.001. 19.7% (68/345 of patients in the total sample had AS. 83.8% of AS patients had hyperacusis, 41.2% of non-AS patients had hyperacusis (P < 0.001. The high prevalence of TTTS symptoms suggests they readily develop in tinnitus patients, more particularly with hyperacusis. Along with AS, they should be routinely investigated in history-taking.

  14. Tinnitus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoekstra, Carlijn; Venekamp, Roderick; van Zanten, Bert

    2015-01-01

    In this article, a number of common questions about the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus are discussed, based on the first author’s PhD thesis. It is hoped that this will help general practitioners when deciding whether to refer a patient with tinnitus to an otorhinolaryngologist or an

  15. Characterization of tinnitus in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sogebi, Olusola Ayodele

    2013-08-01

    This study aimed to characterize tinnitus in middle aged and elderly out-patients attending a specialized clinic in a developing country. A cross sectional study of patients attending the ear, nose and throat (ENT) clinic of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, OOUTH Sagamu, Nigeria. Data was collected with the use of a structured questionnaire. Data collected included socio demographics, medical history including experience of tinnitus, PTAs, BMI and BP. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17.0. 79 patients had complaints of tinnitus thus making a crude prevalence of 14.5%, the prevalence increased steadily along the age groups. 51.9% of patients experienced tinnitus for a short period. 53.2% of the patients had symptoms referable to only one ear, while 54.4% had discrete as opposed to multiple types of tinnitus. Occurrence of intermittent symptoms was experienced by 75.9% of the patients and 70.9% were non-pulsatile in nature. Tinnitus was significantly associated with abnormal audiographic pattern, global increased hearing thresholds, high tone hearing loss, vertigo, hypertension and obesity. Tinnitus character was majorly short term, unilateral, discrete, intermittent, and non-pulsatile in nature, and it is associated with otological, audiological, anthropometric and cardiovascular anomalies. The characteristics of tinnitus in Nigerian patients were similar to those described in developed countries, but the major risk factors for tinnitus except hearing impairment, may be different from the latter. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Combined rTMS treatment targeting the Anterior Cingulate and the Temporal Cortex for the Treatment of Chronic Tinnitus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreuzer, Peter M.; Lehner, Astrid; Schlee, Winfried; Vielsmeier, Veronika; Schecklmann, Martin; Poeppl, Timm B.; Landgrebe, Michael; Rupprecht, Rainer; Langguth, Berthold

    2015-01-01

    Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been proposed as a tinnitus treatment option. Promising results have been obtained by consecutive stimulation of lateral frontal and auditory brain regions. We investigated a combined stimulation paradigm targeting the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) with double cone coil rTMS, followed by stimulation of the temporo-parietal junction area with a figure-of-eight coil. The study was conducted as a randomized, double-blind pilot trial in 40 patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. We compared mediofrontal stimulation with double-cone-coil, (2000 stimuli, 10 Hz) followed by left temporo-parietal stimulation with figure-of-eight-coil (2000 stimuli, 1 Hz) to left dorsolateral-prefrontal-cortex stimulation with figure-of-eight-coil (2000 stimuli, 10 Hz) followed by temporo-parietal stimulation with figure-of-eight-coil (2000 stimuli, 1 Hz). The stimulation was feasible with comparable dropout rates in both study arms; no severe adverse events were registered. Responder rates did not differ in both study arms. There was a significant main effect of time for the change in the TQ score, but no significant time x group interaction. This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of combined mediofrontal/temporoparietal-rTMS-stimulation with double cone coil in tinnitus patients but failed to show better outcome compared to an actively rTMS treated control group. PMID:26667790

  17. Polarity Specific Suppression Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Tinnitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kathleen Joos

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus is the perception of a sound in the absence of an external auditory stimulus and affects 10–15% of the Western population. Previous studies have demonstrated the therapeutic effect of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS over the left auditory cortex on tinnitus loudness, but the effect of this presumed excitatory stimulation contradicts with the underlying pathophysiological model of tinnitus. Therefore, we included 175 patients with chronic tinnitus to study polarity specific effects of a single tDCS session over the auditory cortex (39 anodal, 136 cathodal. To assess the effect of treatment, we used the numeric rating scale for tinnitus loudness and annoyance. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant main effect for tinnitus loudness and annoyance, but for tinnitus annoyance anodal stimulation has a significantly more pronounced effect than cathodal stimulation. We hypothesize that the suppressive effect of tDCS on tinnitus loudness may be attributed to a disrupting effect of ongoing neural hyperactivity, independent of the inhibitory or excitatory effects and that the reduction of annoyance may be induced by influencing adjacent or functionally connected brain areas involved in the tinnitus related distress network. Further research is required to explain why only anodal stimulation has a suppressive effect on tinnitus annoyance.

  18. Bi-modal stimulation in the treatment of tinnitus: a study protocol for an exploratory trial to optimise stimulation parameters and patient subtyping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Arcy, Shona; Hamilton, Caroline; Hughes, Stephen; Hall, Deborah A; Vanneste, Sven; Langguth, Berthold; Conlon, Brendan

    2017-10-25

    Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of a corresponding external acoustic stimulus. Bimodal neuromodulation is emerging as a promising treatment for this condition. The main objectives of this study are to investigate the relevance of interstimulus timing and the choices of acoustic and tongue stimuli for a proprietary bimodal (auditory and somatosensory) neuromodulation device, as well as to explore whether specific subtypes of patients are differentially responsive to this novel intervention for reducing the symptoms of chronic tinnitus. This is a two-site, randomised, triple-blind, exploratory study of a proprietary neuromodulation device with a pre-post and 12-month follow-up design. Three different bimodal stimulation parameter sets will be examined. The study will enrol 342 patients, split 80:20 between two sites (Dublin, Ireland and Regensburg, Germany), to complete 12 weeks of treatment with the device. Patients will be allocated to one of three arms using a stepwise stratification according to four binary categories: tinnitus tonality, sound level tolerance (using loudness discomfort level of Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and the Tinnitus Functional Index, after 12 weeks of intervention. Clinical efficacy will be further explored in a series of patient subtypes, split by the stratification variables and by presence of a somatic tinnitus. Evidence for sustained effects on the psychological and functional impact of tinnitus will be followed up for 12 months. Safety data will be collected and reported. A number of feasibility measures to inform future trial design include: reasons for exclusion, completeness of data collection, attrition rates, patient's adherence to the device usage as per manufacturer's instructions and evaluation of alternative methods for estimating tinnitus impact and tinnitus loudness. This study protocol is approved by the Tallaght Hospital/St. James's Hospital Joint Research Ethics Committee in Dublin, Ireland, and by the

  19. [Tinnitus Center at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine--earliest experience].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzek, Wojciech J; Sułkowski, Wiesław J; Kowalska, Sylwia; Makowska, Zofia

    2002-01-01

    Of the 150 patients admitted in 2001 to the Tinnitus Center located at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland, 80 were subjected to complex examinations consisted of standardized questionnaire on medical history, psychological tests and audiological assessment. The diagnostic procedure was completed for 52 patients (23 females and 29 males; mean age: 53 years). In this group, five patients were found to have conductive hearing loss due to chronic eustachtis or otosclerosis. They were excluded from further studies. Among the other 47 patients, 26 showed normal hearing threshold and 21 suffered from uni- or bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Hyperacusis was diagnosed in 16 cases. The measurements of brainstem evoked potentials revealed V wave latency asymmetry in 7 cases, which implied the necessity to perform CT or MNR. In neither of cases did this diagnosis confirm the suspected tumor development (n. VIII neurinoma or pontocerebral angle tumor. The preliminary assessment of treatment efficacy for subjective tinnitus with use of retraining therapy yielded the following conclusions: 1. The application of hearing aid brings about an immediate improvement in the patient's self-assessment of hearing and a better tolerance towards tinnitus. 2. A systematic all-day wear of noise generators contributes to the patient's increased tolerance towards tinnitus, improved mental condition and alleviated hyperacusis. 3. The efficacy of the tinnitus retraining therapy, following Jastreboff, depends on providing the patient with detailed information on the causes and mechanisms of tinnitus development. 4. The negative diagnostics for tumor within the cranial cavity has not only a soothing effect on the patient as it relieves his/her stress, but it can also be a good starting point for the tinnitus retraining therapy.

  20. Tinnitus and psychiatric comorbidities in liaison psychiatry analysis of three years in an audiophonology centre.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacques, Denis; Nozeret, Yves; Zdanowicz, Nicolas; Reynaert, Christine; Garin, Pierre; Gilain, Chantal

    2013-09-01

    Patients who are suffering from tinnitus are rarely directly referred to an audiophonology centre. Often, they have tried several medications and met with several doctors. Sometimes, they are also referred too quickly to a psychiatrist without a complete ENT assessment. Nevertheless, they frequently develop psychiatric comorbidities in regard to the tinnitus. On the basis of structured interviews with the "Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview" and on a review of records, we assessed the associated psychiatric diagnoses in patients who consulted for tinnitus as their main complaint at the audiophonology centre from the University Hospital Centre of Mont-Godinne-Dinant between 2009 and 2012. Of the 80 patients who consulted for tinnitus, 28% suffered from a major depressive disorder, 27.5% from a somatoform disorder, 23.7% from sleep disorder, 22.5% from an anxiety disorder and 16% from alcoholic dependence. On the basis of these results, we developed clinical considerations concerning the treatment approach and options for patients suffering from tinnitus with psychiatric comorbidities. The interdisciplinary approach (ENT and liaison psychiatry) in an audiophonology centre seems to be a factor for better treatment adherence for patients with severe and chronic tinnitus.

  1. When Your Child Has Tinnitus

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... ENT Doctor Near You When Your Child Has Tinnitus When Your Child Has Tinnitus Patient Health Information News media interested in covering ... and public relations staff at newsroom@entnet.org . Tinnitus is a condition where the patient hears a ...

  2. Assessment of patients for treatment with tinnitus retraining therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, James A; Jastreboff, Margaret M; Jastreboff, Pawel J; Schechter, Martin A; Fausti, Stephen A

    2002-01-01

    Clinical management for patients complaining of severe tinnitus has improved dramatically in the last 25 years. During that period of time, various methods of treatment have been introduced and are being used with varying degrees of success. One method that has received considerable attention is tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). This method is being practiced by hundreds of clinicians worldwide, and retrospective clinical data indicate that TRT has been effective for the majority of patients. This article provides a guide for clinicians to evaluate their patients for treatment with TRT. Included in this guide is the expanded version of the TRT initial interview and specific instructions for the clinician administering the interview.

  3. Neuroanatomical Alterations in Patients with Early Stage of Unilateral Pulsatile Tinnitus: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yawen Liu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available During the past several years, the rapid development of neuroimaging techniques has contributed greatly in the noninvasive imaging studies of tinnitus. The aim of the present study was to explore the brain anatomical alterations in patients with right-sided unilateral pulsatile tinnitus (PT in the early stage of PT symptom using voxel-based morphometry (VBM analysis. Twenty-four patients with right-sided pulsatile tinnitus and 24 age- and gender-matched normal controls were recruited to this study. Structural image data preprocessing was performed using VBM8 toolbox. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI score was acquired in the tinnitus group to assess the severity of tinnitus and tinnitus-related distress. Two-sample t-test and Pearson’s correlation analysis were used in statistical analysis. Patients with unilateral pulsatile tinnitus had significantly increased gray matter (GM volume in bilateral superior temporal gyrus compared with the normal controls. However, the left cerebellum posterior lobe, left frontal superior orbital lobe (gyrus rectus, right middle occipital gyrus (MOG, and bilateral putamen showed significantly decreased brain volumes. This was the first study which demonstrated the features of neuroanatomical changes in patients with unilateral PT during their early stages of the symptom.

  4. Systematic review of evidence on the association between personality and tinnitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samantha Mucci

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The scientific literature that personality traits are associated with the individual's adaptation to chronic diseases, becoming an important factor in the etiology and prognosis of physical illness. Some studies indicate that personality characteristics may influence the perception of tinnitus. OBJECTIVE: To assess the scientific evidence of the association between tinnitus and personality. METHODS: A systematic review in the following databases: PubMed, SciELO, LILACS and Web of knowledge. Were selected only studies with patients older than 18 years, published in English, Portuguese or Spanish who established an association between tinnitus and personality. RESULTS: Seventeen of the 77 articles found were selected: 13 cross-sectional studies, two longitudinal studies, one validation study, and one birth cohort study. The samples ranged from 27 to 970 patients. CONCLUSION: Some personality traits, especially neuroticism, psychasthenia, and schizoid aspects, may be associated with tinnitus perception and with the annoyance due to this symptom.

  5. Usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for patients with unilateral tinnitus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katsura, Motoyasu [Sasebo Central Hospital, Nagasaki (Japan); Yoshida, Haruo; Kumagami, Hidetaka; Takahashi, Haruo [Nagasaki Univ. (Japan). Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Oosato, Yasuo [Sasebo City Hospital, Nagasaki (Japan); Dotsu, Mitsuru [National Nagasaki Medical Center, Omura (Japan)

    2004-06-01

    Audiography, X-ray (Stenvers view) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) were performed on 88 patients exhibiting unilateral tinnitus. We diagnosed 4 cases (4.5%) of vestibular schwannoma and 41 cases (46.6%) of other abnormalities, including 2 cases of meningioma, 24 cases of old cerebral infarction, and 5 cases of mastoiditis. MRI was considered to be a first-line clinical examination for patients with unilateral tinnitus. (author)

  6. Usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for patients with unilateral tinnitus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katsura, Motoyasu; Yoshida, Haruo; Kumagami, Hidetaka; Takahashi, Haruo; Dotsu, Mitsuru

    2004-01-01

    Audiography, X-ray (Stenvers view) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) were performed on 88 patients exhibiting unilateral tinnitus. We diagnosed 4 cases (4.5%) of vestibular schwannoma and 41 cases (46.6%) of other abnormalities, including 2 cases of meningioma, 24 cases of old cerebral infarction, and 5 cases of mastoiditis. MRI was considered to be a first-line clinical examination for patients with unilateral tinnitus. (author)

  7. Potential Audiological and MRI Markers of Tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gopal, Kamakshi V; Thomas, Binu P; Nandy, Rajesh; Mao, Deng; Lu, Hanzhang

    2017-09-01

    Subjective tinnitus, or ringing sensation in the ear, is a common disorder with no accepted objective diagnostic markers. The purpose of this study was to identify possible objective markers of tinnitus by combining audiological and imaging-based techniques. Case-control studies. Twenty adults drawn from our audiology clinic served as participants. The tinnitus group consisted of ten participants with chronic bilateral constant tinnitus, and the control group consisted of ten participants with no history of tinnitus. Each participant with tinnitus was closely matched with a control participant on the basis of age, gender, and hearing thresholds. Data acquisition focused on systematic administration and evaluation of various audiological tests, including auditory-evoked potentials (AEP) and otoacoustic emissions, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests. A total of 14 objective test measures (predictors) obtained from audiological and MRI tests were subjected to statistical analyses to identify the best predictors of tinnitus group membership. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator technique for feature extraction, supplemented by the leave-one-out cross-validation technique, were used to extract the best predictors. This approach provided a conservative model that was highly regularized with its error within 1 standard error of the minimum. The model selected increased frontal cortex (FC) functional MRI activity to pure tones matching their respective tinnitus pitch, and augmented AEP wave N₁ amplitude growth in the tinnitus group as the top two predictors of tinnitus group membership. These findings suggest that the amplified responses to acoustic signals and hyperactivity in attention regions of the brain may be a result of overattention among individuals that experience chronic tinnitus. These results suggest that increased functional MRI activity in the FC to sounds and augmented N₁ amplitude growth may potentially be the objective diagnostic

  8. Clinical and audiologic characteristics of patients with sensorineural tinnitus and its association with psychological aspects: an analytic retrospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Swiahb, Jamil Nasser; Hwang, Eul Seung; Kong, Ji Sun; Kim, Woo Jin; Yeo, Sang Won; Park, Shi Nae

    2016-12-01

    This study was performed to analyze clinical and audiologic characteristics of sensorineural tinnitus and to investigate the associating factors reflecting psychological aspects of stress and depression of the patients. This is a retrospective analytical study conducted in a tinnitus clinic of a tertiary referral center of a university hospital. The medical records of 216 patients suffering from sensorineural tinnitus were thoroughly evaluated to determine correlations between clinical and audiological characteristics, including age, sex, predisposing or etiologic factors, hearing levels up to extended high frequencies, and tinnitus severity. Psychological aspects of stress and depression were also evaluated and analyzed to seek the associations with tinnitus severity. All data were stored in our database bank and were statistically analyzed. Our study subjects showed a slight male predominance. The highest percentage of tinnitus was found in patients of 60-80 years old. Only 32.5 % of tinnitus patients were subjectively aware of their hearing loss, whereas 73 % of subjects had hearing deficits in some frequencies in their audiogram. Hearing impairments were of the low-frequency sensorineural type in 18.2 % of patients and were limited to the high frequencies in 77.9 % of patients. Tinnitus was unilateral in 51 % of patients and had a tonal nature in 45 % of patients. In total, 45.8 % of patients with high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss had high-pitched tinnitus. There were significant correlations between tinnitus severity, loudness and annoyance. Correlations with THI (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory) and Beck depression index scores were also found. Sensorineural tinnitus was related with hearing loss in some frequencies nevertheless of patients' own awareness of hearing loss. Loudness and annoyance of tinnitus seems to be two important factors reflecting psychological problems of patients' stress and depression.

  9. [Tinnitus and deafness].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dauman, R

    2000-01-15

    The relationships between tinnitus and hearing loss are studied from a clinical prospect. Five critical points are discussed. 1. Some degree of hearing loss is found in the vast majority of tinnitus patients; but an individual may well have a sensorineural hearing loss and no tinnitus at all. 2. A minor adjunction to the neurophysiological model of Jastreboff is proposed to take account of the association between tinnitus and hearing loss. 3. Tinnitus appears to cause more distress when hearing loss is marked. 4. Self-reported hearing loss should be considered when implementing habituation sound therapy. 5. According to McKinney, the rate of success on tinnitus that can be expected with habituation sound therapy is not significantly affected by hearing level.

  10. [The psychological analysis of patients with tinnitus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Qing; Li, Jun; Tao, Zezhang; Huang, Zhiwu; Ma, Zhelan; Cao, Yongmao

    2004-04-01

    To investigate the psychological factor of tinnitus and assess the possible influenced aspects. To inspect the 95 cases with tinnitus by SCL-90, the 9 items were divided to 10 factors and compared to the Chinese normalizations. There were significant difference between 4 factors including: somatization, depression, anxiety, compel symptom and normalization (Ppsychological dysfunction of tinnitus. Psychoprophylaxis is the important factors to tinnitus, and the major influenced aspects are age, educational level and emotional stability.

  11. Effects of oxcarbazepine versus carbamazepine on tinnitus: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial

    OpenAIRE

    Gerami, Hooshang; Saberi, Alia; Nemati, Shadman; Kazemnejad, Ehsan; Aghajanpour, Mohammad

    2012-01-01

    Background: It is still a challenge to find an effective treatment for tinnitus. The aim of this study was the evaluation of carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine effects on tinnitus.Methods: In a randomized double–blind clinical trial, 57 patients who were visited in a university hospital due to chronic non-pulsatile tinnitus, were randomized in three groups and treated with carbamazepine (300-600 mg/day), oxcarbazepine (450-900 mg/day) and placebo for 12 weeks. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and tin...

  12. Lateralization of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation in the auditory pathway of patients with lateralized tinnitus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smits, Marion [Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Radiology, Hs 224, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Kovacs, Silvia; Peeters, Ronald R; Hecke, Paul van; Sunaert, Stefan [University Hospitals of the Catholic University Leuven, Department of Radiology, Leuven (Belgium); Ridder, Dirk de [University of Antwerp, Department of Neurosurgery, Edegem (Belgium)

    2007-08-15

    Tinnitus is hypothesized to be an auditory phantom phenomenon resulting from spontaneous neuronal activity somewhere along the auditory pathway. We performed fMRI of the entire auditory pathway, including the inferior colliculus (IC), the medial geniculate body (MGB) and the auditory cortex (AC), in 42 patients with tinnitus and 10 healthy volunteers to assess lateralization of fMRI activation. Subjects were scanned on a 3T MRI scanner. A T2*-weighted EPI silent gap sequence was used during the stimulation paradigm, which consisted of a blocked design of 12 epochs in which music presented binaurally through headphones, which was switched on and off for periods of 50 s. Using SPM2 software, single subject and group statistical parametric maps were calculated. Lateralization of activation was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. Tinnitus was lateralized in 35 patients (83%, 13 right-sided and 22 left-sided). Significant signal change (P{sub corrected} < 0.05) was found bilaterally in the primary and secondary AC, the IC and the MGB. Signal change was symmetrical in patients with bilateral tinnitus. In patients with lateralized tinnitus, fMRI activation was lateralized towards the side of perceived tinnitus in the primary AC and IC in patients with right-sided tinnitus, and in the MGB in patients with left-sided tinnitus. In healthy volunteers, activation in the primary AC was left-lateralized. Our paradigm adequately visualized the auditory pathways in tinnitus patients. In lateralized tinnitus fMRI activation was also lateralized, supporting the hypothesis that tinnitus is an auditory phantom phenomenon. (orig.)

  13. Lateralization of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation in the auditory pathway of patients with lateralized tinnitus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smits, Marion; Kovacs, Silvia; Peeters, Ronald R.; Hecke, Paul van; Sunaert, Stefan; Ridder, Dirk de

    2007-01-01

    Tinnitus is hypothesized to be an auditory phantom phenomenon resulting from spontaneous neuronal activity somewhere along the auditory pathway. We performed fMRI of the entire auditory pathway, including the inferior colliculus (IC), the medial geniculate body (MGB) and the auditory cortex (AC), in 42 patients with tinnitus and 10 healthy volunteers to assess lateralization of fMRI activation. Subjects were scanned on a 3T MRI scanner. A T2*-weighted EPI silent gap sequence was used during the stimulation paradigm, which consisted of a blocked design of 12 epochs in which music presented binaurally through headphones, which was switched on and off for periods of 50 s. Using SPM2 software, single subject and group statistical parametric maps were calculated. Lateralization of activation was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. Tinnitus was lateralized in 35 patients (83%, 13 right-sided and 22 left-sided). Significant signal change (P corrected < 0.05) was found bilaterally in the primary and secondary AC, the IC and the MGB. Signal change was symmetrical in patients with bilateral tinnitus. In patients with lateralized tinnitus, fMRI activation was lateralized towards the side of perceived tinnitus in the primary AC and IC in patients with right-sided tinnitus, and in the MGB in patients with left-sided tinnitus. In healthy volunteers, activation in the primary AC was left-lateralized. Our paradigm adequately visualized the auditory pathways in tinnitus patients. In lateralized tinnitus fMRI activation was also lateralized, supporting the hypothesis that tinnitus is an auditory phantom phenomenon. (orig.)

  14. rTMS Induced Tinnitus Relief Is Related to an Increase in Auditory Cortical Alpha Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Nadia; Lorenz, Isabel; Langguth, Berthold; Weisz, Nathan

    2013-01-01

    Chronic tinnitus, the continuous perception of a phantom sound, is a highly prevalent audiological symptom. A promising approach for the treatment of tinnitus is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as this directly affects tinnitus-related brain activity. Several studies indeed show tinnitus relief after rTMS, however effects are moderate and vary strongly across patients. This may be due to a lack of knowledge regarding how rTMS affects oscillatory activity in tinnitus sufferers and which modulations are associated with tinnitus relief. In the present study we examined the effects of five different stimulation protocols (including sham) by measuring tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related brain activity with Magnetoencephalography before and after rTMS. Changes in oscillatory activity were analysed for the stimulated auditory cortex as well as for the entire brain regarding certain frequency bands of interest (delta, theta, alpha, gamma). In line with the literature the effects of rTMS on tinnitus loudness varied strongly across patients. This variability was also reflected in the rTMS effects on oscillatory activity. Importantly, strong reductions in tinnitus loudness were associated with increases in alpha power in the stimulated auditory cortex, while an unspecific decrease in gamma and alpha power, particularly in left frontal regions, was linked to an increase in tinnitus loudness. The identification of alpha power increase as main correlate for tinnitus reduction sheds further light on the pathophysiology of tinnitus. This will hopefully stimulate the development of more effective therapy approaches. PMID:23390539

  15. Increased risk of tinnitus in patients with temporomandibular disorder: a retrospective population-based cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chun-Feng; Lin, Ming-Chia; Lin, Hui-Tzu; Lin, Cheng-Li; Wang, Tang-Chuan; Kao, Chia-Hung

    2016-01-01

    This study determined whether there is an increased risk of tinnitus in patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ). We used information from health insurance claims obtained from Taiwan National Health Insurance (TNHI). Patients aged 20 years and older who were newly diagnosed with TMJ disorder served as the study cohort. The demographic factors and comorbidities that may be associated with tinnitus were also identified, including age, sex, and comorbidities of hearing loss, noise effects on the inner ear, and degenerative and vascular ear disorders. A higher proportion of TMJ disorder patients suffered from hearing loss (5.30 vs. 2.11 %), and degenerative and vascular ear disorders (0.20 vs. 0.08 %) compared with the control patients. The crude hazard ratio (HR) of tinnitus in the TMJ disorder cohort was 2.73-fold higher than that in the control patients, with an adjusted HR of 2.62 (95 % CI = 2.29-3.00). The comorbidity-specific TMJ disorder cohort to the control patients' adjusted HR of tinnitus was higher for patients without comorbidity (adjusted HR = 2.75, 95 % CI = 2.39-3.17). We also observed a 3.22-fold significantly higher relative risk of developing tinnitus within the 3-year follow-up period (95 % CI = 2.67-3.89). Patients with TMJ disorder might be at increased risk of tinnitus.

  16. Attentional Bias in Patients with Decompensated Tinnitus: Prima Facie Evidence from Event-Related Potentials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhicheng; Gu, Ruolei; Zeng, Xiangli; Zhong, Weifang; Qi, Min; Cen, Jintian

    2016-01-01

    Tinnitus refers to the auditory perception of sound in the absence of external sound or electric stimuli. The influence of tinnitus on cognitive processing is at the cutting edge of ongoing tinnitus research. In this study, we adopted an objective indicator of attentional processing, i.e. the mismatch negativity (MMN), to assess the attentional bias in patients with decompensated tinnitus. Three kinds of pure tones, D1 (8,000 Hz), S (8,500 Hz) and D2 (9,000 Hz), were used to induce event-related potentials (ERPs) in the normal ear. Employing the oddball paradigm, the task was divided into two blocks in which D1 and D2 were set as deviation stimuli, respectively. Only D2 induced a significant MMN in the tinnitus group, while neither D1 nor D2 was able to induce MMN in the control group. In addition, the ERPs in the left hemisphere, which were recorded within the time window of 90-150 ms (ERP 90-150 ms), were significantly higher than those in the right hemisphere in the tinnitus group, while no significant difference was observed in the control group. Lastly, the amplitude of ERP 90-150 ms in the tinnitus group was significantly higher than that in the control group. These findings suggest that patients with decompensated tinnitus showed automatic processing of acoustic stimuli, thereby indicating that these patients allocated more cognitive resources to acoustic stimulus processing. We suggest that the difficulty in disengaging or facilitated attention of patients might underlie this phenomenon. The limitations of the current study are discussed. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  17. An operant-based detection method for inferring tinnitus in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuo, Hongyan; Lei, Debin; Sivaramakrishnan, Shobhana; Howie, Benjamin; Mulvany, Jessica; Bao, Jianxin

    2017-11-01

    Subjective tinnitus is a hearing disorder in which a person perceives sound when no external sound is present. It can be acute or chronic. Because our current understanding of its pathology is incomplete, no effective cures have yet been established. Mouse models are useful for studying the pathophysiology of tinnitus as well as for developing therapeutic treatments. We have developed a new method for determining acute and chronic tinnitus in mice, called sound-based avoidance detection (SBAD). The SBAD method utilizes one paradigm to detect tinnitus and another paradigm to monitor possible confounding factors, such as motor impairment, loss of motivation, and deficits in learning and memory. The SBAD method has succeeded in monitoring both acute and chronic tinnitus in mice. Its detection ability is further validated by functional studies demonstrating an abnormal increase in neuronal activity in the inferior colliculus of mice that had previously been identified as having tinnitus by the SBAD method. The SBAD method provides a new means by which investigators can detect tinnitus in a single mouse accurately and with more control over potential confounding factors than existing methods. This work establishes a new behavioral method for detecting tinnitus in mice. The detection outcome is consistent with functional validation. One key advantage of mouse models is they provide researchers the opportunity to utilize an extensive array of genetic tools. This new method could lead to a deeper understanding of the molecular pathways underlying tinnitus pathology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. The use of flupirtine in treatment of tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salembier, L; De Ridder, D; Van de Heyning, P H

    2006-12-01

    Flupirtine, a functional NMDA antagonist, does not seem to be efficacious in the treatment of tinnitus. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether flupirtine has any beneficial effect on tinnitus perception. Twenty-four patients were selected (6 female and 18 male patients) with continuous subjective tinnitus. Eight patients suffered left-sided tinnitus, 4 right-sided tinnitus and 12 bilateral tinnitus. We assessed the burden of the tinnitus by loudness visual analogue scale (VAS) and tinnitus questionnaire (TQ) according to Hallam et al., and Hiller and Goebel. All patients were treated with a 2 x 100 mg daily dosage of oral flupirtine for 3 weeks in an open prospective design. There was no statistical effect on VAS and TQ of the treatment with flupirtine. Only one patient (4.2%) experienced a positive effect on the tinnitus but discontinued the treatment because of amnesia and concentration disorders.

  19. Assessing outcomes of tinnitus intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Craig W; Sandridge, Sharon A; Jacobson, Gary P

    2014-01-01

    It has been estimated that as many as 50 million Americans do experience or have experienced tinnitus. For approximately 12 million of these individuals, tinnitus makes it impossible for them to carry out normal everyday activities without limitation. These are the patients that present to audiology clinics for assessment and management. The tinnitus evaluation includes the measurement of acoustical characteristics of tinnitus and the impact that this impairment has on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Tinnitus is a disorder that often occurs as a result of auditory system impairment. The impairment for some can impart an activity limitation and a participation restriction (i.e., tinnitus-related disability or handicap, respectively). The goal of tinnitus management is to reduce, or eliminate, activity limitations and participation restrictions by reducing or eliminating a patient's perception of tinnitus or their reaction to tinnitus. Implicit in this statement is the assumption that there exist standardized measures for quantifying the patient's tinnitus perception and their reaction to it. If there existed stable and responsive standardized tinnitus measures, then it would be possible to compare a patient's tinnitus experience at different time points (e.g., before and after treatment) to assess, for example, treatment efficacy. The purposes of the current review are to (1) describe psychometric standards used to select outcome measurement tools; (2) discuss available measurement techniques and their application to tinnitus evaluation and treatment-related assessment within the domains established by the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; (3) list and briefly describe self-report tinnitus questionnaires; (4) describe how valuation of tinnitus treatment can be assessed using economic models of treatment effectiveness; and (5) provide future directions including the development of a tinnitus

  20. Tinnitus control by dopamine agonist pramipexole in presbycusis patients: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sziklai, István; Szilvássy, Judit; Szilvássy, Zoltán

    2011-04-01

    Since the concept of tinnitus dopaminergic pathway emerged, studies have been proposed to investigate if dopaminergic agents influence tinnitus. We hypothesized that pramipexole, an agonist on D2/D3 receptors, may antagonize tinnitus in the presbycusis patients (in the frequency range of 250 to 8,000 Hz) in a dose schedule accepted for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in elderly people. We designed a randomized, prospective, placebo-controlled and double-blind trial. Forty presbycusis patients aged 50 years or older with subjective tinnitus were randomized to two groups (20 patients in both). Patients in the drug group took pramipexole over a period of 4 weeks according to a treatment schedule as follows: week 1, 0.088 mg t.i.d.; week 2, 0.18 mg t.i.d.; week 3, 0.7 mg t.i.d.; week 4, 0.18 mg t.i.d. over 3 days and 0.088 mg t.i.d. the rest of the week. Patients in the second group received placebo. Determination of subjective grading of tinnitus perception, the tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) questionnaire and electrocochleography (ECOG) examinations served as the end points. Subjective audiometry was used to produce secondary data. A significant improvement in tinnitus annoyance is found in the group treated with pramipexole versus placebo with respect to inhibition of tinnitus and a decrease of tinnitus loudness greater than 30 dB. However, neither ECOG nor subjective pure-tone threshold audiometry revealed any change in hearing threshold in response to either pramipexole or placebo. Pramipexole is an effective agent against subjective tinnitus associated with presbycusis at a dose schedule used for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The drug did not change hearing threshold. Copyright © 2011 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

  1. Tinnitus therapy using tailor-made notched music delivered via a smartphone application and Ginko combined treatment: A pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, So Young; Chang, Mun Young; Hong, Min; Yoo, Sun-Gil; Oh, Dongik; Park, Moo Kyun

    2017-10-01

    Notched music therapy has been suggested to be effective for relieving tinnitus. We have developed a smartphone application using tailor-made notched music for tinnitus patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of this smartphone application on reducing tinnitus. In addition, we investigated the predictive factors for tinnitus treatment outcome using this smartphone application. A total of 26 patients who were chronically distressed by tinnitus with a ≥18 Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score were recruited from March 2013 to March 2015 (National Clinical Trial (NCT) Identifier Number 01663467). Patients were instructed to listen to tailor-made notched music through our smartphone application for 30-60min per day and were prescribed Ginkgo biloba for 3 months. Treatment outcome was evaluated using the THI, a visual analogue scale that measures the effects of tinnitus in terms of loudness, noticeable time, annoyance, and disruption of daily life. Demographic data, including age, sex, duration of tinnitus, and pre-treatment scores on questionnaires such as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were compared between the effective and non-effective groups according to the differences between their pre- and post-treatment THI scores. Smartphone application-delivered notched music therapy and Ginko combined treatment improved the THI score from 33.9±18.9 to 23.1±15.2; the effect was particularly marked for the emotional score of the THI. Improvement in the THI score was positively correlated with the initial THI score (P=0.001, adjusted estimated value=0.49, 95% confidence interval=0.25-0.73). Chronic tinnitus patients who underwent smartphone application-delivered notched music therapy and Ginko combined treatment showed improved THI scores, particularly the emotional score of the THI. A smartphone application-delivered therapy and Ginko combined treatment may be more

  2. Effects of oxcarbazepine versus carbamazepine on tinnitus: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerami, Hooshang; Saberi, Alia; Nemati, Shadman; Kazemnejad, Ehsan; Aghajanpour, Mohammad

    2012-01-01

    It is still a challenge to find an effective treatment for tinnitus. The aim of this study was the evaluation of carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine effects on tinnitus. In a randomized double-blind clinical trial, 57 patients who were visited in a university hospital due to chronic non-pulsatile tinnitus, were randomized in three groups and treated with carbamazepine (300-600 mg/day), oxcarbazepine (450-900 mg/day) and placebo for 12 weeks. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and tinnitus severity index (TSI) were measured in all subjects in the beginning and at the end of the 8(th) and 12(th) weeks of the trial. Data was analyzed by repeated measure analysis, paired and independent t-test. Among 51 participants who completed the trial course (28 men, 23 women), carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine and placebo decreased tinnitus severity in 56.6%, 46.2% and 38.5% of patients according to VAS, and in 61.1%, 58.8% and 50% of patients according to TSI, respectively. The effects of carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine were better in the first 8 weeks of treatment. However, their effect on tinnitus did not show any statistical difference in comparison with placebo (P = 0.34, P = 0.28). Carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine are not more effective than placebo in decreasing tinnitus severity.

  3. Tinnitus, Anxiety, Depression and Substance Abuse in Rock Musicians a Norwegian Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stormer, Carl Christian Lein; Sorlie, Tore; Stenklev, Niels Christian

    2017-06-01

    Rock musicians are known to have an increased prevalence of hearing loss and tinnitus. The aims of the present study were to examine the distribution of anxiety and depression symptoms among rock musicians with or without tinnitus and how these mental health indicators and internal locus of control influenced upon their tinnitus symptom concerns and the degree to which the tinnitus affected their lives. The study was a questionnairebased cross-sectional survey of subjects selected from a cohort of rock musicians. We recruited 111 active musicians from the Oslo region, and a control group of 40 non-musicians from the student population at the University of Tromso. Among the rock musicians 19.8% reported permanent tinnitus vs. 0% among the controls. Musicians more often reported anxiety symptoms than controls (35.1% vs. 17.5%), however this prevalence was not different in musicians with and without tinnitus. Tinnitus-affected musicians reported depressive symptoms, significantly more than controls (13.6% vs. 5%). Rock musicians consumed more alcohol than controls, but alcohol consumption was unrelated to severity of tinnitus. Drug abuse was not more prevalent in rock musicians than in controls. Duration of tinnitus, internal locus of control, sleep disturbance and anxiety were significant predictors of how affected and how concerned musicians were about their tinnitus. Rock musicians are at risk for the development of chronic tinnitus, and they have an increased prevalence of anxiety. There is an association between chronic tinnitus and depressive symptoms in rock musicians, but our results are ambiguous. Although rock musicians have a chronic exposure to noise, noise-induced hearing loss is not the sole causative agent for the development of tinnitus.

  4. Somatosensory tinnitus: Current evidence and future perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greco, Antonio; Turchetta, Rosaria; Altissimi, Giancarlo; de Vincentiis, Marco; Cianfrone, Giancarlo

    2017-01-01

    In some individuals, tinnitus can be modulated by specific maneuvers of the temporomandibular joint, head and neck, eyes, and limbs. Neuroplasticity seems to play a central role in this capacity for modulation, suggesting that abnormal interactions between the sensory modalities, sensorimotor systems, and neurocognitive and neuroemotional networks may contribute to the development of somatosensory tinnitus. Current evidence supports a link between somatic disorders and higher modulation of tinnitus, especially in patients with a normal hearing threshold. Patients with tinnitus who have somatic disorders seems to have a higher chance of modulating their tinnitus with somatic maneuvers; consistent improvements in tinnitus symptoms have been observed in patients with temporomandibular joint disease following targeted therapy for temporomandibular disorders. Somatosensory tinnitus is often overlooked by otolaryngologists and not fully investigated during the diagnostic process. Somatic disorders, when identified and treated, can be a valid therapeutic target for tinnitus; however, somatic screening of subjects for somatosensory tinnitus is imperative for correct selection of patients who would benefit from a multidisciplinary somatic approach. PMID:28553764

  5. Neuro-Music Therapy for Recent-Onset Tinnitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miriam Grapp

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this pilot study was the evaluation of the neuro-music therapy approach as a new treatment option for patients with recent-onset tinnitus whose tinnitus symptoms were enduring after initial pharmacological treatment. In all, 15 patients with recent-onset tinnitus took part in our manualized short-term music-therapeutic treatment. Tinnitus severity and individual tinnitus distress were assessed by the German version of the tinnitus questionnaire (TQ and the Attention and Performance Self-Assessment Scale (APSA at three different measurement times: baseline (T0, start of treatment (T1, and end of treatment (T2. Score changes in TQ and APSA from start to end of treatment indicated significant improvements in tinnitus-related distress. According to the Jacobson and Truax reliable change index (RC, 73.3% of the patients showed a reliable reduction in individual TQ-score. The neuro-music therapy for recent-onset tinnitus according to the “Heidelberg Model” introduced in this pilot study seems to provide an effective treatment option for patients with recent-onset tinnitus.

  6. Somatosensory tinnitus: Current evidence and future perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ralli, Massimo; Greco, Antonio; Turchetta, Rosaria; Altissimi, Giancarlo; de Vincentiis, Marco; Cianfrone, Giancarlo

    2017-06-01

    In some individuals, tinnitus can be modulated by specific maneuvers of the temporomandibular joint, head and neck, eyes, and limbs. Neuroplasticity seems to play a central role in this capacity for modulation, suggesting that abnormal interactions between the sensory modalities, sensorimotor systems, and neurocognitive and neuroemotional networks may contribute to the development of somatosensory tinnitus. Current evidence supports a link between somatic disorders and higher modulation of tinnitus, especially in patients with a normal hearing threshold. Patients with tinnitus who have somatic disorders seems to have a higher chance of modulating their tinnitus with somatic maneuvers; consistent improvements in tinnitus symptoms have been observed in patients with temporomandibular joint disease following targeted therapy for temporomandibular disorders. Somatosensory tinnitus is often overlooked by otolaryngologists and not fully investigated during the diagnostic process. Somatic disorders, when identified and treated, can be a valid therapeutic target for tinnitus; however, somatic screening of subjects for somatosensory tinnitus is imperative for correct selection of patients who would benefit from a multidisciplinary somatic approach.

  7. Does tinnitus distress depend on age of onset?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Winfried Schlee

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Tinnitus is the perception of a sound in the absence of any physical source of it. About 5-15% of the population report hearing such a tinnitus and about 1-2% suffer from their tinnitus leading to anxiety, sleep disorders or depression. It is currently not completely understood why some people feel distressed by their tinnitus, while others don't. Several studies indicate that the amount of tinnitus distress is associated with many factors including comorbid anxiety, comorbid depression, personality, the psychosocial situation, the amount of the related hearing loss and the loudness of the tinnitus. Furthermore, theoretical considerations suggest an impact of the age at tinnitus onset influencing tinnitus distress. METHODS: Based on a sample of 755 normal hearing tinnitus patients we tested this assumption. All participants answered a questionnaire on the amount of tinnitus distress together with a large variety of clinical and demographic data. RESULTS: Patients with an earlier onset of tinnitus suffer significantly less than patients with an onset later in life. Furthermore, patients with a later onset of tinnitus describe their course of tinnitus distress as more abrupt and distressing right from the beginning. CONCLUSION: We argue that a decline of compensatory brain plasticity in older age accounts for this age-dependent tinnitus decompensation.

  8. Does tinnitus distress depend on age of onset?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlee, Winfried; Kleinjung, Tobias; Hiller, Wolfgang; Goebel, Gerhard; Kolassa, Iris-Tatjana; Langguth, Berthold

    2011-01-01

    Tinnitus is the perception of a sound in the absence of any physical source of it. About 5-15% of the population report hearing such a tinnitus and about 1-2% suffer from their tinnitus leading to anxiety, sleep disorders or depression. It is currently not completely understood why some people feel distressed by their tinnitus, while others don't. Several studies indicate that the amount of tinnitus distress is associated with many factors including comorbid anxiety, comorbid depression, personality, the psychosocial situation, the amount of the related hearing loss and the loudness of the tinnitus. Furthermore, theoretical considerations suggest an impact of the age at tinnitus onset influencing tinnitus distress. Based on a sample of 755 normal hearing tinnitus patients we tested this assumption. All participants answered a questionnaire on the amount of tinnitus distress together with a large variety of clinical and demographic data. Patients with an earlier onset of tinnitus suffer significantly less than patients with an onset later in life. Furthermore, patients with a later onset of tinnitus describe their course of tinnitus distress as more abrupt and distressing right from the beginning. We argue that a decline of compensatory brain plasticity in older age accounts for this age-dependent tinnitus decompensation.

  9. Does Tinnitus Distress Depend on Age of Onset?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlee, Winfried; Kleinjung, Tobias; Hiller, Wolfgang; Goebel, Gerhard; Kolassa, Iris-Tatjana; Langguth, Berthold

    2011-01-01

    Objectives Tinnitus is the perception of a sound in the absence of any physical source of it. About 5–15% of the population report hearing such a tinnitus and about 1–2% suffer from their tinnitus leading to anxiety, sleep disorders or depression. It is currently not completely understood why some people feel distressed by their tinnitus, while others don't. Several studies indicate that the amount of tinnitus distress is associated with many factors including comorbid anxiety, comorbid depression, personality, the psychosocial situation, the amount of the related hearing loss and the loudness of the tinnitus. Furthermore, theoretical considerations suggest an impact of the age at tinnitus onset influencing tinnitus distress. Methods Based on a sample of 755 normal hearing tinnitus patients we tested this assumption. All participants answered a questionnaire on the amount of tinnitus distress together with a large variety of clinical and demographic data. Results Patients with an earlier onset of tinnitus suffer significantly less than patients with an onset later in life. Furthermore, patients with a later onset of tinnitus describe their course of tinnitus distress as more abrupt and distressing right from the beginning. Conclusion We argue that a decline of compensatory brain plasticity in older age accounts for this age-dependent tinnitus decompensation. PMID:22125612

  10. The cochlear implant as a tinnitus treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallés-Varela, Héctor; Royo-López, Juan; Carmen-Sampériz, Luis; Sebastián-Cortés, José M; Alfonso-Collado, Ignacio

    2013-01-01

    Tinnitus is a symptom of high prevalence in patients with cochlear pathology. We studied the evolution of tinnitus in patients undergoing unilateral cochlear implantation for treatment of profound hearing loss. This was a longitudinal, retrospective study of patients that underwent unilateral cochlear implantation and who had bilateral tinnitus. Tinnitus was assessed quantitatively and qualitatively before surgery and at 6 and 12 months after surgery. We evaluated 20 patients that underwent unilateral cochlear implantation with a Nucleus(®) CI24RE Contour Advance™ electrode device. During the periods in which the device was in operation, improvement or disappearance of tinnitus was evidenced in the ipsilateral ear in 65% of patients, and in the contralateral ear, in 50%. In periods in which the device was disconnected, improvement or disappearance of tinnitus was found in the ipsilateral ear in 50% of patients, and in the ear contralateral to the implant in 45% of the patients. In 10% of the patients, a new tinnitus appeared in the ipsilateral ear. The patients with profound hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus treated with unilateral cochlear implantation improved in a high percentage of cases, in the ipsilateral ear and in the contralateral ear. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  11. Tinnitus in Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: Is it a Specific Somatosensory Tinnitus Subtype?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Algieri, Giuseppe Maria Antonio; Leonardi, Alessandra; Arangio, Paolo; Vellone, Valentino; Paolo, Carlo Di; Cascone, Piero

    2017-04-19

    The most significant otologic symptoms, consisting of ear pain, tinnitus, dizziness, hearing loss and auricolar "fullness", generally arise within the auditory system, often are associated with extra auricolar disorders, particularly disorder of the temporo-mandibular joint. In our study we examined a sample of 200 consecutive patients who had experienced severe disabling symptom. The patiens came to maxillofacial specialist assessment for temporomandibular disorder. Each patient was assessed by a detailed anamnestic and clinical temporomandibular joint examination and they are divided into five main groups according classification criteria established by Wilkes; tinnitus and subjective indicators of pain are evaluated. The results of this study provide a close correlation between the joint pathology and otologic symptoms, particularly regarding tinnitus and balance disorders, and that this relationship is greater the more advanced is the stage of joint pathology. Moreover, this study shows that TMD-related tinnitus principally affects a younger population (average fifth decade of life) and mainly women (more than 2/3 of the cases). Such evidence suggests the existence of a specific tinnitus subtype that may be defined as "TMD-related somatosensory tinnitus".

  12. [Psychosocial aspects of coping with tinnitus and psoriasis patients. A comparative study of suicidal tendencies, anxiety and depression].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaaf, H; Eipp, C; Deubner, R; Hesse, G; Vasa, R; Gieler, U

    2009-01-01

    Treatment of tinnitus is primarily the task of ENT specialists, while treatment of the psychiatric diseases lies in the hand of psychotherapists. Different from mostly very apparent dermatological diseases, the severity level of tinnitus can often only be determined by psychological test batteries as well as a specific psychosomatic exploration. In this study patients with psoriasis were compared with tinnitus patients regarding quality of life, anxiety, depression and imminent suicidal tendencies, in order to realize the psychological impact and find appropriate instruments for treatment. Between February and April 2005, 89 tinnitus patients, who underwent in-patient therapy in a neurootological and psychosomatic hospital, and 105 psoriasis patients, who had in-patient treatment from October 1999 until October 2004 in a specialized clinic, were examined with psychological tests, which included the Tinnitus questionnaire proposed by Goebel und Hiller, the Symptoms Check List of Derogatis SCL-90-R, the HADS and the suicide rating according to Pöldinger. Tinnitus in-patients suffered significantly more from suicidal tendencies, depression and anxiety in contrast to patients with psoriasis, who suffered more from problems associated with their outward appearance. The use of a specific psychological test diagnostic is very helpful in the hand of the ENT specialist, but the Tinnitus questionnaire of Goebel and Hiller enables an initial screening.

  13. Tinnitus (Phantom Sound: Risk coming for future

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suresh Rewar

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The word 'tinnitus' comes from the Latin word tinnire, meaning “to ring” or “a ringing.” Tinnitus is the cognition of sound in the absence of any corresponding external sound. Tinnitus can take the form of continuous buzzing, hissing, or ringing, or a combination of these or other characteristics. Tinnitus affects 10% to 25% of the adult population. Tinnitus is classified as objective and subjective categories. Subjective tinnitus is meaningless sounds that are not associated with a physical sound and only the person who has the tinnitus can hear it. Objective tinnitus is the result of a sound that can be heard by the physician. Tinnitus is not a disease in itself but a common symptom, and because it involves the perception of sound or sounds, it is commonly associated with the hearing system. In fact, various parts of the hearing system, including the inner ear, are often responsible for this symptom. Tinnitus patients, which can lead to sleep disturbances, concentration problems, fatigue, depression, anxiety disorders, and sometimes even to suicide. The evaluation of tinnitus always begins with a thorough history and physical examination, with further testing performed when indicated. Diagnostic testing should include audiography, speech discrimination testing, computed tomography angiography, or magnetic resonance angiography should be performed. All patients with tinnitus can benefit from patient education and preventive measures, and oftentimes the physician's reassurance and assistance with the psychologic aftereffects of tinnitus can be the therapy most valuable to the patient. There are no specific medications for the treatment of tinnitus. Sedatives and some other medications may prove helpful in the early stages. The ultimate goal of neuro-imaging is to identify subtypes of tinnitus in order to better inform treatment strategies.

  14. Animal models of tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brozoski, Thomas J; Bauer, Carol A

    2016-08-01

    Presented is a thematic review of animal tinnitus models from a functional perspective. Chronic tinnitus is a persistent subjective sound sensation, emergent typically after hearing loss. Although the sensation is experientially simple, it appears to have central a nervous system substrate of unexpected complexity that includes areas outside of those classically defined as auditory. Over the past 27 years animal models have significantly contributed to understanding tinnitus' complex neurophysiology. In that time, a diversity of models have been developed, each with its own strengths and limitations. None has clearly become a standard. Animal models trace their origin to the 1988 experiments of Jastreboff and colleagues. All subsequent models derive some of their features from those experiments. Common features include behavior-dependent psychophysical determination, acoustic conditions that contrast objective sound and silence, and inclusion of at least one normal-hearing control group. In the present review, animal models have been categorized as either interrogative or reflexive. Interrogative models use emitted behavior under voluntary control to indicate hearing. An example would be pressing a lever to obtain food in the presence of a particular sound. In this type of model animals are interrogated about their auditory sensations, analogous to asking a patient, "What do you hear?" These models require at least some training and motivation management, and reflect the perception of tinnitus. Reflexive models, in contrast, employ acoustic modulation of an auditory reflex, such as the acoustic startle response. An unexpected loud sound will elicit a reflexive motor response from many species, including humans. Although involuntary, acoustic startle can be modified by a lower-level preceding event, including a silent sound gap. Sound-gap modulation of acoustic startle appears to discriminate tinnitus in animals as well as humans, and requires no training or

  15. Auditory Cortex tACS and tRNS for Tinnitus: Single versus Multiple Sessions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Claes

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus is the perception of a sound in the absence of an external acoustic source, which often exerts a significant impact on the quality of life. Currently there is evidence that neuroplastic changes in both neural pathways are involved in the generation and maintaining of tinnitus. Neuromodulation has been suggested to interfere with these neuroplastic alterations. In this study we aimed to compare the effect of two upcoming forms of transcranial electrical neuromodulation: alternating current stimulation (tACS and random noise stimulation (tRNS, both applied on the auditory cortex. A database with 228 patients with chronic tinnitus who underwent noninvasive neuromodulation was retrospectively analyzed. The results of this study show that a single session of tRNS induces a significant suppressive effect on tinnitus loudness and distress, in contrast to tACS. Multiple sessions of tRNS augment the suppressive effect on tinnitus loudness but have no effect on tinnitus distress. In conclusion this preliminary study shows a possibly beneficial effect of tRNS on tinnitus and can be a motivation for future randomized placebo-controlled clinical studies with auditory tRNS for tinnitus. Auditory alpha-modulated tACS does not seem to be contributing to the treatment of tinnitus.

  16. Tinnitus retraining therapy--the experiences in Slovakia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suchova, L

    2005-01-01

    Since Mai 1999 Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) according to Jastreboff has been used in the management of 55 patients with tinnitus of various origin. Tinnitus isn't a disease, it is only a symptom. Therefore we needed to do an exact examination of the patient. We needed to apply causal therapy whenever it was possible. After six months of continuous therapy more than 50% patients reported improvement of tinnitus or it has disappeared. Concomitantly, we found hyperacusis, hypersensitivity to loud sounds. We could not assert that it was the cause or the consequence of the tinnitus. Considering these findings, it would appear TRT can be useful for extending the possibilities of tinnitus treatment. (Tab. 5, Fig. 1, Ref. 13.)

  17. Sigmoid Sinus Diverticulum, Dehiscence, and Venous Sinus Stenosis: Potential Causes of Pulsatile Tinnitus in Patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lansley, J A; Tucker, W; Eriksen, M R; Riordan-Eva, P; Connor, S E J

    2017-09-01

    Pulsatile tinnitus is experienced by most patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The pathophysiology remains uncertain; however, transverse sinus stenosis and sigmoid sinus diverticulum/dehiscence have been proposed as potential etiologies. We aimed to determine whether the prevalence of transverse sinus stenosis and sigmoid sinus diverticulum/dehiscence was increased in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and pulsatile tinnitus relative to those without pulsatile tinnitus and a control group. CT vascular studies of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension with pulsatile tinnitus ( n = 42), without pulsatile tinnitus ( n = 37), and controls ( n = 75) were independently reviewed for the presence of severe transverse sinus stenosis and sigmoid sinus diverticulum/dehiscence according to published criteria. The prevalence of transverse sinus stenosis and sigmoid sinus diverticulum/dehiscence in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension with pulsatile tinnitus was compared with that in the nonpulsatile tinnitus idiopathic intracranial hypertension group and the control group. Further comparisons included differing degrees of transverse sinus stenosis (50% and 75%), laterality of transverse sinus stenosis/sigmoid sinus diverticulum/dehiscence, and ipsilateral transverse sinus stenosis combined with sigmoid sinus diverticulum/dehiscence. Severe bilateral transverse sinus stenoses were more frequent in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension than in controls ( P tinnitus within the idiopathic intracranial hypertension group. Sigmoid sinus dehiscence (right- or left-sided) was also more common in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension compared with controls ( P = .01), but there was no significant association with pulsatile tinnitus within the idiopathic intracranial hypertension group. While our data corroborate previous studies demonstrating increased prevalence of sigmoid sinus diverticulum

  18. The radiologic evaluation of tinnitus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Branstetter, Barton F [University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Departments of Radiology and Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Weissman, Jane L [Oregon Health Sciences University, Departments of Radiology, Ophthalmology, and Otolaryngology, Portland, OR (United States)

    2006-12-15

    Tinnitus (''ringing in the ears'') is a prevalent symptom in the general population, and often brings patients to medical attention. Many causes of tinnitus are evident radiographically. The most frequently-encountered causes of tinnitus are discussed, and imaging recommendations are provided. (orig.)

  19. The radiologic evaluation of tinnitus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Branstetter, Barton F.; Weissman, Jane L.

    2006-01-01

    Tinnitus (''ringing in the ears'') is a prevalent symptom in the general population, and often brings patients to medical attention. Many causes of tinnitus are evident radiographically. The most frequently-encountered causes of tinnitus are discussed, and imaging recommendations are provided. (orig.)

  20. CT and MRI findings of temporal bone anomaly in patients with tinnitus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Bing; Xian Junfang; Wang Zhenchang; Liu Zhaohui

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To study high resolution CT (HRCT) and MRI findings of temporal hone anomaly in patients with tinnitus and identify the optimal examination method in the detection of the anomaly. Methods: The HRCT and MRI data were analyzed retrospectively in 1015 patients including 145 patients with pulsatile tinnitus (PT) and 870 patients with nonpulsatile tinnitus (NPT). The positive rates of HRCT and MRI in the identification of temporal bone anomaly were analyzed and the efficiency of various examination methods was compared in revealing the anomaly. Data were tested by Chi-square test analysis. Results: Among 1015 patients, anomaly was seen in 767 cases (75.57%). High jugular bulb was found in 414 patients, accounting for 40.79%. Sigmoid sinus anomaly was detected in 387 patients (38.13%), while otitis media was found in 148 cases (14.58%), and low middle cranial fossa in 70 cases (6.90%). The positive rate of HRCT in the detection of high jugular bulb was 54.89% (365/665), which was significantly higher than those of other methods (P 2 =56.537, P<0.01). The fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (FIESTA) sequence was the best examination method in displaying the vessel within the internal auditory canal (42/42,100%). Conclusions: High jugular bulb and sigmoid sinus anomaly were the most frequent abnormal findings of temporal bone in patients with tinnitus. Enhanced HRCT was the choice of modality in patients with PT. Plain HRCT was recommended for NPT. FIESTA sequence was the best in the evaluation of the vessel within the internal auditory canal. (authors)

  1. Treatment options for subjective tinnitus: Self reports from a sample of general practitioners and ENT physicians within Europe and the USA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hall Deborah A

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tinnitus affects about 10-15% of the general population and risks for developing tinnitus are rising through increased exposure to leisure noise through listening to personal music players at high volume. The disorder has a considerable heterogeneity and so no single mechanism is likely to explain the presence of tinnitus in all those affected. As such there is no standardized management pathway nor singly effective treatment for the condition. Choice of clinical intervention is a multi-factorial decision based on many factors, including assessment of patient needs and the healthcare context. The present research surveyed clinicians working in six Westernized countries with the aims: a to establish the range of referral pathways, b to evaluate the typical treatment options for categories of subjective tinnitus defined as acute or chronic, and c to seek clinical opinion about levels of satisfaction with current standards of practice. Methods A structured online questionnaire was conducted with 712 physicians who reported seeing at least one tinnitus patients in the previous three months. They were 370 general practitioners (GPs and 365 ear-nose-throat specialists (ENTs from the US, Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain. Results Our international comparison of health systems for tinnitus revealed that although the characteristics of tinnitus appeared broadly similar across countries, the patient's experience of clinical services differed widely. GPs and ENTs were always involved in referral and management to some degree, but multi-disciplinary teams engaged either neurology (Germany, Italy and Spain or audiology (UK and US professionals. For acute subjective tinnitus, pharmacological prescriptions were common, while audiological and psychological approaches were more typical for chronic subjective tinnitus; with several specific treatment options being highly country specific. All therapy options were associated with low levels

  2. Suppression of Tinnitus in a Patient with Unilateral Sudden Hearing Loss: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra Fioretti

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We describe a case of a 67-year-old woman with severe disabling right-sided tinnitus, mild hyperacusis, and headache. The tinnitus was associated with sudden right hearing loss and vertigo, which occurred about 18 months before. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI resulted in normal anatomical structures of the cochlea and of the cranial nerves showing a partial empty sella syndrome with suprasellar cistern hernia. Angio-MR revealed a bilateral contact between the anterior-inferior cerebellar artery (AICA and the acoustic-facial nerve with a potential neurovascular conflict. Surgery was considered unnecessary after further evaluations. The right ear was successfully treated with a combination device (hearing aid plus sound generator. Shortly after a standard fitting procedure, the patient reported a reduction of tinnitus, hyperacusis, and headache which completely disappeared at the follow-up evaluation after 3, 6, and 12 months. This paper demonstrates that the combination device resulted in a complete tinnitus and hyperacusis suppression in a patient with unilateral sensorineural sudden hearing loss. Our paper further supports the restoration of peripheral sensory input for the treatment of tinnitus associated with hearing loss in selected patients.

  3. 22B. Integrative Therapy for Patients With Severe Tinnitus

    OpenAIRE

    Kosey, Julie; Wolever, Ruth

    2013-01-01

    Focus Area: Integrative Approaches to Care Tinnitus is a common problem for which there is no universally effective treatment. The best available estimates indicate that 10% to 15% of adults report having tinnitus symptoms, but only 20% of those who report tinnitus suffer from it and subsequently seek treatment. Individuals with persistent severe tinnitus are unable to habituate to the tinnitus sound that most likely originates in the central auditory system (CAS) in response to peripheral in...

  4. A neurophysiological approach to tinnitus: clinical implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastreboff, P J; Hazell, J W

    1993-02-01

    This paper presents a neurophysiological approach to tinnitus and discusses its clinical implications. A hypothesis of discordant damage of inner and outer hair cells systems in tinnitus generation is outlined. A recent animal model has facilitated the investigation of the mechanisms of tinnitus and has been further refined to allow for the measurement of tinnitus pitch and loudness. The analysis of the processes involved in tinnitus detection postulates the involvement of an abnormal increase of gain within the auditory system. Moreover, it provides a basis for treating patients with hyperacusis, which we are considering to be a pre-tinnitus state. Analysis of the process of tinnitus perception allows for the possibility of facilitating the process of tinnitus habituation for the purpose of its alleviation. The combining of theoretical analysis with clinical findings has resulted in the creation of a multidisciplinary Tinnitus Centre. The foundation of the Centre focuses on two goals: the clinical goal is to remove tinnitus perception from the patient's consciousness, while directing research toward finding a mechanism-based method for the suppression of tinnitus generators and processes responsible for enhancement of tinnitus-related neuronal activity.

  5. The radiologic evaluation of tinnitus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Branstetter, Barton F. [University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Departments of Radiology and Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Weissman, Jane L. [Oregon Health Sciences University, Departments of Radiology, Ophthalmology, and Otolaryngology, Portland, OR (United States)

    2006-12-15

    Tinnitus (''ringing in the ears'') is a prevalent symptom in the general population, and often brings patients to medical attention. Many causes of tinnitus are evident radiographically. The most frequently-encountered causes of tinnitus are discussed, and imaging recommendations are provided. (orig.)

  6. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Tinnitus Patients: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

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    Jae-Jin Song

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS has already been used to manage tinnitus patients, paucity of reports and variations in protocols preclude a comprehensive understanding. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis based on systemic review to assess effectiveness of tDCS in tinnitus management and to compare stimulation parameters. PubMed was searched for tDCS studies in tinnitus. For randomized controlled trials (RCTs, a meta-analysis was performed. A total of 17 studies were identified and 6 of them were included in the systemic review and 2 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Overall 39.5% responded to active tDCS with a mean tinnitus intensity reduction of 13.5%. Additionally, left temporal area (LTA and bifrontal tDCS indicated comparable results. Active tDCS was found to be more effective than sham tDCS for tinnitus intensity reduction (Hedges' g=.77, 95% confidence interval 0.23–1.31. The efficacy of tDCS in tinnitus could not be fully confirmed by the current study because of the limited number of studies, but all studies included in the current systemic review and meta-analysis demonstrated significant tinnitus intensity improvement. Therefore, tDCS may be a promising tool for tinnitus management. Future RCTs in a large series regarding the efficacy as well as the comparison between LTA- and bifrontal tDCS are recommended.

  7. Tinnitus severity, depression, and the big five personality traits.

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    Langguth, B; Kleinjung, T; Fischer, B; Hajak, G; Eichhammer, P; Sand, P G

    2007-01-01

    A growing number of self-report measures for the evaluation of tinnitus severity has become available to research and clinical practice. This has led to an increased awareness of depression and personality as predictors of tinnitus severity in addition to loudness and other psychoacoustic measures. However, the net impact of personality dimensions on tinnitus ratings has not been investigated when the effect of depressed mood is controlled. In the present study, we demonstrate the role of the big five personality traits, 'Neuroticism', 'Extraversion', 'Openness', 'Agreeableness', and 'Conscientiousness', in affecting scores on two standard instruments for grading tinnitus-related complaints, the tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), and the tinnitus questionnaire (TQ). When 72 individuals with chronic tinnitus were examined, 'Agreeableness' negatively correlated with THI scores (p=.003), whereas the anxiety trait 'Neuroticism' correlated both with depressive symptomatology (ptrait anxiety and depression, low 'Agreeableness' was thus identified as a novel predictor of tinnitus severity on the THI.

  8. Atorvastatin in the management of tinnitus with hyperlipidemias

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    Hameed, M. K.; Sheikh, Z. A.; Ahmed, A. [Armed Forces Inst. of Pathology, Rawalpindi (Pakistan). Dept. of Pathology

    2014-12-15

    To determine the role of atorvastatin in management of tinnitus in patients with hyperlipidemia. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: ENT Department, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from July 2011 to August 2012. Methodology: Ninety eight patients of tinnitus with sensorineural hearing loss having hyperlipidemia were included in the study. Their pre-therapy serum cholesterols were measured, and tinnitus scores were recorded on a 'Tinnitus handicap questionnaire'. They were administered tablet atorvastatin 40 mg once daily with low fat diet for 8 months. After 8 months of therapy, patients were purposefully divided into responsive and unresponsive group depending on serum cholesterol levels. Post therapy serum cholesterol levels and tinnitus scores were also recorded after 8 months and compared with pre-therapy records. Results: Serum cholesterol came to within normal limits in 51 (52%) patients (responsive group), while it remained high in 47 (48%) patients (unresponsive group). Improvement in tinnitus score in the responsive group was seen in 36 (70.5%) patients and in 2 (4.2%) patients of the unresponsive group. Improvement in tinnitus scores was compared in the two groups using Fisher's exact test and were found to be statistically better in the responsive group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Tinnitus, in patients having hyperlipidemia, can be successfully dealt with by treating hyperlipidemia with lipid lowering agent atorvastatin. (author)

  9. Atorvastatin in the management of tinnitus with hyperlipidemias

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    Hameed, M.K.; Sheikh, Z.A.; Ahmed, A.

    2014-01-01

    To determine the role of atorvastatin in management of tinnitus in patients with hyperlipidemia. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: ENT Department, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from July 2011 to August 2012. Methodology: Ninety eight patients of tinnitus with sensorineural hearing loss having hyperlipidemia were included in the study. Their pre-therapy serum cholesterols were measured, and tinnitus scores were recorded on a 'Tinnitus handicap questionnaire'. They were administered tablet atorvastatin 40 mg once daily with low fat diet for 8 months. After 8 months of therapy, patients were purposefully divided into responsive and unresponsive group depending on serum cholesterol levels. Post therapy serum cholesterol levels and tinnitus scores were also recorded after 8 months and compared with pre-therapy records. Results: Serum cholesterol came to within normal limits in 51 (52%) patients (responsive group), while it remained high in 47 (48%) patients (unresponsive group). Improvement in tinnitus score in the responsive group was seen in 36 (70.5%) patients and in 2 (4.2%) patients of the unresponsive group. Improvement in tinnitus scores was compared in the two groups using Fisher's exact test and were found to be statistically better in the responsive group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Tinnitus, in patients having hyperlipidemia, can be successfully dealt with by treating hyperlipidemia with lipid lowering agent atorvastatin. (author)

  10. Tinnitus Neural Mechanisms and Structural Changes in the Brain: The Contribution of Neuroimaging Research

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    Simonetti, Patricia

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Tinnitus is an abnormal perception of sound in the absence of an external stimulus. Chronic tinnitus usually has a high impact in many aspects of patients' lives, such as emotional stress, sleep disturbance, concentration difficulties, and so on. These strong reactions are usually attributed to central nervous system involvement. Neuroimaging has revealed the implication of brain structures in the auditory system. Objective This systematic review points out neuroimaging studies that contribute to identifying the structures involved in the pathophysiological mechanism of generation and persistence of various forms of tinnitus. Data Synthesis Functional imaging research reveals that tinnitus perception is associated with the involvement of the nonauditory brain areas, including the front parietal area; the limbic system, which consists of the anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, and amygdala; and the hippocampal and parahippocampal area. Conclusion The neuroimaging research confirms the involvement of the mechanisms of memory and cognition in the persistence of perception, anxiety, distress, and suffering associated with tinnitus.

  11. Effects of serum zinc level on tinnitus.

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    Berkiten, Güler; Kumral, Tolgar Lütfi; Yıldırım, Güven; Salturk, Ziya; Uyar, Yavuz; Atar, Yavuz

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess zinc levels in tinnitus patients, and to evaluate the effects of zinc deficiency on tinnitus and hearing loss. One-hundred patients, who presented to an outpatient clinic with tinnitus between June 2009 and 2014, were included in the study. Patients were divided into three groups according to age: Group I (patients between 18 and 30years of age); Group II (patients between 31 and 60years of age); and Group III (patients between 61 and 78years of age). Following a complete ear, nose and throat examination, serum zinc levels were measured and the severity of tinnitus was quantified using the Tinnitus Severity Index Questionnaire (TSIQ). Patients were subsequently asked to provide a subjective judgment regarding the loudness of their tinnitus. The hearing status of patients was evaluated by audiometry and high-frequency audiometry. An average hearing sensitivity was calculated as the mean value of hearing thresholds between 250 and 20,000Hz. Serum zinc levels between 70 and 120μg/dl were considered normal. The severity and loudness of tinnitus, and the hearing thresholds of the normal zinc level and zinc-deficient groups, were compared. Twelve of 100 (12%) patients exhibited low zinc levels. The mean age of the zinc-deficient group was 65.41±12.77years. Serum zinc levels were significantly lower in group III (p<0.01). The severity and loudness of tinnitus were greater in zinc-deficient patients (p=0.011 and p=0.015, respectively). Moreover, the mean thresholds of air conduction were significantly higher in zinc-deficient patients (p=0.000). We observed that zinc levels decrease as age increases. In addition, there was a significant correlation between zinc level and the severity and loudness of tinnitus. Zinc deficiency was also associated with impairments in hearing thresholds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Risk of tinnitus in patients with sleep apnea: A nationwide, population-based, case-control study.

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    Koo, Malcolm; Hwang, Juen-Haur

    2017-09-01

    To investigate the risk of tinnitus in patients with sleep disturbance or sleep apnea. Case control study. We identified 21,798 middle-aged and elderly patients with otolaryngologist-diagnosed tinnitus between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2012, from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 108,990 controls were also identified from the same database based on frequency-matching on 10-year age interval, sex, and year of index date of the cases. Diagnoses of sleep disturbance (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] codes 780.50, 780.52, 307.4) and sleep apnea (ICD-9-CM codes 780.51, 780.53, 780.57) in the cases and controls prior to the index date were assessed. The risks of tinnitus in patients with sleep disturbance and sleep apnea were separately evaluated with multivariate logistic regression analyses. The mean age of the total 130,788 patients was 59.8 years, and 47% of them were males. The risk of tinnitus was higher in patients with sleep disturbance compared to those without the condition (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] [95% CI] = 1.11-1.17), and the risk of tinnitus was higher in patients with sleep apnea compared to those without the condition (adjusted OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.16-1.60). In this population-based, case-control study, the risk of tinnitus was found to be significantly higher among middle-aged and elderly Taiwanese patients with sleep disturbances, especially with sleep apnea. 3b. Laryngoscope, 127:2171-2175, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  13. [Neurofeedback for the treatment of chronic tinnitus : Review and future perspectives].

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    Kleinjung, T; Thüring, C; Güntensperger, D; Neff, P; Meyer, M

    2018-03-01

    Neurofeedback is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique employing real-time display of brain activity in terms of electroencephalography (EEG) signals to teach self-regulation of distinct patterns of brain activity or influence brain activity in a targeted manner. The benefit of this approach for control of symptoms in attention deficit disorders, hyperactivity, depression, and migraine has been proven. Studies in recent years have also repeatedly shown this treatment to improve tinnitus symptoms, although it has not become established as routine therapy. The primary focus of this review is the rational of EEG neurofeedback for tinnitus treatment and the currently available data from published studies. Furthermore, alternative neurofeedback protocols using real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements for tinnitus control are considered. Finally, this article highlights how modern EEG analysis (source localization, connectivity) and the improving understanding of tinnitus pathology can contribute to development of more focused neurofeedback protocols for more sustainable control of tinnitus.

  14. Medio-lateral postural instability in subjects with tinnitus

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    Zoi eKapoula

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Many patients show modulation of tinnitus by gaze, jaw or neck movements, reflecting abnormal sensorimotor integration and interaction between various inputs. Postural control is based on multi-sensory integration (visual, vestibular, somatosensory, and oculomotor and indeed there is now evidence that posture can also be influenced by sound. Perhaps tinnitus influences posture similarly to external sound. This study examines the quality of postural performance in quiet stance in patients with modulated tinnitus.Methods: Twenty-three patients with highly modulated tinnitus were selected in the ENT service. Twelve reported exclusively or predominately left tinnitus, eight right and three bilateral. Eighteen control subjects were also tested. Subjects were asked to fixate a target at 40cm for 51s; posturography was performed with the platform (Technoconcept, 40Hz for both the eyes open and eyes closed conditions.Results: For both conditions, tinnitus subjects showed abnormally high lateral body sway (SDx. This was corroborated by fast Fourrier Transformation (FFTx and wavelet analysis. For patients with left tinnitus only, medio-lateral sway increased significantly when looking away from the center. Conclusions: Similarly to external sound stimulation, tinnitus could influence lateral sway by activating attention shift, and perhaps vestibular responses. Poor integration of sensorimotor signals is another possibility. Such abnormalities would be accentuated in left tinnitus because of the importance of the right cerebral cortex in processing both auditory-tinnitus and attention.

  15. Circulating steroids negatively correlate with tinnitus.

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    Chrbolka, Pavel; Palúch, Zoltán; Hill, Martin; Alušík, Štefan

    2017-07-01

    While not a disease entity in itself; symptoms of tinnitus (from Latin tinnio - clink) accompany a number of diseases. Tinnitus prevalence increases with age, deteriorates one's quality of life, and may even result in suicidal behavior. Tinnitus develops in response to a variety of risk factors, otoxic substances, noise exposure, hearing disorders, and psychological alterations. Tinnitus is closely related to mood, depression, and psychological state. In the present study, we focused on alterations of the steroid metabolome and particularly neuroactive, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory steroids in patients with tinnitus. The study group consisted of 28 patients without evidence of an organic cause of tinnitus as well as without associated diseases or the effect of ototoxic medications. All patients underwent a complete audiological assessment and laboratory tests including routine biochemical markers and quantification of circulating steroids using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and immunoassays. To rule out a pathology in the cerebellopontine angle area, CT scan or MRI were performed. To diagnose stem lesions, evoked potentials were also measured. Pearson's correlations and multivariate regression were used to assess any links between tinnitus intensity and frequency on the one hand, and steroid levels on the other. Results indicated a significant and consistent negative correlation between tinnitus indices and intensity of adrenal steroidogenesis. The circulating steroid metabolome including hormones and neuroactive, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory steroids negatively correlates with the degree of tinnitus due to hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis malfunction. Our results may help explain the pathophysiology of tinnitus and improve its diagnosis. However, further studies are needed to verify our postulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Tinnitus retraining therapy for patients with tinnitus and decreased sound tolerance.

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    Jastreboff, Pawel J; Jastreboff, Margaret M

    2003-04-01

    Our experience has revealed the following: (1) TRT is applicable for all types of tinnitus, as well as for decreased sound tolerance, with significant improvement of tinnitus occurring in over 80% of the cases, and at least equal success rate for decreased sound tolerance. (2) TRT can provide cure for decreased sound tolerance. (3) TRT does not require frequent clinic visits and has no side effects; however, (4) Special training of health providers involved in this treatment is required for this treatment to be effective.

  17. Transient reduction of tinnitus intensity is marked by concomitant reductions of delta band power

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    Weisz Nathan

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tinnitus is an auditory phantom phenomenon characterized by the sensation of sounds without objectively identifiable sound sources. To date, its causes are not well understood. Previous research found altered patterns of spontaneous brain activity in chronic tinnitus sufferers compared to healthy controls, yet it is unknown whether these abnormal oscillatory patterns are causally related to the tinnitus sensation. Partial support for this notion comes from a neurofeedback approach developed by our group, in which significant reductions in tinnitus loudness could be achieved in patients who successfully normalized their patterns of spontaneous brain activity. The current work attempts to complement these studies by scrutinizing how modulations of tinnitus intensity alter ongoing oscillatory activity. Results In the present study the relation between tinnitus sensation and spontaneous brain activity was investigated using residual inhibition (RI to reduce tinnitus intensity and source-space projected magnetencephalographic (MEG data to index brain activity. RI is the sustained reduction (criteria: 50% for at least 30 s in tinnitus loudness after cessation of a tonal tinnitus masker. A pilot study (n = 38 identified 10 patients who showed RI. A significant reduction of power in the delta (1.3–4.0 Hz frequency band was observed in temporal regions during RI (p ≤ 0.001. Conclusion The current results suggest that changes of tinnitus intensity induced by RI are mediated by alterations in the pathological patterns of spontaneous brain activity, specifically a reduction of delta activity. Delta activity is a characteristic oscillatory activity generated by deafferented/deprived neuronal networks. This implies that RI effects might reflect the transient reestablishment of balance between excitatory and inhibitory neuronal assemblies, via reafferentation, that have been perturbed (in most tinnitus individuals by hearing damage. As

  18. [Factors influencing the pitch and loudness of tinnitus].

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    Ueda, S; Asoh, S; Watanabe, Y

    1992-11-01

    Pitch match and loudness balance tests were given to 397 cases with tinnitus. The factors which influenced tinnitus pitch and loudness were analyzed statistically from the clinical point of view. The results obtained were as follows: 1) Onomatopoeia of tinnitus, either [Keeeen] or [Jeeeen], were observed in a majority of cases. 2) Significantly sharp sounding onomatopoeia such as [Keeeen] or [Meeeen] had high pitches, over 4kHz, and dull sounds like [Gooooh] or [Buuuun] had low pitches, below 500Hz. 3) Acute stage tinnitus, within one month of onset, had a significantly depressed pitch and walked loudness, above 6dB. 4) The pitches observed in cases with Meniere's disease and chronic otitis media were distributed evenly from low frequencies to high. In other cases, especially presbyacusis and noise deafness, high pitch tinnitus (above 4kHz) was frequently noted. The loudness of tinnitus without hearing loss was significantly greater than in other diseases. 5) As a rule the more deteriorated the hearing level was, the lower the frequency of the pitch, and the smaller the loudness in tinnitus. 6) A high pitch of tinnitus nearly corresponded with hearing type, that is, the pitch of tinnitus was also in accordance with the disturbed frequency in the hearing threshold.

  19. Design of a placebo-controlled, randomized study of the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of chronic tinntius

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    Eichhammer Peter

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic tinnitus is a frequent condition, which can have enormous impact on patient's life and which is very difficult to treat. Accumulating data indicate that chronic tinnitus is related to dysfunctional neuronal activity in the central nervous system. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS is a non-invasive method which allows to focally modulate neuronal activity. An increasing amount of studies demonstrate reduction of tinnitus after repeated sessions of low-frequency rTMS and indicate that rTMS might represent a new promising approach for the treatment of tinnitus. However available studies have been mono-centric and are characterized by small sample sizes. Therefore, this multi-center trial will test the efficacy of rTMS treatment in a large sample of chronic tinnitus patients. Methods/Design This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind multi-center trial of two weeks 1 Hz rTMS-treatment in chronic tinnitus patients. Eligible patients will be randomized to either 2 weeks real or sham rTMS treatment. Main eligibility criteria: male or female individuals aged 18–70 years with chronic tinnitus (duration > 6 months, tinnitus-handicap-inventory-score ≥ 38, age-adjusted normal sensorineural hearing (i.e. not more than 5 dB below the 10% percentile of the appropriate age and gender group (DIN EN ISO 7029, conductive hearing loss ≤ 15dB. The primary endpoint is a change of tinnitus severity according to the tinnitus questionnaire of Goebel and Hiller (baseline vs. end of treatment period. A total of 138 patients are needed to detect a clinical relevant change of tinnitus severity (i.e. 5 points on the questionnaire of Goebel and Hiller; alpha = 0.05; 1-beta = 0.80. Assuming a drop-out rate of less than 5% until the primary endpoint, 150 patients have to be randomized to guarantee the target number of 138 evaluable patients. The study will be conducted by otorhinolaryngologists and psychiatrists of 7

  20. Outpatient Tinnitus Clinic, Self-Help Web Platform, or Mobile Application to Recruit Tinnitus Study Samples?

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    Thomas Probst

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available For understanding the heterogeneity of tinnitus, large samples are required. However, investigations on how samples recruited by different methods differ from each other are lacking. In the present study, three large samples each recruited by different means were compared: N = 5017 individuals registered at a self-help web platform for tinnitus (crowdsourcing platform Tinnitus Talk, N = 867 users of a smart mobile application for tinnitus (crowdsensing platform TrackYourTinnitus, and N = 3786 patients contacting an outpatient tinnitus clinic (Tinnitus Center of the University Hospital Regensburg. The three samples were compared regarding age, gender, and duration of tinnitus (month or years perceiving tinnitus; subjective report using chi-squared tests. The three samples significantly differed from each other in age, gender and tinnitus duration (p < 0.05. Users of the TrackYourTinnitus crowdsensing platform were younger, users of the Tinnitus Talk crowdsourcing platform had more often female gender, and users of both newer technologies (crowdsourcing and crowdsensing had more frequently acute/subacute tinnitus (<3 months and 4–6 months as well as a very long tinnitus duration (>20 years. The implications of these findings for clinical research are that newer technologies such as crowdsourcing and crowdsensing platforms offer the possibility to reach individuals hard to get in contact with at an outpatient tinnitus clinic. Depending on the aims and the inclusion/exclusion criteria of a given study, different recruiting strategies (clinic and/or newer technologies offer different advantages and disadvantages. In general, the representativeness of study results might be increased when tinnitus study samples are recruited in the clinic as well as via crowdsourcing and crowdsensing.

  1. Reliability of self-rated tinnitus distress and association with psychological symptom patterns.

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    Hiller, W; Goebel, G; Rief, W

    1994-05-01

    Psychological complaints were investigated in two samples of 60 and 138 in-patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. We administered the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), a 52-item self-rating scale which differentiates between dimensions of emotional and cognitive distress, intrusiveness, auditory perceptual difficulties, sleep disturbances and somatic complaints. The test-retest reliability was .94 for the TQ global score and between .86 and .93 for subscales. Three independent analyses were conducted to estimate the split-half reliability (internal consistency) which was only slightly lower than the test-retest values for scales with a relatively small number of items. Reliability was sufficient also on the level of single items. Low correlation between the TQ and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R) indicate a distinct quality of tinnitus-related and general psychological disturbances.

  2. The Role of Trace Elements in Tinnitus.

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    Yaşar, Mehmet; Şahin, Mehmet İlhan; Karakükçü, Çiğdem; Güneri, Erhan; Doğan, Murat; Sağıt, Mustafa

    2017-03-01

    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.

  3. Radiologic diagnostic and therapeutic options in patients with pulsatile tinnitus; Radiologische Diagnostik des Ohrgeraeuschs und therapeutische Optionen

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    Wanke, Isabel [Klinik Hirslanden, Zuerich (Switzerland). Abt. fuer Neuroradiologie; Universitaetsklinikum Essen (Germany). Inst. fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie und Neuroradiologie; Forsting, Michael [Universitaetsklinikum Essen (Germany). Inst. fuer Radiologie und Neuroradiolgoie

    2010-03-15

    A pulse synchronous tinnitus is characterized by a rhythmic sound that is in sync with the patient heartbeat or respiration and can be perceived by the patient as a bruit. Different from the more common classic and continuous ear sound, with pulse synchronous tinnitus one may often discover a pathological neovascular condition that can be diagnosed with medical imaging. This review covers the different conditions leading to pulse synchronous tinnitus and provides indications requiring preventive and active treatment to avoid potential but serious sequela for the patient. (orig.)

  4. Tinnitus retraining therapy: a different view on tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastreboff, Pawel J; Jastreboff, Margaret M

    2006-01-01

    Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a method for treating tinnitus and decreased sound tolerance, based on the neurophysiological model of tinnitus. This model postulates involvement of the limbic and autonomic nervous systems in all cases of clinically significant tinnitus and points out the importance of both conscious and subconscious connections, which are governed by principles of conditioned reflexes. The treatments for tinnitus and misophonia are based on the concept of extinction of these reflexes, labeled as habituation. TRT aims at inducing changes in the mechanisms responsible for transferring signal (i.e., tinnitus, or external sound in the case of misophonia) from the auditory system to the limbic and autonomic nervous systems, and through this, remove signal-induced reactions without attempting to directly attenuate the tinnitus source or tinnitus/misophonia-evoked reactions. As such, TRT is effective for any type of tinnitus regardless of its etiology. TRT consists of: (1) counseling based on the neurophysiological model of tinnitus, and (2) sound therapy (with or without instrumentation). The main role of counseling is to reclassify tinnitus into the category of neutral stimuli. The role of sound therapy is to decrease the strength of the tinnitus signal. It is crucial to assess and treat tinnitus, decreased sound tolerance, and hearing loss simultaneously. Results from various groups have shown that TRT can be an effective method of treatment. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  5. Cochlear implantation for single-sided deafness and tinnitus suppression.

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    Holder, Jourdan T; O'Connell, Brendan; Hedley-Williams, Andrea; Wanna, George

    To quantify the potential effectiveness of cochlear implantation for tinnitus suppression in patients with single-sided deafness using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. The study included 12 patients with unilateral tinnitus who were undergoing cochlear implantation for single-sided deafness. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory was administered at the patient's cochlear implant candidacy evaluation appointment prior to implantation and every cochlear implant follow-up appointment, except activation, following implantation. Patient demographics and speech recognition scores were also retrospectively recorded using the electronic medical record. A significant reduction was found when comparing Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score preoperatively (61.2±27.5) to the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score after three months of cochlear implant use (24.6±28.2, p=0.004) and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score beyond 6months of CI use (13.3±18.9, p=0.008). Further, 45% of patients reported total tinnitus suppression. Mean CNC word recognition score improved from 2.9% (SD 9.4) pre-operatively to 40.8% (SD 31.7) by 6months post-activation, which was significantly improved from pre-operative scores (p=0.008). The present data is in agreement with previously published studies that have shown an improvement in tinnitus following cochlear implantation for the large majority of patients with single-sided deafness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Effect of stapedotomy on pre-operative tinnitus and its psychosomatic burden.

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    Bast, Florian; Mazurek, Birgit; Schrom, Thomas

    2013-12-01

    According to the literature, between 40 and 90% of otosclerosis patients suffering from hearing loss also suffer from tinnitus on the affected side. For a lot of these patients tinnitus represents a handicap that is just as debilitating as the hearing loss itself. The main goal of the surgical treatment of otosclerosis is a significant improvement in hearing loss, but frequent reports of reduced tinnitus after surgery suggest that this can be a positive side effect. All patients who underwent stapedotomy were initially included in the study. Retrospectively, the tinnitus questionnaire as compiled by Goebel and Hiller was sent to the patients, and 34 patients (37 ears) replied. The pre- and postoperative cases of tinnitus were divided into compensated and non-compensated tinnitus. In addition the following tinnitus-related factors were evaluated: emotional, cognitive and mental burden; intrusiveness of the tinnitus; hearing problems; somatic ailments; and sleep disturbances. Over 80% of the patients surveyed suffered from tinnitus pre-operation. The tinnitus disappeared or improved in over 60% of the cases after stapedotomy. In addition, the related factors surveyed also improved appreciably post surgery and reached a significant level in patients with compensated tinnitus. Besides a significant improvement in hearing loss the intensity and the psychosomatic burden of a pre-operative tinnitus can be reduced by stapedotomy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Cochlear changes in presbycusis with tinnitus.

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    Terao, Kyoichi; Cureoglu, Sebahattin; Schachern, Patricia A; Morita, Norimasa; Nomiya, Shigenobu; Deroee, Armin F; Doi, Katsumi; Mori, Kazunori; Murata, Kiyotaka; Paparella, Michael M

    2011-01-01

    The pathophysiology of tinnitus is obscure and its treatment is therefore elusive. Significant progress in this field can only be achieved by determining the mechanisms of tinnitus generation, and thus, histopathologic findings of the cochlea in presbycusis with tinnitus become crucial. We revealed the histopathologic findings of the cochlea in subjects with presbycusis and tinnitus. The subjects were divided into 2 groups, presbycusis with tinnitus (tinnitus) group and presbycusis without tinnitus (control) group, with each group comprising 8 temporal bones from 8 subjects. We quantitatively analyzed the number of spiral ganglion cells, loss of cochlear inner and outer hair cells, and areas of the stria vascularis and spiral ligament. There was a significantly greater loss of outer hair cells in the tinnitus group compared with the control group in the basal and upper middle turns. The stria vascularis was more atrophic in the tinnitus group compared with the control group in the basal turn. Tinnitus is more common in patients with presbycusis who have more severe degeneration of outer hair cells and stria vascularis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. The Comparison of Ginkgo biloba and Cinnarizine effectiveness in tinnitus intensity of patients with subjective tinnitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamidreza Khazraei

    2015-01-01

    Conclusion: It was found that after two months of treatment with Ginkgo biloba (120-140 mg daily tinnitus severity and the adverse changes on quality of life significantly decreased in the patients, whereas Cinnarizine did not reduce the latter significantly. However, no significant difference was observed between the two groups (Cinnarizine & Ginko biloba.

  9. Tinnitus: Prospects for Pharmacological Interventions With a Seesaw Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tetteh, Hannah; Lee, Minseok; Lau, C Geoffrey; Yang, Sunggu; Yang, Sungchil

    2017-10-01

    Chronic tinnitus, the perception of lifelong constant ringing in ear, is one capital cause of disability in modern society. It is often present with various comorbid factors that severely affect quality of life, including insomnia, deficits in attention, anxiety, and depression. Currently, there are limited therapeutic treatments for alleviation of tinnitus. Tinnitus can involve a shift in neuronal excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance, which is largely modulated by ion channels and receptors. Thus, ongoing research is geared toward pharmaceutical approaches that modulate the function of ion channels and receptors. Here, we propose a seesaw model that delineates how tinnitus-related ion channels and receptors are involved in homeostatic E/I balance of neurons. This review provides a thorough account of our current mechanistic understanding of tinnitus and insight into future direction of drug development.

  10. Neural plasticity and its initiating conditions in tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, L E

    2018-03-01

    Deafferentation caused by cochlear pathology (which can be hidden from the audiogram) activates forms of neural plasticity in auditory pathways, generating tinnitus and its associated conditions including hyperacusis. This article discusses tinnitus mechanisms and suggests how these mechanisms may relate to those involved in normal auditory information processing. Research findings from animal models of tinnitus and from electromagnetic imaging of tinnitus patients are reviewed which pertain to the role of deafferentation and neural plasticity in tinnitus and hyperacusis. Auditory neurons compensate for deafferentation by increasing their input/output functions (gain) at multiple levels of the auditory system. Forms of homeostatic plasticity are believed to be responsible for this neural change, which increases the spontaneous and driven activity of neurons in central auditory structures in animals expressing behavioral evidence of tinnitus. Another tinnitus correlate, increased neural synchrony among the affected neurons, is forged by spike-timing-dependent neural plasticity in auditory pathways. Slow oscillations generated by bursting thalamic neurons verified in tinnitus animals appear to modulate neural plasticity in the cortex, integrating tinnitus neural activity with information in brain regions supporting memory, emotion, and consciousness which exhibit increased metabolic activity in tinnitus patients. The latter process may be induced by transient auditory events in normal processing but it persists in tinnitus, driven by phantom signals from the auditory pathway. Several tinnitus therapies attempt to suppress tinnitus through plasticity, but repeated sessions will likely be needed to prevent tinnitus activity from returning owing to deafferentation as its initiating condition.

  11. [Tinnitus and implants].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Despreaux, G; Tison, P; Van Den Abbeele, T; Moine, A; Frachet, B

    1990-01-01

    The experience with cochlear implantation at Avicenne hospital prompted us to carry out a retrospective study on tinnitus in a population of operated patients. Improvement or disappearance of the symptoms was noted in all cases. These results, which partly match those found in the literature, are probably produced by rehabilitation inhibiting the "deafferentation" mechanisms in analogy with pain phenomena. In some precise cases, which are described, they led us to proposing implantation even though the main, if not sole, complaint of the patient was tinnitus.

  12. [Tinnitus and psychological comorbidities].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zirke, N; Goebel, G; Mazurek, B

    2010-07-01

    Comorbidity is the presence of one or more disorders in addition to the main disorder. Comorbidities negatively influence the development of the main disease. For patients with tinnitus a comorbidity is an additional component complicating the habituation of ear noise and patients with decompensated tinnitus often have psychological comorbidities, e.g. affective, somatoform or anxiety disorders. At the time of first presentation and also during further follow-up, it is essential to pay particular attention to the presence of potential comorbid mental disorders. This is of special importance for patients with decompensated ear noise (severity grades 3 and 4). For ENT specialists it is important that the mental discomfort of patients must be taken seriously and should be identified through a targeted diagnosis. Effective treatment of the co-symptoms using cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in conjunction with medication often reduces the severity of tinnitus perception and discomfort.

  13. CT and MRI findings of temporal bone anomaly in patients with tinnitus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bing, Wang; Junfang, Xian; Zhenchang, Wang; Zhaohui, Liu [Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University (China)

    2011-03-15

    Objective: To study high resolution CT (HRCT) and MRI findings of temporal hone anomaly in patients with tinnitus and identify the optimal examination method in the detection of the anomaly. Methods: The HRCT and MRI data were analyzed retrospectively in 1015 patients including 145 patients with pulsatile tinnitus (PT) and 870 patients with nonpulsatile tinnitus (NPT). The positive rates of HRCT and MRI in the identification of temporal bone anomaly were analyzed and the efficiency of various examination methods was compared in revealing the anomaly. Data were tested by Chi-square test analysis. Results: Among 1015 patients, anomaly was seen in 767 cases (75.57%). High jugular bulb was found in 414 patients, accounting for 40.79%. Sigmoid sinus anomaly was detected in 387 patients (38.13%), while otitis media was found in 148 cases (14.58%), and low middle cranial fossa in 70 cases (6.90%). The positive rate of HRCT in the detection of high jugular bulb was 54.89% (365/665), which was significantly higher than those of other methods (P<0.05). The positive rate of enhanced HRCT in showing sigmoid sinus anomaly was 73.68% (56/76), which was significantly higher than those of other methods (P<0.05). Sigmoid sinus anomaly was the most frequent finding in patients with PT, accounting for 66.21% (96/145). The incidence of sigmoid sinus anomaly was higher in PT than in NPT (291/870, 33.45%; χ{sup 2}=56.537, P<0.01). The fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (FIESTA) sequence was the best examination method in displaying the vessel within the internal auditory canal (42/42,100%). Conclusions: High jugular bulb and sigmoid sinus anomaly were the most frequent abnormal findings of temporal bone in patients with tinnitus. Enhanced HRCT was the choice of modality in patients with PT. Plain HRCT was recommended for NPT. FIESTA sequence was the best in the evaluation of the vessel within the internal auditory canal. (authors)

  14. [Neurofeedback therapy in the treatment of tinnitus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Z Q; Lei, G X; Li, Y L; Zhang, D; Shen, W D; Yang, S M; Qiao, Y H

    2018-02-01

    Neurofeedback therapy is a fast-growing field of tinnitus treatment, which is a new type of biofeedback therapy. In the past, the "muscle tone" and "blood flow" were used as feedback signals in biofeedback therapy to treat tinnitus, however there was no long-term follow-up report. Instead, neurofeedback therapy utilizes EEG (electroencephalogram) as the feedback signal, which is also called EEG biofeedback therapy. At present, most treatments of tinnitus only record subjective measures of patients as evaluation indicators, whereas neurofeedback therapy is more convincing for using comprehensive evaluation including changes of brain wave as objective indicators and subjective measures of patients. A significant number of tinnitus patients have varying degree of hearing loss. As neurofeedback therapy takes advantage of EEG as feedback signal that is delivered to the patients through visual information, it has unique advantages of being not affected by the degree of hearing loss compared to the sound masking or other sound treatment. Long-term follow-up results showed that the efficacy of neurofeedback therapy was stable after half a year of short-term treatment. This paper summarizes the progress of the various types of biofeedback therapy in the treatment of tinnitus, and focuses on the neurofeedback therapy for the mechanism, indication, process, efficacy evaluation, defect and prospect of neurofeedback therapy in tinnitus treatment in order to help promote the development of domestic clinical neurofeedback therapy in tinnitus.

  15. Tinnitus: clinical experience of the psychosomatic connection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salviati M

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Massimo Salviati,1 Francesco Saverio Bersani,1 Samira Terlizzi,1 Claudia Melcore,1 Roberta Panico,1 Graziella Francesca Romano,1 Guiseppe Valeriani,1 Francesco Macrì,1 Giancarlo Altissimi,2 Filippo Mazzei,2 Valeria Testugini,2 Luca Latini,1 Roberto Delle Chiaie,1 Massimo Biondi,1 Giancarlo Cianfrone21Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Acute Psychiatric Ward (Servizio Psichiatrico di Diagnosi e Cura - SPDC, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, 2Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyBackground: The connection between psychopathology and tinnitus is complex and not adequately studied. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between tinnitus and psychiatric comorbidities from different points of view: categorical, dimensional, temperamental, and perceived stress level.Methods: Two hundred and thirty-nine patients affected by tinnitus were recruited between January and October 2012. Patients underwent a preliminary battery of tests including the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI, Symptom Check List (SCL90-R, Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI, and Stress-Related Vulnerability Scale (VRS, and eventually a full psychiatric evaluation. Results: One hundred and fourteen patients (48% of the total sample presented psychiatric comorbidity. Among these, a higher prevalence of depression, somatization, obsession, and anxiety was found. More than 41% of patients affected by decompensated tinnitus reported a family history of psychiatric disorders. Significant positive correlations between the psychopathological screening tools (SCL90-R and VRS and THI were found. Patients affected by comorbid psychiatric disorder showed specific temperamental and characterial predispositions.Conclusion: Psychiatric comorbidity in subjects affected by tinnitus is frequent. Stress can be considered as a factor leading to damage and dysfunction of the auditory apparatus. The vulnerability to neurotic disorders and

  16. Measuring the moment-to-moment variability of tinnitus: the TrackYourTinnitus smart phone app

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Winfried Schlee

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus, the phantom perception of sound without a corresponding external sound, is a frequent disorder which causes significant morbidity. So far there is no treatment available that reliably reduces the tinnitus perception. The research is hampered by the large heterogeneity of tinnitus and the fact that the tinnitus perception fluctuates over time. It is therefore necessary to develop tools for measuring fluctuations of tinnitus perception over time and for analysing data on single subject basis. However, this type of longitudinal measurement is difficult to perform using the traditional research methods such as paper-and-pencil questionnaires or clinical interviews. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA represents a research concept that allows the assessment of subjective measurements under real-life conditions using portable electronic devices and thereby enables the researcher to collect longitudinal data under real-life conditions and high cost efficiency. Here we present a new method for recording the longitudinal development of tinnitus perception using a modern smartphone application available for iOS and Android devices with no costs for the users. The TrackYourTinnitus app is available and maintained since April 2014. A number of 857 volunteers with an average age of 44.1 years participated in the data collection between April 2014 and February 2016. The mean tinnitus distress at the initial measurement was rated on average 13.9 points on the Mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire (max. 24 points. Importantly, we could demonstrate that the regular use of the TrackYourTinnitus app has no significant negative influence on the perception of the tinnitus loudness nor on the tinnitus distress. The TrackYourTinnitus app can therefore be proposed as a safe instrument for the longitudinal assessment of tinnitus perception in the everyday life of the patient.

  17. Intrinsic network activity in tinnitus investigated using functional MRI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leaver, Amber M.; Turesky, Ted K.; Seydell-Greenwald, Anna; Morgan, Susan; Kim, Hung J.; Rauschecker, Josef P.

    2016-01-01

    Tinnitus is an increasingly common disorder in which patients experience phantom auditory sensations, usually ringing or buzzing in the ear. Tinnitus pathophysiology has been repeatedly shown to involve both auditory and non-auditory brain structures, making network-level studies of tinnitus critical. In this magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study, we used two resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) approaches to better understand functional network disturbances in tinnitus. First, we demonstrated tinnitus-related reductions in RSFC between specific brain regions and resting-state networks (RSNs), defined by independent components analysis (ICA) and chosen for their overlap with structures known to be affected in tinnitus. Then, we restricted ICA to data from tinnitus patients, and identified one RSN not apparent in control data. This tinnitus RSN included auditory-sensory regions like inferior colliculus and medial Heschl’s gyrus, as well as classically non-auditory regions like the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus, striatum, lateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex. Notably, patients’ reported tinnitus loudness was positively correlated with RSFC between the mediodorsal nucleus and the tinnitus RSN, indicating that this network may underlie the auditory-sensory experience of tinnitus. These data support the idea that tinnitus involves network dysfunction, and further stress the importance of communication between auditory-sensory and fronto-striatal circuits in tinnitus pathophysiology. PMID:27091485

  18. Tinnitus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tinnitus is often described as a ringing in the ears. It also can sound like roaring, clicking, ... one or both ears. Millions of Americans have tinnitus. People with severe tinnitus may have trouble hearing, ...

  19. [Tinnitus and temporomandibular joint: State of the art].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lina-Granade, G; Truy, E; Ionescu, E; Garnier, P; Thai Van, H

    2016-12-01

    Tinnitus has been described in temporomandibular joint dysfunction for a long time. Yet, other disorders, such as hearing loss, stress, anxiety and depression, play a major role in the pathophysiology of tinnitus. Temporomandibular joint dysfunctions seem to increase the risk of tinnitus in patients with other predisposing factors. Especially somatosensory tinnitus, which is characterized by sound modulations with neck or mandible movements, is frequently associated with temporomandibular joint dysfunction, but it is not pathognomonic of such a disorder. In such cases, functional therapy of the temporomandibular joint should be part of the multidisciplinary rehabilitation of patients with tinnitus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Memory networks in tinnitus: a functional brain image study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maura Regina Laureano

    Full Text Available Tinnitus is characterized by the perception of sound in the absence of an external auditory stimulus. The network connectivity of auditory and non-auditory brain structures associated with emotion, memory and attention are functionally altered in debilitating tinnitus. Current studies suggest that tinnitus results from neuroplastic changes in the frontal and limbic temporal regions. The objective of this study was to use Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT to evaluate changes in the cerebral blood flow in tinnitus patients with normal hearing compared with healthy controls.Twenty tinnitus patients with normal hearing and 17 healthy controls, matched for sex, age and years of education, were subjected to Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography using the radiotracer ethylenedicysteine diethyl ester, labeled with Technetium 99 m (99 mTc-ECD SPECT. The severity of tinnitus was assessed using the "Tinnitus Handicap Inventory" (THI. The images were processed and analyzed using "Statistical Parametric Mapping" (SPM8.A significant increase in cerebral perfusion in the left parahippocampal gyrus (pFWE <0.05 was observed in patients with tinnitus compared with healthy controls. The average total THI score was 50.8+18.24, classified as moderate tinnitus.It was possible to identify significant changes in the limbic system of the brain perfusion in tinnitus patients with normal hearing, suggesting that central mechanisms, not specific to the auditory pathway, are involved in the pathophysiology of symptoms, even in the absence of clinically diagnosed peripheral changes.

  1. Factors related to tinnitus and hyperacusis handicap in older people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aazh, Hashir; Lammaing, Karen; Moore, Brian C J

    2017-09-01

    The aim was to assess factors related to tinnitus and hyperacusis handicap in older people. Retrospective cross-sectional. Data were gathered for 184 patients with an average age of 69 years. Tinnitus handicap as measured via the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) was significantly predicted by tinnitus annoyance as measured via the visual analogue scale (VAS) (regression coefficient, b = 2.9, p tinnitus on the patient's life as measured via the VAS (b = 3.9, p tinnitus annoyance significantly predicts tinnitus handicap, it is important to explore factors associated with annoyance that may be useful in designing appropriate rehabilitative interventions aimed at reducing tinnitus handicap in older people. Future studies should explore whether hyperacusis and insomnia in older people with tinnitus need to be managed in conjunction with treatment for depression.

  2. 10 Hz Amplitude Modulated Sounds Induce Short-Term Tinnitus Suppression

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    Patrick Neff

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Acoustic stimulation or sound therapy is proposed as a main treatment option for chronic subjective tinnitus. To further probe the field of acoustic stimulations for tinnitus therapy, this exploratory study compared 10 Hz amplitude modulated (AM sounds (two pure tones, noise, music, and frequency modulated (FM sounds and unmodulated sounds (pure tone, noise regarding their temporary suppression of tinnitus loudness. First, it was hypothesized that modulated sounds elicit larger temporary loudness suppression (residual inhibition than unmodulated sounds. Second, with manipulation of stimulus loudness and duration of the modulated sounds weaker or stronger effects of loudness suppression were expected, respectively.Methods: We recruited 29 participants with chronic tonal tinnitus from the multidisciplinary Tinnitus Clinic of the University of Regensburg. Participants underwent audiometric, psychometric and tinnitus pitch matching assessments followed by an acoustic stimulation experiment with a tinnitus loudness growth paradigm. In a first block participants were stimulated with all of the sounds for 3 min each and rated their subjective tinnitus loudness to the pre-stimulus loudness every 30 s after stimulus offset. The same procedure was deployed in the second block with the pure tone AM stimuli matched to the tinnitus frequency, manipulated in length (6 min, and loudness (reduced by 30 dB and linear fade out. Repeated measures mixed model analyses of variance (ANOVA were calculated to assess differences in loudness growth between the stimuli for each block separately.Results: First, we found that all sounds elicit a short-term suppression of tinnitus loudness (seconds to minutes with strongest suppression right after stimulus offset [F(6, 1331 = 3.74, p < 0.01]. Second, similar to previous findings we found that AM sounds near the tinnitus frequency produce significantly stronger tinnitus loudness suppression than noise [vs. Pink

  3. Arteriovenøs fistel med objektiv tinnitus efter fødsel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fisker, Jacob; Katholm, Morten; Cortsen, Marie

    2011-01-01

    This case-report describes an otherwise healthy younger woman with post partum onset of objective pulsatile tinnitus. Neuroradiological examination revealed a dural fistula that was later closed using endovascular coiling technique, after which the patient's tinnitus disappeared. At 6-month follow......-up the patient was symptom-free. This case report emphasises the importance of examining for objective tinnitus in patients complaining of tinnitus, as the causes of objective pulsatile tinnitus can frequently be treated successfully....

  4. Cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez Devesa, P; Waddell, A; Perera, R; Theodoulou, M

    2007-01-24

    Tinnitus is an auditory perception that can be described as the experience of sound, in the ear or in the head, in the absence of external acoustic stimulation (not usually audible to anyone else). At present no specific therapy for tinnitus is acknowledged to be satisfactory in all patients. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) uses relaxation, cognitive restructuring of the thoughts and exposure to exacerbating situations in order to promote habituation and may benefit tinnitus patients, as may the treatment of associated psychological conditions. To assess whether cognitive behavioural therapy is effective in the management of patients suffering from tinnitus. Our search included the Cochrane ENT Group Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2006), MEDLINE and EMBASE. The last search date was June 2006. Randomised controlled trials in which patients with unilateral or bilateral tinnitus as main symptom received cognitive behavioural treatment. One review author (PMD) assessed every report identified by the search strategy. The four review authors assessed the methodological quality, applied inclusion/exclusion criteria and extracted data. Six trials comprising 285 participants were included. 1. subjective tinnitus loudness. CBT compared to a waiting list control group: we found no significant difference (Standardised Mean Difference (SMD) 0.06 (95% CI -0.25 to 0.37)). CBT compared to another intervention (Yoga, Education, Minimal Contact - Education and Education): we found no significant difference (SMD 0.1 (95% CI -0.22 to 0.42)).2. a) Depression. CBT compared to a waiting list control group: we found no significant difference in either group (SMD 0.29 (95%CI -0.04 to 0.63)). CBT compared to another intervention (Yoga, Education and Minimal Contact - Education): we found no significant difference (SMD 0.01 (95% CI -0.43 to 0.45)). b) Quality of life: CBT compared to a waiting list control

  5. Tinnitus distress is linked to enhanced resting-state functional connectivity from the limbic system to the auditory cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yu-Chen; Xia, Wenqing; Chen, Huiyou; Feng, Yuan; Xu, Jin-Jing; Gu, Jian-Ping; Salvi, Richard; Yin, Xindao

    2017-05-01

    The phantom sound of tinnitus is believed to be triggered by aberrant neural activity in the central auditory pathway, but since this debilitating condition is often associated with emotional distress and anxiety, these comorbidities likely arise from maladaptive functional connections to limbic structures such as the amygdala and hippocampus. To test this hypothesis, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to identify aberrant effective connectivity of the amygdala and hippocampus in tinnitus patients and to determine the relationship with tinnitus characteristics. Chronic tinnitus patients (n = 26) and age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (n = 23) were included. Both groups were comparable for hearing level. Granger causality analysis utilizing the amygdala and hippocampus as seed regions were used to investigate the directional connectivity and the relationship with tinnitus duration or distress. Relative to healthy controls, tinnitus patients demonstrated abnormal directional connectivity of the amygdala and hippocampus, including primary and association auditory cortex, and other non-auditory areas. Importantly, scores on the Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaires were positively correlated with increased connectivity from the left amygdala to left superior temporal gyrus (r = 0.570, P = 0.005), and from the right amygdala to right superior temporal gyrus (r = 0.487, P = 0.018). Moreover, enhanced effective connectivity from the right hippocampus to left transverse temporal gyrus was correlated with tinnitus duration (r = 0.452, P = 0.030). The results showed that tinnitus distress strongly correlates with enhanced effective connectivity that is directed from the amygdala to the auditory cortex. The longer the phantom sensation, the more likely acute tinnitus becomes permanently encoded by memory traces in the hippocampus. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2384-2397, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Predictors of Preoperative Tinnitus in Unilateral Sporadic Vestibular Schwannoma

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    Georgios Naros

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available ObjectiveNearly two-thirds of patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS are reporting a significantly impaired quality of life due to tinnitus. VS-associated tinnitus is attributed to an anatomical and physiological damage of the hearing nerve by displacing growth of the tumor. In contrast, the current pathophysiological concept of non-VS tinnitus hypothesizes a maladaptive neuroplasticity of the central nervous system to a (hidden hearing impairment resulting in a subjective misperception. However, it is unclear whether this concept fits to VS-associated tinnitus. This study aims to determine the clinical predictors of VS-associated tinnitus to ascertain the compatibility of both pathophysiological concepts.MethodsThis retrospective study includes a group of 478 neurosurgical patients with unilateral sporadic VS evaluated preoperatively regarding the occurrence of ipsilateral tinnitus depending on different clinical factors, i.e., age, gender, tumor side, tumor size (T1–T4 according to the Hannover classification, and hearing impairment (Gardner–Robertson classification, GR1–5, using a binary logistic regression.Results61.8% of patients complain about a preoperative tinnitus. The binary logistic regression analysis identified male gender [OR 1.90 (1.25–2.75; p = 0.002] and hearing impairment GR3 [OR 1.90 (1.08–3.35; p = 0.026] and GR4 [OR 8.21 (2.29–29.50; p = 0.001] as positive predictors. In contrast, patients with large T4 tumors [OR 0.33 (0.13–0.86; p = 0.024] and complete hearing loss GR5 [OR 0.36 (0.15–0.84; p = 0.017] were less likely to develop a tinnitus. Yet, 60% of the patients with good clinical hearing (GR1 and 25% of patients with complete hearing loss (GR5 suffered from tinnitus.ConclusionThese data are good accordance with literature about non-VS tinnitus indicating hearing impairment as main risk factor. In contrast, complete hearing loss appears a negative predictor for tinnitus. For the first

  7. Neurofeedback for Tinnitus Treatment – Review and Current Concepts

    OpenAIRE

    Güntensperger, Dominik; Thüring, Christian; Meyer, Martin; Neff, Patrick; Kleinjung, Tobias

    2017-01-01

    An effective treatment to completely alleviate chronic tinnitus symptoms has not yet been discovered. However, recent developments suggest that neurofeedback (NFB), a method already popular in the treatment of other psychological and neurological disorders, may provide a suitable alternative. NFB is a non-invasive method generally based on electrophysiological recordings and visualizing of certain aspects of brain activity as positive or negative feedback that enables patients to voluntarily ...

  8. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) as a method for treatment of tinnitus and hyperacusis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastreboff, P J; Jastreboff, M M

    2000-03-01

    The aim of this paper is to provide information about the neurophysiologic model of tinnitus and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). With this overview of the model and therapy, professionals may discern with this basic foundation of knowledge whether they wish to pursue learning and subsequently implement TRT in their practice. This paper provides an overview only and is insufficient for the implementation of TRT.

  9. Somatosensory Tinnitus: Correlation between Cranio-Cervico-Mandibular Disorder History and Somatic Modulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ralli, Massimo; Altissimi, Giancarlo; Turchetta, Rosaria; Mazzei, Filippo; Salviati, Massimo; Cianfrone, Francesca; Orlando, Maria Patrizia; Testugini, Valeria; Cianfrone, Giancarlo

    2016-01-01

    In a subpopulation of patients, tinnitus can be modulated by movements of the jaw or head and neck due to complex somatosensory-auditory interactions. In some of these subjects, tinnitus could be related to an underlying temporomandibular (TMJ) or craniocervical (NECK) dysfunction that, if correctly identified, could streamline treatment and increase chances of tinnitus improvement. However, it is still unclear whether somatic modulation of tinnitus could be used as a screening tool for identifying such patients. In this study, we included 310 tinnitus patients with normal hearing, no psychiatric comorbidities, and a positive history of TMJ and/or NECK dysfunction and/or a positive modulation of tinnitus to evaluate the characteristics of somatic modulation, investigate the relationship between positive history and positive modulation, and identify factors most strongly associated with somatic modulation. Tinnitus modulation was present in 79.67% of the patients. We found a significant association within the same subjects between a positive history and a positive tinnitus modulation for the same region, mainly for TMJ in unilateral tinnitus patients and for TMJ + NECK in bilateral tinnitus patients. A strong correlation between history and modulation in the same somatic region within the same subgroups of subjects was also identified. Most TMJ maneuvers resulted in an increased loudness, while NECK maneuvers showed an increase in tinnitus loudness in about 59% of cases. High-pitched tinnitus and male gender were associated with a higher prevalence of modulation; no differences were found for tinnitus onset, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score, and age. In this paper, we report a strong association between history and modulation for the same regions within the same patients; such an association should always be investigated to improve chances of a correct diagnosis of somatosensory tinnitus. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  10. Central crosstalk for somatic tinnitus: abnormal vergence eye movements.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing Yang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Frequent oulomotricity problems with orthoptic testing were reported in patients with tinnitus. This study examines with objective recordings vergence eye movements in patients with somatic tinnitus patients with ability to modify their subjective tinnitus percept by various movements, such as jaw, neck, eye movements or skin pressure. METHODS: Vergence eye movements were recorded with the Eyelink II video system in 15 (23-63 years control adults and 19 (36-62 years subjects with somatic tinnitus. FINDINGS: 1 Accuracy of divergence but not of convergence was lower in subjects with somatic tinnitus than in control subjects. 2 Vergence duration was longer and peak velocity was lower in subjects with somatic tinnitus than in control subjects. 3 The number of embedded saccades and the amplitude of saccades coinciding with the peak velocity of vergence were higher for tinnitus subjects. Yet, saccades did not increase peak velocity of vergence for tinnitus subjects, but they did so for controls. 4 In contrast, there was no significant difference of vergence latency between these two groups. INTERPRETATION: The results suggest dysfunction of vergence areas involving cortical-brainstem-cerebellar circuits. We hypothesize that central auditory dysfunction related to tinnitus percept could trigger mild cerebellar-brainstem dysfunction or that tinnitus and vergence dysfunction could both be manifestations of mild cortical-brainstem-cerebellar syndrome reflecting abnormal cross-modality interactions between vergence eye movements and auditory signals.

  11. Interaction of tinnitus suppression and hearing ability after cochlear implantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qian; Li, Jia-Nan; Lei, Guan-Xiong; Chen, Dai-Shi; Wang, Wei-Ze; Chen, Ai-Ting; Mong, Meng-Di; Li, Sun; Jiao, Qing-Shan; Yang, Shi-Ming

    2017-10-01

    To study the postoperative impact of cochlear implants (CIs) on tinnitus, as well as the impact of tinnitus on speech recognition with CI switched on. Fifty-two postlingual deafened CI recipients (21 males and 31 females) were assessed using an established Tinnitus Characteristics Questionnaire and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) before and after cochlear implantation. The tinnitus loudness was investigated when CI was switched on and off in CI recipients with persistent tinnitus. The relation between tinnitus loudness and recipients' satisfaction of cochlear implantation was analyzed by the visual analogue scale (VAS) score. With CI 'OFF', 42 CI recipients experienced tinnitus postimplant ipsilaterally and 44 contralaterally. Tinnitus was totally suppressed ipsilateral to the CI with CI 'ON' in 42.9%, partially suppressed in 42.9%, unchanged in 11.9% and aggravated in 2.4%. Tinnitus was totally suppressed contralaterally with CI 'ON' in 31.8% of CI recipients, partially suppressed in 47.7%, unchanged in 20.5%. Pearson correlation analysis showed that tinnitus loudness and the results of cochlear implant patients satisfaction was negatively correlated (r = .674, p tinnitus. The tinnitus loudness may affect patients' satisfaction with the use of CI.

  12. A key role of the prefrontal cortex in the maintenance of chronic tinnitus: An fMRI study using a Stroop task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araneda, Rodrigo; Renier, Laurent; Dricot, Laurence; Decat, Monique; Ebner-Karestinos, Daniela; Deggouj, Naïma; De Volder, Anne G

    2018-01-01

    Since we recently showed in behavioural tasks that the top-down cognitive control was specifically altered in tinnitus sufferers, here we wanted to establish the link between this impaired executive function and brain alterations in the frontal cortex in tinnitus patients. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we monitored the brain activity changes in sixteen tinnitus patients (TP) and their control subjects (CS) while they were performing a spatial Stroop task, both in audition and vision. We observed that TP differed from CS in their functional recruitment of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC, BA46), the cingulate gyrus and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC, BA10). This recruitment was higher during interference conditions in tinnitus participants than in controls, whatever the sensory modality. Furthermore, the brain activity level in the right dlPFC and vmPFC correlated with the performance in the Stroop task in TP. Due to the direct link between poor executive functions and prefrontal cortex alterations in TP, we postulate that a lack of inhibitory modulation following an impaired top-down cognitive control may maintain tinnitus by hampering habituation mechanisms. This deficit in executive functions caused by prefrontal cortex alterations would be a key-factor in the generation and persistence of tinnitus.

  13. Measuring the Moment-to-Moment Variability of Tinnitus: The TrackYourTinnitus Smart Phone App.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlee, Winfried; Pryss, Rüdiger C; Probst, Thomas; Schobel, Johannes; Bachmeier, Alexander; Reichert, Manfred; Langguth, Berthold

    2016-01-01

    Tinnitus, the phantom perception of sound without a corresponding external sound, is a frequent disorder which causes significant morbidity. So far there is no treatment available that reliably reduces the tinnitus perception. The research is hampered by the large heterogeneity of tinnitus and the fact that the tinnitus perception fluctuates over time. It is therefore necessary to develop tools for measuring fluctuations of tinnitus perception over time and for analyzing data on single subject basis. However, this type of longitudinal measurement is difficult to perform using the traditional research methods such as paper-and-pencil questionnaires or clinical interviews. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) represents a research concept that allows the assessment of subjective measurements under real-life conditions using portable electronic devices and thereby enables the researcher to collect longitudinal data under real-life conditions and high cost efficiency. Here we present a new method for recording the longitudinal development of tinnitus perception using a modern smartphone application available for iOS and Android devices with no costs for the users. The TrackYourTinnitus (TYT) app is available and maintained since April 2014. A number of 857 volunteers with an average age of 44.1 years participated in the data collection between April 2014 and February 2016. The mean tinnitus distress at the initial measurement was rated on average 13.9 points on the Mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire (Mini-TQ; max. 24 points). Importantly, we could demonstrate that the regular use of the TYT app has no significant negative influence on the perception of the tinnitus loudness nor on the tinnitus distress. The TYT app can therefore be proposed as a safe instrument for the longitudinal assessment of tinnitus perception in the everyday life of the patient.

  14. Chronic tinnitus and unipolar brush cell alterations in the cerebellum and dorsal cochlear nucleus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brozoski, Thomas; Brozoski, Daniel; Wisner, Kurt; Bauer, Carol

    2017-07-01

    Animal model research has shown that the central features of tinnitus, the perception of sound without an acoustic correlate, include elevated spontaneous and stimulus-driven activity, enhanced burst-mode firing, decreased variance of inter-spike intervals, and distortion of tonotopic frequency representation. Less well documented are cell-specific correlates of tinnitus. Unipolar brush cell (UBC) alterations in animals with psychophysical evidence of tinnitus has recently been reported. UBCs are glutamatergic interneurons that appear to function as local-circuit signal amplifiers. UBCs are abundant in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) and very abundant in the flocculus (FL) and paraflocculus (PFL) of the cerebellum. In the present research, two indicators of UBC structure and function were examined: Doublecortin (DCX) and epidermal growth factor receptor substrate 8 (Eps8). DCX is a protein that binds to microtubules where it can modify their assembly and growth. Eps8 is a cell-surface tyrosine kinase receptor mediating the response to epidermal growth factor; it appears to have a role in actin polymerization as well as cytoskeletal protein interactions. Both functions could contribute to synaptic remodeling. In the present research UBC Eps8 and DCX immunoreactivity (IR) were determined in 4 groups of rats distinguished by their exposure to high-level sound and psychophysical performance: Unexposed, exposed to high-level sound with behavioral evidence of tinnitus, and two exposed groups without behavioral evidence of tinnitus. Compared to unexposed controls, exposed animals with tinnitus had Eps8 IR elevated in their PFL; other structures were not affected, nor was DCX IR affected. This was interpreted as UBC upregulation in animals with tinnitus. Exposure that failed to produce tinnitus did not increase either Eps8 or DCX IR. Rather Eps8 IR was decreased in the FL and DCN of one subgroup (Least-Tinnitus), while DCX IR decreased in the FL of the other subgroup (No-Tinnitus

  15. Audiometric asymmetry and tinnitus laterality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Betty S; Sweetow, Robert W; Cheung, Steven W

    2012-05-01

    To identify an optimal audiometric asymmetry index for predicting tinnitus laterality. Retrospective medical record review. Data from adult tinnitus patients (80 men and 44 women) were extracted for demographic, audiometric, tinnitus laterality, and related information. The main measures were sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Three audiometric asymmetry indices were constructed using one, two, or three frequency elements to compute the average interaural threshold difference (aITD). Tinnitus laterality predictive performance of a particular index was assessed by increasing the cutoff or minimum magnitude of the aITD from 10 to 35 dB in 5-dB steps to determine its ROC curve. Single frequency index performance was inferior to the other two (P .05). Two adjoining frequency elements with aITD ≥ 15 dB performed optimally for predicting tinnitus laterality (sensitivity = 0.59, specificity = 0.71, and PPV = 0.76). Absolute and relative magnitudes of hearing loss in the poorer ear were uncorrelated with tinnitus distress. An optimal audiometric asymmetry index to predict tinnitus laterality is one whereby 15 dB is the minimum aITD of two adjoining frequencies, inclusive of the maximal ITD. Tinnitus laterality dependency on magnitude of interaural asymmetry may inform design and interpretation of neuroimaging studies. Monaural acoustic tinnitus therapy may be an initial consideration for asymmetric hearing loss meeting the criterion of aITD ≥ 15 dB. Copyright © 2012 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

  16. In Patients Undergoing Cochlear Implantation, Psychological Burden Affects Tinnitus and the Overall Outcome of Auditory Rehabilitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petra Brüggemann

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Cochlear implantation (CI is increasingly being used in the auditory rehabilitation of deaf patients. Here, we investigated whether the auditory rehabilitation can be influenced by the psychological burden caused by mental conditions. Our sample included 47 patients who underwent implantation. All patients were monitored before and 6 months after CI. Auditory performance was assessed using the Oldenburg Inventory (OI and Freiburg monosyllable (FB MS speech discrimination test. The health-related quality of life was measured with Nijmegen Cochlear implantation Questionnaire (NCIQ whereas tinnitus-related distress was measured with the German version of Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ. We additionally assessed the general perceived quality of life, the perceived stress, coping abilities, anxiety levels and the depressive symptoms. Finally, a structured interview to detect mental conditions (CIDI was performed before and after surgery. We found that CI led to an overall improvement in auditory performance as well as the anxiety and depression, quality of life, tinnitus distress and coping strategies. CIDI revealed that 81% of patients in our sample had affective, anxiety, and/or somatoform disorders before or after CI. The affective disorders included dysthymia and depression, while anxiety disorders included agoraphobias and unspecified phobias. We also diagnosed cases of somatoform pain disorders and unrecognizable figure somatoform disorders. We found a positive correlation between the auditory performance and the decrease of anxiety and depression, tinnitus-related distress and perceived stress. There was no association between the presence of a mental condition itself and the outcome of auditory rehabilitation. We conclude that the CI candidates exhibit high rates of psychological disorders, and there is a particularly strong association between somatoform disorders and tinnitus. The presence of mental disorders remained unaffected by CI but the

  17. The characteristic and changes of the event-related potentials (ERP and brain topographic maps before and after treatment with rTMS in subjective tinnitus patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haidi Yang

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To compare the event-related potentials (ERPs and brain topographic maps characteristic and change in normal controls and subjective tinnitus patients before and after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS treatment. METHODS AND PARTICIPANTS: The ERPs and brain topographic maps elicited by target stimulus were compared before and after 1-week treatment with rTMS in 20 subjective tinnitus patients and 16 healthy controls. RESULTS: Before rTMS, target stimulus elicited a larger N1 component than the standard stimuli (repeating soundsin control group but not in tinnitus patients. Instead, the tinnitus group pre-treatment exhibited larger amplitude of N1 in response to standard stimuli than to deviant stimuli. Furthermore tinnitus patients had smaller mismatch negativity (MMN and late discriminative negativity (LDNcomponent at Fz compared with the control group. After rTMS treatment, tinnitus patients showed increased N1 response to deviant stimuli and larger MMN and LDN compared with pre-treatment. The topographic maps for the tinnitus group before rTMS -treatment demonstrated global asymmetry between the left and right cerebral hemispheres with more negative activities in left side and more positive activities in right side. In contrast, the brain topographic maps for patients after rTMS-treatment and controls seem roughly symmetrical. The ERP amplitudes and brain topographic maps in post-treatment patient group showed no significant difference with those in controls. CONCLUSIONS: The characterical changes in ERP and brain topographic maps in tinnitus patients maybe related with the electrophysiological mechanism of tinnitus induction and development. It can be used as an objective biomarker for the evaluation of auditory central in subjective tinnitus patients. These findings support the notion that rTMS treatment in tinnitus patients may exert a beneficial effect.

  18. The characteristic and changes of the event-related potentials (ERP) and brain topographic maps before and after treatment with rTMS in subjective tinnitus patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Haidi; Xiong, Hao; Yu, Rongjun; Wang, Changming; Zheng, Yiqing; Zhang, Xueyuan

    2013-01-01

    To compare the event-related potentials (ERPs) and brain topographic maps characteristic and change in normal controls and subjective tinnitus patients before and after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment. The ERPs and brain topographic maps elicited by target stimulus were compared before and after 1-week treatment with rTMS in 20 subjective tinnitus patients and 16 healthy controls. Before rTMS, target stimulus elicited a larger N1 component than the standard stimuli (repeating sounds)in control group but not in tinnitus patients. Instead, the tinnitus group pre-treatment exhibited larger amplitude of N1 in response to standard stimuli than to deviant stimuli. Furthermore tinnitus patients had smaller mismatch negativity (MMN) and late discriminative negativity (LDN)component at Fz compared with the control group. After rTMS treatment, tinnitus patients showed increased N1 response to deviant stimuli and larger MMN and LDN compared with pre-treatment. The topographic maps for the tinnitus group before rTMS -treatment demonstrated global asymmetry between the left and right cerebral hemispheres with more negative activities in left side and more positive activities in right side. In contrast, the brain topographic maps for patients after rTMS-treatment and controls seem roughly symmetrical. The ERP amplitudes and brain topographic maps in post-treatment patient group showed no significant difference with those in controls. The characterical changes in ERP and brain topographic maps in tinnitus patients maybe related with the electrophysiological mechanism of tinnitus induction and development. It can be used as an objective biomarker for the evaluation of auditory central in subjective tinnitus patients. These findings support the notion that rTMS treatment in tinnitus patients may exert a beneficial effect.

  19. Incidence of tinnitus in mp3 player users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figueiredo, Ricardo Rodrigues; Azevedo, Andreia Aparecida de; Oliveira, Patrícia Mello de; Amorim, Sandro Pereira Vasconcellos; Rios, Artur Guedes; Baptista, Vanderlei

    2011-06-01

    Exposure to loud noise is one of the main causes of tinnitus. To analyze the incidence of tinnitus in mp3 player users and non-users. One hundred subjects aged from 15 to 30 years were enrolled, 54 of them were regular mp3 player users and 46 were not. Patients with continuous tinnitus for at least 6 months completed the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and were tested with high frequency audiometry and transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TAOE). A cross-sectional cohort study. The incidence of tinnitus in non-users was about 8 %; in mp3 player users it was about 28 %, a statistically significant difference. Hearing thresholds at 8 kHz were significantly higher in tinnitus patients that used mp3 portable players.TAOE were reduced at 2 kHz in the users group. No statistically significant difference was found in the THI scores between the two groups. Tinnitus was more frequent in teenagers and young adults who regularly listen to mp3 music in players. Moreover, the incidence of tinnitus among mp3 player users was associated with higher hearing thresholds at 8 kHz and lower TOAE at 2 kHz.

  20. Exploring Tinnitus-Induced Disablement by Persistent Frustration in Aging Individuals: A Grounded Theory Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dauman, Nicolas; Erlandsson, Soly I; Albarracin, Dolorès; Dauman, René

    2017-01-01

    Background: Qualitative research can help to improve the management of patients, meet their expectations and assist physicians in alleviating their suffering. The perception of moment-to-moment variability in tinnitus annoyance is an emerging field of exploration. This study sought to enlighten variability in tinnitus-induced disablement using a qualitative approach. Methods: Twelve participants (six females, six males, aged 51-79) were recruited via the French Tinnitus Association Journal for participation in recorded semi-structured interviews. Each participant had three interviews lasting 1 h, the sessions being separated one from the other by 2 weeks. Following recommendations of Charmaz (2014), the second and third interviews were aimed at gathering rich data, by enhancing the participants' reflexivity in the circumstances of distress caused by tinnitus. After transcription, the data ( n = 36 interviews) were analyzed using the approach to Grounded Theory proposed by Strauss and Corbin (1998). Results: Tinnitus as persistent frustration emerged as being the core category uniting all the other categories of the study. Hence, the core category accounted for the broader scope in participants' experience of chronic tinnitus. It is suggested that tinnitus-induced disablement varied according to the degree of frustration felt by the participants in not being able to achieve their goals. The implications of this were analyzed using the following categories: "Losing body ownership," "Lacking perspectives," and "Persevering through difficulties." Based on these findings, we draw a substantive theory of tinnitus tolerance that promotes an active, disciplined and individualized approach to tinnitus-induced disablement. The model distinguishes pathways from sustained suffering to reduced annoyance (i.e., emerging tolerance). It accounts for difficulties that the participants experienced with a perceived unchanged annoyance over time. Furthermore, this model identifies a

  1. Imaging findings of pulsatile tinnitus caused by sigmoid sinus abnormalities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang Xihong; Wang Zhenchang; Gong Shusheng; Xia Yin; Wang Zhengyu; Yang Bentao; Yan Fei; Li Jing; Xian Junfang; Chen Guangli

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To study a rare CT finding of pulsatile tinnitus (PT) caused by sigmoid sinus abnormalities. Methods: The imaging data of PT caused by sigmoid sinus abnormalities were analyzed retrospectively in 15 patients (15 female). The median age was 45 years (24 to 63 years). The duration of persistence pulsatile tinnitus was from 0.5 year to 36.0 years (median time, 2.0 years). The tinnitus was at left side in 5 patients and right side in 10 patients. Fifteen patients underwent HRCT of the temporal bone. Of them, 12 patients underwent cerebral CT angiography and CT venogram (CTA/CTV), and 9 patients underwent cerebral digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Nine patients underwent transmastoid reconstruction surgery of the sigmoid sinus. Of them, the tinnitus was at left side in 2 patients and right side in 7 patients. Paired rank sum test was used to compare the cross-sectional area of the sigmoid sinus of the tinnitus side and normal side.Results: On HRCT, foca bony coarse defect is shown in the anterior sigmoid wall in 11 patients and anterolateral sigmoid wall in 4 patients. On CTA/CTV, the sigmoid sinus focally protuded into the adjacent mastoid air cells and formed diverticulum in 10 patients. The pulsatile tinnitus disappeared immediately after transmastoid reconstruction surgery of the sigmoid sinus in all 9 patients. The cross-sectional area of the sigmoid sinus of the tinnitus side was 100.6 (41.5-96.2)mm 2 , it was 77.0 (92.1-122.4)mm 2 in the nonmal side (Z=2.158, P=0.031). Conclusion: Focal bony defect of the sigmoid wall with sigmoid sinus diverticula is one of the causes which lead to pulsatile tinnitus, which can be easily identified by imaging examination. (authors)

  2. Imaging findings of pulsatile tinnitus caused by sigmoid sinus abnormalities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xihong, Liang; Zhenchang, Wang; Shusheng, Gong; Yin, Xia; Zhengyu, Wang; Bentao, Yang; Fei, Yan; Jing, Li; Junfang, Xian; Guangli, Chen [Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing (China)

    2010-04-15

    Objective: To study a rare CT finding of pulsatile tinnitus (PT) caused by sigmoid sinus abnormalities. Methods: The imaging data of PT caused by sigmoid sinus abnormalities were analyzed retrospectively in 15 patients (15 female). The median age was 45 years (24 to 63 years). The duration of persistence pulsatile tinnitus was from 0.5 year to 36.0 years (median time, 2.0 years). The tinnitus was at left side in 5 patients and right side in 10 patients. Fifteen patients underwent HRCT of the temporal bone. Of them, 12 patients underwent cerebral CT angiography and CT venogram (CTA/CTV), and 9 patients underwent cerebral digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Nine patients underwent transmastoid reconstruction surgery of the sigmoid sinus. Of them, the tinnitus was at left side in 2 patients and right side in 7 patients. Paired rank sum test was used to compare the cross-sectional area of the sigmoid sinus of the tinnitus side and normal side.Results: On HRCT, foca bony coarse defect is shown in the anterior sigmoid wall in 11 patients and anterolateral sigmoid wall in 4 patients. On CTA/CTV, the sigmoid sinus focally protuded into the adjacent mastoid air cells and formed diverticulum in 10 patients. The pulsatile tinnitus disappeared immediately after transmastoid reconstruction surgery of the sigmoid sinus in all 9 patients. The cross-sectional area of the sigmoid sinus of the tinnitus side was 100.6 (41.5-96.2)mm{sup 2}, it was 77.0 (92.1-122.4)mm{sup 2} in the nonmal side (Z=2.158, P=0.031). Conclusion: Focal bony defect of the sigmoid wall with sigmoid sinus diverticula is one of the causes which lead to pulsatile tinnitus, which can be easily identified by imaging examination. (authors)

  3. [Suppression of tinnitus by band noise masker--a study of 600 cases].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, K; Kamio, T; Ohkawara, D; Aoki, H; Baba, S; Yagi, T

    1997-09-01

    We performed Band Noise Masker (BNM) therapy for the suppression of tinnitus in 600 patients and measured the pitch, loudness and masking level of tinnitus and residual inhibition (RI). We examined the efficiency of BNM therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of suppression of tinnitus by BNM. Tinnitus was suppressed in 394 patients (66%) after BNM therapy. In the group of patients in whom we suppressed tinnitus, the loudness of tinnitus was reduced from 7.7 +/- 5.7dBSL to 7.5 +/- 5.5dBSL (p pitch of tinnitus did not exhibit a marked change. In the group of patients in whom we did not suppress tinnitus, the loudness and pitch of tinnitus did not exhibit a marked change. The efficiency of BNM therapy was high in the cases of presbyacusis and low in the cases of sudden deafness. There was no significant relationship between RI and the efficiency of BNM therapy. We examined these data and discussed the mechanism of suppression of tinnitus by BNM therapy. In all cases, after BNM therapy, the auditory threshold did not become worse. In 4 cases tinnitus became worse temporarily. In conclusion, BNM therapy is an effective mode for tinnitus control, is easily performed in our outpatient clinic or at home, and has no serious complications.

  4. Tinnitus in Context : A Contemporary Contextual Behavioral Approach

    OpenAIRE

    Hesser, Hugo

    2013-01-01

    Tinnitus is the experience of sounds in the ears without any external auditory source and is a common, debilitating, chronic symptom for which we have yet to develop sufficiently efficacious interventions. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has evolved over the last 20 years to become the most empirically supported treatment for treating the adverse effects of tinnitus. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of individuals do not benefit from CBT-based treatments. In addition, the theoretical...

  5. The effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for tinnitus: a randomized controlled trial using 99mTc-ECD SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laureano, Maura Regina; Braga Neto, Pedro; Ligia Sanchez, Maura; Cogo Moreira, Hugo; Ribeiro de Almeida, Roberta; Parolin Jackowski, Andrea; Onishi, Ektor Tsuneo; Affonseca Bressan, Rodrigo; Batista, Ilza Rosa; Alves Reis, Marilia; Vieira Castiglioni, Mario Luiz; Vargas Garcia, Michele; Neves de Andrade, Adriana; Jara Garrido, Griselda

    2016-01-01

    Investigate the effect of acupuncture on brain perfusion using ethyl cysteinate dimer single-photon emission computed tomography ( 99m Tc-ECD SPECT) in patients with tinnitus. This randomized, single-blind, sham-control study examined patients (18-60 years old) with normal hearing and chronic, idiopathic, continuous tinnitus. Fifty-seven subjects were randomly assigned to true (n = 30) or sham (n = 27) acupuncture (ACP); 99m Tc-ECD SPECT examinations were performed before and after 12 twice-weekly ACP sessions. Secondary outcomes included changes in the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Imaging data were analysed using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8) software. Regression models were used to examine secondary outcomes via two paradigms: intention-to-treat (ITT; where multiple imputations were conducted because of study attrition) and complete cases. No between-group brain perfusion differences were observed. However, a significant improvement in THI scores was observed at the end of true ACP treatment for all domains (all p values < 0.01) except the catastrophic scale. ACP might reduce the effects of tinnitus on daily life; however, additional studies should be conducted to verify the effects of ACP on the neural architecture and brain function of tinnitus patients. (orig.)

  6. Self-Administered Domiciliary tDCS Treatment for Tinnitus: A Double-Blind Sham-Controlled Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petteri Hyvärinen

    Full Text Available Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS has shown potential for providing tinnitus relief, although positive effects have usually been observed only during a short time period after treatment. In recent studies the focus has turned from one-session experiments towards multi-session treatment studies investigating long-term outcomes with double-blinded and sham-controlled study designs. Traditionally, tDCS has been administered in a clinical setting by a healthcare professional but in studies involving multiple treatment sessions, often a trade-off has to be made between sample size and the amount of labor needed to run the trial. Also, as the number of required visits to the clinic increases, the dropout rate is likely to rise proportionally.The aim of the current study was to find out if tDCS treatment for tinnitus could be patient-administered in a domiciliary setting and whether the results would be comparable to those from in-hospital treatment studies. Forty-three patients with chronic (> 6 months tinnitus were involved in the study, and data on 35 out of these patients were included in final analysis. Patients received 20 minutes of left temporal area anodal (LTA or bifrontal tDCS stimulation (2 mA or sham stimulation (0.3 mA for ten consecutive days. An overall reduction in the main outcome measure, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI, was found (mean change -5.0 points, p < 0.05, but there was no significant difference between active and sham treatment outcomes. Patients found the tDCS treatment easy to administer and they all tolerated it well. In conclusion, self-administered domiciliary tDCS treatment for tinnitus was found safe and feasible and gave outcome results similar to recent randomized controlled long-term treatment trials. The results suggest better overall treatment response-as measured by THI-with domiciliary treatment than with in-hospital treatment, but this advantage is not related to the tDCS variant. The study

  7. Cortical reorganization in recent-onset tinnitus patients by the Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christoph Maria Krick

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Pathophysiology and treatment of tinnitus still are fields of intensive research. The neuroscientifically motivated Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy, previously developed by the German Center for Music Therapy Research, Heidelberg, Germany, was applied to explore its effects on individual distress and on brain structures. This therapy is a compact and fast application of nine consecutive 50-minutes sessions of individualized therapy implemented over one week. Clinical improvement and long-term effects over several years have previously been published. However the underlying neural basis of the therapy’s success has not yet been explored. In the current study, the therapy was applied to acute tinnitus patients (TG and healthy active controls (AC. Non-treated patients were also included as passive controls (PTC. As predicted, the therapeutic intervention led to a significant decrease of tinnitus-related distress in TG compared to PTC. Before and after the study week, high-resolution MRT scans were obtained for each subject. Assessment by repeated measures design for several groups (two-way ANOVA revealed structural gray matter (GM increase in TG compared to PTC, comprising clusters in precuneus, medial superior frontal areas, and in the auditory cortex. This pattern was further applied as mask for general GM changes as induced by the therapy week. The therapy-like procedure in AC also elicited similar GM increases in precuneus and frontal regions. Comparison between structural effects in TG versus AC was calculated within the mask for general GM changes to obtain specific effects in tinnitus patients, yielding GM increase in right Heschl's gyrus, right Rolandic operculum, and medial superior frontal regions. In line with recent findings on the crucial role of the auditory cortex in maintaining tinnitus-related distress, a causative relation between the therapy-related GM alterations in auditory areas and the long-lasting therapy effects can be

  8. Cortical reorganization in recent-onset tinnitus patients by the Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krick, Christoph M.; Grapp, Miriam; Daneshvar-Talebi, Jonas; Reith, Wolfgang; Plinkert, Peter K.; Bolay, Hans Volker

    2015-01-01

    Pathophysiology and treatment of tinnitus still are fields of intensive research. The neuroscientifically motivated Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy, previously developed by the German Center for Music Therapy Research, Heidelberg, Germany, was applied to explore its effects on individual distress and on brain structures. This therapy is a compact and fast application of nine consecutive 50-min sessions of individualized therapy implemented over 1 week. Clinical improvement and long-term effects over several years have previously been published. However, the underlying neural basis of the therapy's success has not yet been explored. In the current study, the therapy was applied to acute tinnitus patients (TG) and healthy active controls (AC). Non-treated patients were also included as passive controls (PTC). As predicted, the therapeutic intervention led to a significant decrease of tinnitus-related distress in TG compared to PTC. Before and after the study week, high-resolution MRT scans were obtained for each subject. Assessment by repeated measures design for several groups (Two-Way ANOVA) revealed structural gray matter (GM) increase in TG compared to PTC, comprising clusters in precuneus, medial superior frontal areas, and in the auditory cortex. This pattern was further applied as mask for general GM changes as induced by the therapy week. The therapy-like procedure in AC also elicited similar GM increases in precuneus and frontal regions. Comparison between structural effects in TG vs. AC was calculated within the mask for general GM changes to obtain specific effects in tinnitus patients, yielding GM increase in right Heschl's gyrus, right Rolandic operculum, and medial superior frontal regions. In line with recent findings on the crucial role of the auditory cortex in maintaining tinnitus-related distress, a causative relation between the therapy-related GM alterations in auditory areas and the long-lasting therapy effects can be assumed. PMID:25745385

  9. Study protocol: Münster tinnitus randomized controlled clinical trial-2013 based on tailor-made notched music training (TMNMT).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pantev, Christo; Rudack, Claudia; Stein, Alwina; Wunderlich, Robert; Engell, Alva; Lau, Pia; Wollbrink, Andreas; Shaykevich, Alex

    2014-03-02

    Tinnitus is a result of hyper-activity/hyper-synchrony of auditory neurons coding the tinnitus frequency, which has developed to synchronous mass activity owing the lack of inhibition. We assume that removal of exactly these frequency components from an auditory stimulus will cause the brain to reorganize around tonotopic regions coding the tinnitus frequency. Based on this assumption a novel treatment for tonal tinnitus - tailor-made notched music training (TMNMT) (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:1207-1210, 2010; Ann N Y Acad Sci 1252:253-258, 2012; Frontiers Syst Neurosci 6:50, 2012) has been introduced and will be tested in this clinical trial on a large number of tinnitus patients. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) in parallel group design will be performed in a double-blinded manner. The choice of the intervention we are going to apply is based on two "proof of concept" studies in humans (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:1207-1210, 2010; Ann N Y Acad Sci 1252:253-258, 2012; Frontiers Syst Neurosci 6:50, 2012; PloS One 6(9):e24685, 2011) and on a recent animal study (Front Syst Neurosci 7:21, 2013).The RCT includes 100 participants with chronic, tonal tinnitus who listened to tailor-made notched music (TMNM) for two hours a day for three months. The effect of TMNMT is assessed by the tinnitus handicap questionnaire and visual analogue scales (VAS) measuring perceived tinnitus loudness, distress and handicap. This is the first randomized controlled trial applying TMNMT on a larger number of patients with tonal tinnitus. Our data will verify more securely and reliably the effectiveness of this kind of completely non-invasive and low-cost treatment approach on tonal tinnitus. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN04840953.

  10. Subjective tinnitus assessment and treatment in clinical practice: the necessity of personalized medicine.

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    Van de Heyning, Paul; Gilles, Annick; Rabau, Sarah; Van Rompaey, Vincent

    2015-10-01

    Subjective tinnitus can be triggered by a variety of causes, and therefore tinnitus patients constitute a very heterogeneous population difficult to manage. In this article, we reviewed the current literature to present our conceptual model of the conscious auditory percept and tinnitus - based on experimental research - in order to explain the clinical approach to the individual tinnitus patient. Fundamental research has provided evidence to support the neurophysiological model of tinnitus developed by Jastreboff. By manipulating the limbic, autonomic and auditory systems, tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) aims to reduce the response to the abnormal stimulus. Evidence has confirmed the effectiveness of TRT and cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing the negative impact of subjective tinnitus on the patients' quality of life. Every patient with subjective tinnitus has its unique 'tinnitus profile' which provides a guide to the necessary combination of therapeutic actions. Evidence suggests the multidisciplinary approach combining etiological therapy as well as TRT, and cognitive behavioral therapy in specialized clinics is not only effective in reducing the patient's quality of life but also cost-effective from a healthcare and societal point of view.

  11. Tinnitus retraining therapy.

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    Jastreboff, P J

    2007-01-01

    Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a specific clinical method based on the neurophysiological model of tinnitus described by Jastreboff (Jastreboff, P.J. (1990). Neurosci. Res., 8: 221-254). The method is aimed at habituation of reactions evoked by tinnitus, and subsequently habituation of the tinnitus perception. Several other methods have been suggested for habituation of tinnitus, but in TRT two components that strictly follow the principles of the neurophysiological model of tinnitus are implemented and necessary: (1) counseling, aimed at reclassification of tinnitus to a category of a neutral signals and (2) sound therapy, aimed at weakening tinnitus-related neuronal activity as suggested by Jastreboff and Hazell (Jastreboff, P.J. and Hazell, J.W.P. (2004). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge). This chapter outlines the theoretical basis of TRT as well as comments on the clinical outcome of the use of TRT for different kinds of tinnitus.

  12. Impact of identifying factors which trigger bothersome tinnitus on the treatment outcome in tinnitus retraining therapy.

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    Molini, Egisto; Faralli, Mario; Calzolaro, Lucia; Ricci, Giampietro

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this work was to ascertain any differences in the effectiveness of rehabilitation therapy in relation to the presence or absence of a known negative reinforcement responsible for the tinnitus-related pathology. Between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2008, we recruited 294 subjects suffering from incapacitating tinnitus and/or hyperacusis. The patients underwent tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) according to the methods described by Jastreboff and Hazell [Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: Implementing the Neurophysiological Model. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2004, pp 121-133]. We clinically assessed the presence or absence of known phenomena of associative learning, regarding the presence of adverse events temporally correlated with tinnitus and the treatment outcome. The separate analysis of the 2 subgroups shows a statistically significant difference in the improvement rate between the group with a known triggering factor and the group without a triggering factor, with a preponderance of the former with a 91% improvement rate versus approximately 56% for the latter. In our study, the inability to identify factors triggering bothersome tinnitus negatively affected the treatment outcome in TRT. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  13. Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Patients With Tinnitus: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

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    Wang, Tang-Chuan; Tyler, Richard S; Chang, Ta-Yuan; Chen, Jui-Cheng; Lin, Chia-Der; Chung, Hsiung-Kwang; Tsou, Yung-An

    2018-02-01

    Subjective tinnitus is a phantom sensation experienced without any external source of sound that profoundly impacts the quality of life. Some investigations have claimed that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) reduces tinnitus, but studies on tDCS have demonstrated variable results. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the effect of tDCS on patients with tinnitus. We searched for articles published through January 5, 2016, in Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar using the following keywords: tinnitus, transcranial direct current stimulation, and tDCS. The study outcomes were change in magnitude estimates of loudness (loudness), tinnitus-related distress (distress), and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Pooled results demonstrated that tDCS did not have a beneficial effect on loudness (pooled standardized difference in means = 0.674, 95% CI, -0.089 to 1.437, P = .083). Further, the pooled results demonstrated a greater reduction in distress for the tDCS group (pooled standardized difference in means = 0.634, 95% CI, 0.021-1.247, P = .043). We conclude that the pooled results demonstrated a greater reduction in distress for groups treated with tDCS as compared with those administered a sham treatment.

  14. Abnormal Baseline Brain Activity in Patients with Pulsatile Tinnitus: A Resting-State fMRI Study

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    Lv Han

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Numerous investigations studying the brain functional activity of the tinnitus patients have indicated that neurological changes are important findings of this kind of disease. However, the pulsatile tinnitus (PT patients were excluded in previous studies because of the totally different mechanisms of the two subtype tinnitus. The aim of this study is to investigate whether altered baseline brain activity presents in patients with PT using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI technique. The present study used unilateral PT patients (n=42 and age-, sex-, and education-matched normal control subjects (n=42 to investigate the changes in structural and amplitude of low-frequency (ALFF of the brain. Also, we analyzed the relationships between these changes with clinical data of the PT patients. Compared with normal controls, PT patients did not show any structural changes. PT patients showed significant increased ALFF in the bilateral precuneus, and bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG and decreased ALFF in multiple occipital areas. Moreover, the increased THI score and PT duration was correlated with increased ALFF in precuneus and bilateral IFG. The abnormalities of spontaneous brain activity reflected by ALFF measurements in the absence of structural changes may provide insights into the neural reorganization in PT patients.

  15. Playing and Listening to Tailor-Made Notched Music: Cortical Plasticity Induced by Unimodal and Multimodal Training in Tinnitus Patients

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    Janna Pape

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The generation and maintenance of tinnitus are assumed to be based on maladaptive functional cortical reorganization. Listening to modified music, which contains no energy in the range of the individual tinnitus frequency, can inhibit the corresponding neuronal activity in the auditory cortex. Music making has been shown to be a powerful stimulator for brain plasticity, inducing changes in multiple sensory systems. Using magnetoencephalographic (MEG and behavioral measurements we evaluated the cortical plasticity effects of two months of (a active listening to (unisensory versus (b learning to play (multisensory tailor-made notched music in nonmusician tinnitus patients. Taking into account the fact that uni- and multisensory trainings induce different patterns of cortical plasticity we hypothesized that these two protocols will have different affects. Results. Only the active listening (unisensory group showed significant reduction of tinnitus related activity of the middle temporal cortex and an increase in the activity of a tinnitus-coping related posterior parietal area. Conclusions. These findings indicate that active listening to tailor-made notched music induces greater neuroplastic changes in the maladaptively reorganized cortical network of tinnitus patients while additional integration of other sensory modalities during training reduces these neuroplastic effects.

  16. Playing and listening to tailor-made notched music: cortical plasticity induced by unimodal and multimodal training in tinnitus patients.

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    Pape, Janna; Paraskevopoulos, Evangelos; Bruchmann, Maximilian; Wollbrink, Andreas; Rudack, Claudia; Pantev, Christo

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND. The generation and maintenance of tinnitus are assumed to be based on maladaptive functional cortical reorganization. Listening to modified music, which contains no energy in the range of the individual tinnitus frequency, can inhibit the corresponding neuronal activity in the auditory cortex. Music making has been shown to be a powerful stimulator for brain plasticity, inducing changes in multiple sensory systems. Using magnetoencephalographic (MEG) and behavioral measurements we evaluated the cortical plasticity effects of two months of (a) active listening to (unisensory) versus (b) learning to play (multisensory) tailor-made notched music in nonmusician tinnitus patients. Taking into account the fact that uni- and multisensory trainings induce different patterns of cortical plasticity we hypothesized that these two protocols will have different affects. RESULTS. Only the active listening (unisensory) group showed significant reduction of tinnitus related activity of the middle temporal cortex and an increase in the activity of a tinnitus-coping related posterior parietal area. CONCLUSIONS. These findings indicate that active listening to tailor-made notched music induces greater neuroplastic changes in the maladaptively reorganized cortical network of tinnitus patients while additional integration of other sensory modalities during training reduces these neuroplastic effects.

  17. The effectiveness of neuro-music therapy according to the Heidelberg model compared to a single session of educational counseling as treatment for tinnitus: a controlled trial.

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    Argstatter, Heike; Grapp, Miriam; Hutter, Elisabeth; Plinkert, Peter K; Bolay, Hans-Volker

    2015-03-01

    Tinnitus is a very common symptom, yet the quest for an effective treatment is challenging. Results from several clinical trials support the notion that neuro-music therapy is an effective means to reduce tinnitus distress with short duration and long lasting effect. However, until now, the effectiveness has not been tested in a controlled trial against an active comparator. The trial was designed as two-center, parallel intervention group controlled study with two intervention groups: Counseling (50minute individualized personal instruction) or neuro-music therapy (counseling plus eight 50-minute sessions of individualized music therapy). Data of n=290 patients suffering from chronic tinnitus were analyzed. Outcome measure was the change in Tinnitus Questionnaire Total Scores (TQ) from baseline (admission) to end of treatment. Both treatment groups achieved a statistically relevant reduction in TQ scores, though 66% of patients in the music therapy group attained a clinically meaningful improvement compared to 33% in the counseling group. A binary logistic regression revealed two variables significantly influencing therapy outcome: initial tinnitus score and type of therapy with an OR for the music therapy compared to the counseling of 4.34 (CI 2.33-8.09). Counseling is an appropriate treatment option with well above chance of improvement. The neuro-music therapy outperformed the counseling. This treatment targets the tinnitus sound itself, is short in duration, intrinsically motivating and easy to operate and thus presents a possible complement to the therapeutic spectrum in chronic tinnitus. The trial was registered at the ClinicalTrials.gov registry (ID: NCT01845155). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Enhancing inhibition-induced plasticity in tinnitus--spectral energy contrasts in tailor-made notched music matter.

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    Alwina Stein

    Full Text Available Chronic tinnitus seems to be caused by reduced inhibition among frequency selective neurons in the auditory cortex. One possibility to reduce tinnitus perception is to induce inhibition onto over-activated neurons representing the tinnitus frequency via tailor-made notched music (TMNM. Since lateral inhibition is modifiable by spectral energy contrasts, the question arises if the effects of inhibition-induced plasticity can be enhanced by introducing increased spectral energy contrasts (ISEC in TMNM. Eighteen participants suffering from chronic tonal tinnitus, pseudo randomly assigned to either a classical TMNM or an ISEC-TMNM group, listened to notched music for three hours on three consecutive days. The music was filtered for both groups by introducing a notch filter centered at the individual tinnitus frequency. For the ISEC-TMNM group a frequency bandwidth of 3/8 octaves on each side of the notch was amplified, additionally, by about 20 dB. Before and after each music exposure, participants rated their subjectively perceived tinnitus loudness on a visual analog scale. During the magnetoencephalographic recordings, participants were stimulated with either a reference tone of 500 Hz or a test tone with a carrier frequency representing the individual tinnitus pitch. Perceived tinnitus loudness was significantly reduced after TMNM exposure, though TMNM type did not influence the loudness ratings. Tinnitus related neural activity in the N1m time window and in the so called tinnitus network comprising temporal, parietal and frontal regions was reduced after TMNM exposure. The ISEC-TMNM group revealed even enhanced inhibition-induced plasticity in a temporal and a frontal cortical area. Overall, inhibition of tinnitus related neural activity could be strengthened in people affected with tinnitus by increasing spectral energy contrast in TMNM, confirming the concepts of inhibition-induced plasticity via TMNM and spectral energy contrasts.

  19. Exploring Tinnitus-Induced Disablement by Persistent Frustration in Aging Individuals: A Grounded Theory Study

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    Dauman, Nicolas; Erlandsson, Soly I.; Albarracin, Dolorès; Dauman, René

    2017-01-01

    Background: Qualitative research can help to improve the management of patients, meet their expectations and assist physicians in alleviating their suffering. The perception of moment-to-moment variability in tinnitus annoyance is an emerging field of exploration. This study sought to enlighten variability in tinnitus-induced disablement using a qualitative approach. Methods: Twelve participants (six females, six males, aged 51–79) were recruited via the French Tinnitus Association Journal for participation in recorded semi-structured interviews. Each participant had three interviews lasting 1 h, the sessions being separated one from the other by 2 weeks. Following recommendations of Charmaz (2014), the second and third interviews were aimed at gathering rich data, by enhancing the participants' reflexivity in the circumstances of distress caused by tinnitus. After transcription, the data (n = 36 interviews) were analyzed using the approach to Grounded Theory proposed by Strauss and Corbin (1998). Results: Tinnitus as persistent frustration emerged as being the core category uniting all the other categories of the study. Hence, the core category accounted for the broader scope in participants' experience of chronic tinnitus. It is suggested that tinnitus-induced disablement varied according to the degree of frustration felt by the participants in not being able to achieve their goals. The implications of this were analyzed using the following categories: “Losing body ownership,” “Lacking perspectives,” and “Persevering through difficulties.” Based on these findings, we draw a substantive theory of tinnitus tolerance that promotes an active, disciplined and individualized approach to tinnitus-induced disablement. The model distinguishes pathways from sustained suffering to reduced annoyance (i.e., emerging tolerance). It accounts for difficulties that the participants experienced with a perceived unchanged annoyance over time. Furthermore, this model

  20. Exploring Tinnitus-Induced Disablement by Persistent Frustration in Aging Individuals: A Grounded Theory Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolas Dauman

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Qualitative research can help to improve the management of patients, meet their expectations and assist physicians in alleviating their suffering. The perception of moment-to-moment variability in tinnitus annoyance is an emerging field of exploration. This study sought to enlighten variability in tinnitus-induced disablement using a qualitative approach.Methods: Twelve participants (six females, six males, aged 51–79 were recruited via the French Tinnitus Association Journal for participation in recorded semi-structured interviews. Each participant had three interviews lasting 1 h, the sessions being separated one from the other by 2 weeks. Following recommendations of Charmaz (2014, the second and third interviews were aimed at gathering rich data, by enhancing the participants' reflexivity in the circumstances of distress caused by tinnitus. After transcription, the data (n = 36 interviews were analyzed using the approach to Grounded Theory proposed by Strauss and Corbin (1998.Results: Tinnitus as persistent frustration emerged as being the core category uniting all the other categories of the study. Hence, the core category accounted for the broader scope in participants' experience of chronic tinnitus. It is suggested that tinnitus-induced disablement varied according to the degree of frustration felt by the participants in not being able to achieve their goals. The implications of this were analyzed using the following categories: “Losing body ownership,” “Lacking perspectives,” and “Persevering through difficulties.” Based on these findings, we draw a substantive theory of tinnitus tolerance that promotes an active, disciplined and individualized approach to tinnitus-induced disablement. The model distinguishes pathways from sustained suffering to reduced annoyance (i.e., emerging tolerance. It accounts for difficulties that the participants experienced with a perceived unchanged annoyance over time. Furthermore

  1. Usefulness of self-report questionnaires for psychological assessment of patients with tinnitus and hyperacusis and patients' views of the questionnaires.

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    Aazh, Hashir; Moore, Brian C J

    2017-07-01

    The objective was to determine the relevance and applicability of psychological questionnaires to patients seeking help for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis. This was a questionnaire-based survey. The following questionnaires were administered: Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), Mini-Social Phobia Inventory (Mini-SPIN), Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), Panic Disorder Severity Scale-Self Report (PDSS-SR), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated version (PSWQ-A). In addition, a patient feedback questionnaire was completed asking about the extent to which each questionnaire was relevant to them and how strongly they would recommend its use in the assessment of patients with tinnitus and hyperacusis. A total of 150/402 consecutive patients seen in a one-year period completed the questionnaires. 65% of patients had abnormal scores for one or more of the questionnaires. All questionnaires except the PDSS-SR were rated as relevant and recommended for use. The GAD-7, SHAI, Mini-SPIN, OCI-R, PSWQ-A and PHQ-9 are recommended for evaluation of psychological problems for patients seeking help for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis. Abnormal results on these questionnaires may indicate the need for referral for possible treatment of psychological problems.

  2. Influencing connectivity and cross-frequency coupling by real-time source localized neurofeedback of the posterior cingulate cortex reduces tinnitus related distress

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    Sven Vanneste

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: In this study we are using source localized neurofeedback to moderate tinnitus related distress by influencing neural activity of the target region as well as the connectivity within the default network. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that up-training alpha and down-training beta and gamma activity in the posterior cingulate cortex has a moderating effect on tinnitus related distress by influencing neural activity of the target region as well as the connectivity within the default network and other functionally connected brain areas. Methods: Fifty-eight patients with chronic tinnitus were included in the study. Twenty-three tinnitus patients received neurofeedback training of the posterior cingulate cortex with the aim of up-training alpha and down-training beta and gamma activity, while 17 patients underwent training of the lingual gyrus as a control situation. A second control group consisted of 18 tinnitus patients on a waiting list for future tinnitus treatment. Results: This study revealed that neurofeedback training of the posterior cingulate cortex results in a significant decrease of tinnitus related distress. No significant effect on neural activity of the target region could be obtained. However, functional and effectivity connectivity changes were demonstrated between remote brain regions or functional networks as well as by altering cross frequency coupling of the posterior cingulate cortex. Conclusion: This suggests that neurofeedback could remove the information, processed in beta and gamma, from the carrier wave, alpha, which transports the high frequency information and influences the salience attributed to the tinnitus sound. Based on the observation that much pathology is the result of an abnormal functional connectivity within and between neural networks various pathologies should be considered eligible candidates for the application of source localized EEG based neurofeedback training. Keywords: Posterior cingulate

  3. Underlying Mechanisms of Tinnitus: Review and Clinical Implications

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    Henry, James A.; Roberts, Larry E.; Caspary, Donald M.; Theodoroff, Sarah M.; Salvi, Richard J.

    2016-01-01

    Background The study of tinnitus mechanisms has increased tenfold in the last decade. The common denominator for all of these studies is the goal of elucidating the underlying neural mechanisms of tinnitus with the ultimate purpose of finding a cure. While these basic science findings may not be immediately applicable to the clinician who works directly with patients to assist them in managing their reactions to tinnitus, a clear understanding of these findings is needed to develop the most effective procedures for alleviating tinnitus. Purpose The goal of this review is to provide audiologists and other health-care professionals with a basic understanding of the neurophysiological changes in the auditory system likely to be responsible for tinnitus. Results It is increasingly clear that tinnitus is a pathology involving neuroplastic changes in central auditory structures that take place when the brain is deprived of its normal input by pathology in the cochlea. Cochlear pathology is not always expressed in the audiogram but may be detected by more sensitive measures. Neural changes can occur at the level of synapses between inner hair cells and the auditory nerve and within multiple levels of the central auditory pathway. Long-term maintenance of tinnitus is likely a function of a complex network of structures involving central auditory and nonauditory systems. Conclusions Patients often have expectations that a treatment exists to cure their tinnitus. They should be made aware that research is increasing to discover such a cure and that their reactions to tinnitus can be mitigated through the use of evidence-based behavioral interventions. PMID:24622858

  4. [Conditional probability analysis between tinnitus and comorbidities in patients attending the National Rehabilitation Institute-LGII in the period 2012-2013].

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    Gómez Toledo, Verónica; Gutiérrez Farfán, Ileana; Verduzco-Mendoza, Antonio; Arch-Tirado, Emilio

    Tinnitus is defined as the conscious perception of a sensation of sound that occurs in the absence of an external stimulus. This audiological symptom affects 7% to 19% of the adult population. The aim of this study is to describe the associated comorbidities present in patients with tinnitus usingjoint and conditional probability analysis. Patients of both genders, diagnosed with unilateral or bilateral tinnitus, aged between 20 and 45 years, and had a full computerised medical record, were selected. Study groups were formed on the basis of the following clinical aspects: 1) audiological findings; 2) vestibular findings; 3) comorbidities such as, temporomandibular dysfunction, tubal dysfunction, otosclerosis and, 4) triggering factors of tinnitus noise exposure, respiratory tract infection, use of ototoxic and/or drugs. Of the patients with tinnitus, 27 (65%) reported hearing loss, 11 (26.19%) temporomandibular dysfunction, and 11 (26.19%) with vestibular disorders. When performing the joint probability analysis, it was found that the probability that a patient with tinnitus having hearing loss was 2742 0.65, and 2042 0.47 for bilateral type. The result for P (A ∩ B)=30%. Bayes' theorem P (AiB) = P(Ai∩B)P(B) was used, and various probabilities were calculated. Therefore, in patients with temporomandibulardysfunction and vestibular disorders, a posterior probability of P (Aі/B)=31.44% was calculated. Consideration should be given to the joint and conditional probability approach as tools for the study of different pathologies. Copyright © 2016 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

  5. Discrimination task reveals differences in neural bases of tinnitus and hearing impairment.

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    Fatima T Husain

    Full Text Available We investigated auditory perception and cognitive processing in individuals with chronic tinnitus or hearing loss using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. Our participants belonged to one of three groups: bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus (TIN, bilateral hearing loss without tinnitus (HL, and normal hearing without tinnitus (NH. We employed pure tones and frequency-modulated sweeps as stimuli in two tasks: passive listening and active discrimination. All subjects had normal hearing through 2 kHz and all stimuli were low-pass filtered at 2 kHz so that all participants could hear them equally well. Performance was similar among all three groups for the discrimination task. In all participants, a distributed set of brain regions including the primary and non-primary auditory cortices showed greater response for both tasks compared to rest. Comparing the groups directly, we found decreased activation in the parietal and frontal lobes in the participants with tinnitus compared to the HL group and decreased response in the frontal lobes relative to the NH group. Additionally, the HL subjects exhibited increased response in the anterior cingulate relative to the NH group. Our results suggest that a differential engagement of a putative auditory attention and short-term memory network, comprising regions in the frontal, parietal and temporal cortices and the anterior cingulate, may represent a key difference in the neural bases of chronic tinnitus accompanied by hearing loss relative to hearing loss alone.

  6. The Personality Profile of Tinnitus Sufferers and a Nontinnitus Control Group.

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    Durai, Mithila; O'Keeffe, Mary G; Searchfield, Grant D

    2017-04-01

    Chronic tinnitus (phantom perception of sound) significantly disrupts quality of life in 15-20% of those who experience it. Understanding how certain personality traits impact tinnitus perception and distress can be beneficial for the development of interventions to improve the lives of tinnitus sufferers. Four key self-reported personality traits (social closeness, stress reaction, alienation, and self-control) were identified from previous research as being associated with tinnitus. These were compared between tinnitus and age-, gender-, and hearing level-matched nontinnitus controls to see whether underlying profile differences exist, and if personality traits levels correlate with various tinnitus characteristics assessed in typical clinical questionnaires. A Web-based personality survey was administered comprising of self-control, stress reaction, alienation, and social closeness subscale questions of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, the Hearing Handicap Inventory-Screening Version, TFI, and the Tinnitus Case History Questionnaire. A total of 154 participants with tinnitus (81 males, 73 females, mean age = 62.6 yr) and 61 control (32 males, 29 females, mean age = 59.62 yr) participants were recruited via e-mail invitations to a tinnitus research clinic database, poster, and social media Web site advertising. Statistical analysis was conducted using parametric statistics and IBM SPSS ® Version 22 software. Tinnitus sufferers displayed higher levels of stress reaction, lower social closeness, lower self-control, and higher alienation than the control group (p Alienation was related to tinnitus pitch and self-reported hyperacusis measured using the Tinnitus Case History Questionnaire (p < 0.05). Stress reaction correlated with self-reported hyperacusis, whether tinnitus sufferers had sought other treatments, and whether loud sounds make the tinnitus worse (p < 0.05). The four personality traits examined in this study exhibited a consistent

  7. Ginkgo biloba in the treatment of tinnitus: An updated literature review.

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    Mahmoudian-Sani, Mohammad Reza; Hashemzadeh-Chaleshtori, Morteza; Asadi-Samani, Majid; Yang, Qian

    2017-06-01

    Tinnitus is one of the common diseases of the ear that is associated with numerous physical and mental disorders. One of the known mechanisms in the tinnitus area with unknown reason is oxidative events. Based on the prevalence and economic costs and physical- psychological side effects caused by tinnitus and the importance of finding a suitable solution for its prevention and treatment, the need for further studies becomes more obvious in this context. This review article aimed to review studies on the effectiveness of Ginkgo biloba as a medicinal plant on patients with tinnitus. Google Scholar, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), PubMed, LISTA (EBSCO) and Web of Science have been searched. There are many studies on the therapeutic effect of Ginkgo biloba on patients with tinnitus. Most findings are in contrast with each other so that some of studies reported that Ginkgo biloba is effective in the treatment of tinnitus and other studies referred to it as ineffective herbal medicine. Generally, according to the previous studies and the present study, it can mention that the Ginkgo biloba may somewhat improve tinnitus. Since tinnitus is multifactorial, it is recommended to evaluate patients individually based on the cause of tinnitus, treatment formulas, and different doses of Ginkgo biloba at the more extensive level in future studies.

  8. Imaging in pulsatile tinnitus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madani, G.; Connor, S.E.J.

    2009-01-01

    Tinnitus may be continuous or pulsatile. Vascular lesions are the most frequent radiologically demonstrable cause of pulsatile tinnitus. These include congenital vascular anomalies (which may be arterial or venous), vascular tumours, and a variety of acquired vasculopathies. The choice of imaging depends on the clinical findings. If a mass is present at otoscopy, thin-section computed tomography (CT) is indicated. In the otoscopically normal patient, there is a range of possible imaging approaches. However, combined CT angiography and venography is particularly useful

  9. Imaging in pulsatile tinnitus

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    Madani, G. [Radiology Department, St Mary' s Hospital, London (United Kingdom)], E-mail: gittamadani@yahoo.com; Connor, S E.J. [Neuroradiology Department, King' s College Hospital, London (United Kingdom)

    2009-03-15

    Tinnitus may be continuous or pulsatile. Vascular lesions are the most frequent radiologically demonstrable cause of pulsatile tinnitus. These include congenital vascular anomalies (which may be arterial or venous), vascular tumours, and a variety of acquired vasculopathies. The choice of imaging depends on the clinical findings. If a mass is present at otoscopy, thin-section computed tomography (CT) is indicated. In the otoscopically normal patient, there is a range of possible imaging approaches. However, combined CT angiography and venography is particularly useful.

  10. Noise and Tinnitus

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    Mansoureh Adel Ghahraman

    1999-03-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus from the Latin word tinnire meaning ringing is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound. The most common cause is noise induced hearing loss. Tinnitus may be induced by an acoustic trauma or a permanent noise in the workplace. In case that Tinnitus is induced by acoustic trauma the site of lesion is commonly the base of the cochlea. Tinnitus in the senile population is mostly accompanying presbycusis. Although the incidence of permanent tinnitus following noise exposure is high, little is published about this issue. In the current article we are aimed at studying the prevalence of tinnitus in Minoo and other manufactures.

  11. Cortical Reorganisation during a 30-Week Tinnitus Treatment Program.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine M McMahon

    Full Text Available 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

  12. Cortical Reorganisation during a 30-Week Tinnitus Treatment Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMahon, Catherine M.; Ibrahim, Ronny K.; Mathur, Ankit

    2016-01-01

    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

  13. [Validation of the German Version of Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brüggemann, Petra; Szczepek, Agnieszka J; Kleinjung, Tobias; Ojo, Michael; Mazurek, Birgit

    2017-09-01

    Tinnitus belongs to seriously debilitating auditory conditions and is often complicated by comorbidities such as insomnia, difficulties with concentration, depression, frustration and irritability. To facilitate the grading of symptoms and the effects of therapeutic strategies, we validated a German-version Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) in 229 subjects suffering from chronic tinnitus. Outcome validity was assessed using the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ, German adaptation by Goebel u. Hiller [1998]). Construct validity was assessed using the "Hamburger Allgemeine Depressionsskala" (HADS). The German TFI featured excellent internal consistency (total score Cronbach's α=0.93). Factor analysis disclosed eight TFI subscales as proposed earlier by Meikle et al. [2012]. Intercorrelations were strong both between the TFI and the TQ (r=0.83), and between the TFI and the HADS (depression r=0.49, anxiety r=0.51). The German-version TFI qualifies as a rapid and statistically robust tool for grading the impact of tinnitus on daily living and for the measurements of therapeutic effects. Regarding depressive symptomatology, sensitivity of the TFI was comparable to that of the TQ. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  14. Pitch and Loudness Tinnitus in Individuals with Presbycusis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seimetz, Bruna Macangnin; Teixeira, Adriane Ribeiro; Rosito, Leticia Petersen Schmidt; Flores, Leticia Sousa; Pappen, Carlos Henrique; Dall'igna, Celso

    2016-10-01

    Introduction  Tinnitus is a symptom that is often associated with presbycusis. Objective  This study aims to analyze the existence of association among hearing thresholds, pitch, and loudness of tinnitus in individuals with presbycusis, considering the gender variable. Methods  Cross-sectional, descriptive, and prospective study, whose sample consisted of individuals with tinnitus and diagnosis of presbycusis. For the evaluation, we performed anamnesis along with otoscopy, pure tone audiometry, and acuphenometry to analyze the psychoacoustic characteristics of tinnitus individuals. Results  The sample consisted of 49 subjects, with a mean age of 69.57 ± 6.53 years, who presented unilateral and bilateral tinnitus, therefore, a sample of 80 ears. In analyzing the results, as for acuphenometry, the loudness of tinnitus was more present at 0dB and the pitch was 6HKz and 8HKz. Regarding the analysis of the association between the frequency of greater hearing threshold and tinnitus pitch, no statistical significance ( p  = 0.862) was found. As for the association between the intensity of greater hearing threshold and tinnitus loudness, no statistical significance ( p  = 0.115) was found. Conclusion  There is no significant association between the hearing loss of patients with presbycusis and the pitch and loudness of tinnitus.

  15. Pitch and Loudness Tinnitus in Individuals with Presbycusis

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    Seimetz, Bruna Macangnin

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Tinnitus is a symptom that is often associated with presbycusis. Objective This study aims to analyze the existence of association among hearing thresholds, pitch, and loudness of tinnitus in individuals with presbycusis, considering the gender variable. Methods Cross-sectional, descriptive, and prospective study, whose sample consisted of individuals with tinnitus and diagnosis of presbycusis. For the evaluation, we performed anamnesis along with otoscopy, pure tone audiometry, and acuphenometry to analyze the psychoacoustic characteristics of tinnitus individuals. Results The sample consisted of 49 subjects, with a mean age of 69.57 ± 6.53 years, who presented unilateral and bilateral tinnitus, therefore, a sample of 80 ears. In analyzing the results, as for acuphenometry, the loudness of tinnitus was more present at 0dB and the pitch was 6HKz and 8HKz. Regarding the analysis of the association between the frequency of greater hearing threshold and tinnitus pitch, no statistical significance (p = 0.862 was found. As for the association between the intensity of greater hearing threshold and tinnitus loudness, no statistical significance (p = 0.115 was found. Conclusion There is no significant association between the hearing loss of patients with presbycusis and the pitch and loudness of tinnitus.

  16. Methodological aspects of clinical trials in tinnitus: A proposal for an international standard

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landgrebe, Michael; Azevedo, Andréia; Baguley, David; Bauer, Carol; Cacace, Anthony; Coelho, Claudia; Dornhoffer, John; Figueiredo, Ricardo; Flor, Herta; Hajak, Goeran; van de Heyning, Paul; Hiller, Wolfgang; Khedr, Eman; Kleinjung, Tobias; Koller, Michael; Lainez, Jose Miguel; Londero, Alain; Martin, William H.; Mennemeier, Mark; Piccirillo, Jay; De Ridder, Dirk; Rupprecht, Rainer; Searchfield, Grant; Vanneste, Sven; Zeman, Florian; Langguth, Berthold

    2013-01-01

    Chronic tinnitus is a common condition with a high burden of disease. While many different treatments are used in clinical practice, the evidence for the efficacy of these treatments is low and the variance of treatment response between individuals is high. This is most likely due to the great heterogeneity of tinnitus with respect to clinical features as well as underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. There is a clear need to find effective treatment options in tinnitus, however, clinical trials differ substantially with respect to methodological quality and design. Consequently, the conclusions that can be derived from these studies are limited and jeopardize comparison between studies. Here, we discuss our view of the most important aspects of trial design in clinical studies in tinnitus and make suggestions for an international methodological standard in tinnitus trials. We hope that the proposed methodological standard will stimulate scientific discussion and will help to improve the quality of trials in tinnitus. PMID:22789414

  17. [Differential aspects of subjective burden of tinnitus aurium].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perrig-Chiello, P; Gusset, S

    1996-01-01

    This study focuses on psychological variables, which could influence the subjectively perceived strain of tinnitus. They concern personality traits such as self-attentiveness, control beliefs and different dimensions of psychological health. Two groups of tinnitus patients were compared, one with low subjectively perceived strain (n = 20), the other with high subjectively perceived strain (n = 30). Results reveal that people with high subjectively perceived strain do not only perceive their tinnitus more often, but they are more self-centered and report significantly more general somatic complaints than people with low subjectively perceived strain. They obviously pay more attention to themselves and as a consequence also to their tinnitus. However, we didn't find any relationship between control beliefs and subjectively perceived tinnitus strain. Furthermore, duration of the noises, their loudness, their localisation and the knowledge of the cause of tinnitus also seem to affect the perception of the noises.

  18. Innovations in Doctoral Training and Research on Tinnitus: The European School on Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Research (ESIT) Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlee, Winfried; Hall, Deborah A; Canlon, Barbara; Cima, Rilana F F; de Kleine, Emile; Hauck, Franz; Huber, Alex; Gallus, Silvano; Kleinjung, Tobias; Kypraios, Theodore; Langguth, Berthold; Lopez-Escamez, José A; Lugo, Alessandra; Meyer, Martin; Mielczarek, Marzena; Norena, Arnaud; Pfiffner, Flurin; Pryss, Rüdiger C; Reichert, Manfred; Requena, Teresa; Schecklmann, Martin; van Dijk, Pim; van de Heyning, Paul; Weisz, Nathan; Cederroth, Christopher R

    2017-01-01

    Tinnitus is a common medical condition which interfaces many different disciplines, yet it is not a priority for any individual discipline. A change in its scientific understanding and clinical management requires a shift toward multidisciplinary cooperation, not only in research but also in training. The European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus research (ESIT) brings together a unique multidisciplinary consortium of clinical practitioners, academic researchers, commercial partners, patient organizations, and public health experts to conduct innovative research and train the next generation of tinnitus researchers. ESIT supports fundamental science and clinical research projects in order to: (1) advancing new treatment solutions for tinnitus, (2) improving existing treatment paradigms, (3) developing innovative research methods, (4) performing genetic studies on, (5) collecting epidemiological data to create new knowledge about prevalence and risk factors, (6) establishing a pan-European data resource. All research projects involve inter-sectoral partnerships through practical training, quite unlike anything that can be offered by any single university alone. Likewise, the postgraduate training curriculum fosters a deep knowledge about tinnitus whilst nurturing transferable competencies in personal qualities and approaches needed to be an effective researcher, knowledge of the standards, requirements and professionalism to do research, and skills to work with others and to ensure the wider impact of research. ESIT is the seed for future generations of creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative researchers, trained to master the upcoming challenges in the tinnitus field, to implement sustained changes in prevention and clinical management of tinnitus, and to shape doctoral education in tinnitus for the future.

  19. Innovations in Doctoral Training and Research on Tinnitus: The European School on Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Research (ESIT Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Winfried Schlee

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus is a common medical condition which interfaces many different disciplines, yet it is not a priority for any individual discipline. A change in its scientific understanding and clinical management requires a shift toward multidisciplinary cooperation, not only in research but also in training. The European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus research (ESIT brings together a unique multidisciplinary consortium of clinical practitioners, academic researchers, commercial partners, patient organizations, and public health experts to conduct innovative research and train the next generation of tinnitus researchers. ESIT supports fundamental science and clinical research projects in order to: (1 advancing new treatment solutions for tinnitus, (2 improving existing treatment paradigms, (3 developing innovative research methods, (4 performing genetic studies on, (5 collecting epidemiological data to create new knowledge about prevalence and risk factors, (6 establishing a pan-European data resource. All research projects involve inter-sectoral partnerships through practical training, quite unlike anything that can be offered by any single university alone. Likewise, the postgraduate training curriculum fosters a deep knowledge about tinnitus whilst nurturing transferable competencies in personal qualities and approaches needed to be an effective researcher, knowledge of the standards, requirements and professionalism to do research, and skills to work with others and to ensure the wider impact of research. ESIT is the seed for future generations of creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative researchers, trained to master the upcoming challenges in the tinnitus field, to implement sustained changes in prevention and clinical management of tinnitus, and to shape doctoral education in tinnitus for the future.

  20. Translation, validity, and reliability of a persian version of the iowa tinnitus handicap questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arian Nahad, Homa; Rouzbahani, Masomeh; Jarollahi, Farnoush; Jalaie, Shohreh; Pourbakht, Akram; Mokrian, Helnaz; Mahdi, Parvane; Amali, Amin; Nodin Zadeh, Abdolmajid

    2014-04-01

    Tinnitus is a common otologic symptom that can seriously affect a patient's quality of life. The purpose of the present study was to translate and validate the Iowa Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (THQ) into the Persian language, and to make it applicable as a tool for determining the effects of tinnitus on a patient's life. The main version of the THQ was translated into the Persian language. The agreed Persian version was administered to 150 tinnitus patients. The validity of the Persian THQ was evaluated and internal reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's α-coefficient. Finally, the effect of independent variables such as age, mean patient threshold, gender, and duration of tinnitus were considered in order to determine the psychometric properties of tinnitus. After an exact translation process, the Persian THQ was found to exhibit face validity. In terms of content validity, content validity index in total questionnaire was 0.93. Further, in structural validity measurements, intermediate correlation with annoyance from tinnitus (r=0.49), low correlation with duration of tinnitus (r=0.34) and high correlation with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaire (r=0.84) were demonstrated. Additionally, a negligible effect of gender and age was noted on degree of tinnitus handicap (P= 0.754, P= 0.573, respectively). In the internal reliability assessment for Factors 1, 2, 3, and the whole questionnaire, Cronbach`s α-coefficient was 0.95, 0.92, 0.25 and 0.88, respectively. The Persian version of the Iowa THQ demonstrates high validity and reliability and can be used for the determination of tinnitus handicap and for following-up in the intervention process in Persian tinnitus patients.

  1. 25 years of tinnitus retraining therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastreboff, P J

    2015-04-01

    This year marks 25 years of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), the approach that aims to eliminate tinnitus as a problem by extinguishing functional connections between the auditory and the limbic and autonomic nervous systems to achieve habituation of tinnitus-evoked reactions and subsequently habituation of perception. TRT addresses directly decreased sound tolerance (DST) as well as tinnitus. TRT consists of counseling and sound therapy, both based on the neurophysiological model of tinnitus. The main goal of retraining counseling is to reclassify tinnitus into the category of a neutral stimulus, while the main goal of sound therapy is to decrease the strength of tinnitus-related neuronal activity. A unique aspect of TRT is that because treatment is aimed to work above the tinnitus source, and at connections linking the auditory and other systems in the brain, the etiology of tinnitus is irrelevant. Any type of tinnitus, as well as somatosounds, can be successfully treated by TRT. Over 100 publications can be found on Medline when using "tinnitus retraining therapy" as a search term. The majority of these publications indicate TRT offers significant help for about 80 % of patients. A randomized clinical trial showing the effectiveness of TRT has been published and another large study is in progress. The principles of the neurophysiological model of tinnitus, and consequently TRT, have not changed in over 25 years of use, but a number of changes have been introduced in TRT implementation. These changes include the recognition of the importance of conditioned reflexes and the dominant role of the subconscious pathways; the introduction of the concept of misophonia (i.e., negative reactions to specific patterns of sound) and the implementation of specific protocols for its treatment; greater emphasis on the concurrent treatment of tinnitus, hyperacusis, misophonia, and hearing loss; extensive modification of counseling; and refinements in sound therapy. The

  2. Rapid assessment of tinnitus-related psychological distress using the Mini-TQ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiller, Wolfgang; Goebel, Gerhard

    2004-01-01

    The aim of this study was to develop an abridged version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) to be used as a quick tool for the assessment of tinnitus-related psychological distress. Data from 351 inpatients and 122 outpatients with chronic tinnitus were used to analyse item statistics and psychometric properties. Twelve items with an optimal combination of high item-total correlations, reliability and sensitivity in assessing changes were selected for the Mini-TQ. Correlation with the full TQ was >0.90, and test-retest reliability was 0.89. Validity was confirmed by associations with general psychological symptom patterns. Treatment effects indicated by the Mini-TQ were slightly greater than those indicated by the full TQ. The Mini-TQ is recommended as a psychometrically approved and solid tool for rapid and economical assessment of subjective tinnitus distress.

  3. Factor Analysis of Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to the Temporoparietal Junction for Tinnitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui Wang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. We investigated factors that contribute to suppression of tinnitus after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS. Methods. A total of 289 patients with tinnitus underwent active 1 Hz rTMS in the left temporoparietal region. A visual analog scale (VAS was used to assess tinnitus loudness. All participants were interviewed regarding age, gender, tinnitus duration, laterality and pitch, audiometric parameters, sleep, and so forth. The resting motor thresholds (RMTs were measured in all patients and 30 age- and gender-matched volunteers. Results. With respect to different factors that contribute to tinnitus suppression, we found improvement in the following domains: shorter duration, normal hearing (OR: 3.25, 95%CI: 2.01–5.27, p=0.001, and without sleep disturbance (OR: 2.51, 95%CI: 1.56–4.1, p=0.005 adjusted for age and gender. The patients with tinnitus lasting less than 1 year were more likely to show suppression of tinnitus (OR: 2.77, 95%CI: 1.48–5.19, p=0.002 compared to those with tinnitus lasting more than 5 years. Tinnitus patients had significantly lower RMTs compared with healthy volunteers. Conclusion. Active low-frequency rTMS results in a significant reduction in the loudness of tinnitus. Significant tinnitus suppression was shown in subjects with shorter tinnitus duration, with normal hearing, and without sleep disturbance.

  4. Factor Analysis of Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to the Temporoparietal Junction for Tinnitus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bei; Wang, Meiye; Li, Ming; Yin, Shankai

    2016-01-01

    Objectives. We investigated factors that contribute to suppression of tinnitus after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Methods. A total of 289 patients with tinnitus underwent active 1 Hz rTMS in the left temporoparietal region. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess tinnitus loudness. All participants were interviewed regarding age, gender, tinnitus duration, laterality and pitch, audiometric parameters, sleep, and so forth. The resting motor thresholds (RMTs) were measured in all patients and 30 age- and gender-matched volunteers. Results. With respect to different factors that contribute to tinnitus suppression, we found improvement in the following domains: shorter duration, normal hearing (OR: 3.25, 95%CI: 2.01–5.27, p = 0.001), and without sleep disturbance (OR: 2.51, 95%CI: 1.56–4.1, p = 0.005) adjusted for age and gender. The patients with tinnitus lasting less than 1 year were more likely to show suppression of tinnitus (OR: 2.77, 95%CI: 1.48–5.19, p = 0.002) compared to those with tinnitus lasting more than 5 years. Tinnitus patients had significantly lower RMTs compared with healthy volunteers. Conclusion. Active low-frequency rTMS results in a significant reduction in the loudness of tinnitus. Significant tinnitus suppression was shown in subjects with shorter tinnitus duration, with normal hearing, and without sleep disturbance. PMID:27847647

  5. Quality of life in individuals with tinnitus with and without hearing loss

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    Gregorina Silva Ribeiro Rocha

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Purpose: to evaluate the perception of the level of quality of life in subjects with tinnitus, with and without hearing loss. Methods: a cross-sectional quantitative study. A total of 189 subjects (mean age 53.06 years divided into four groups. Group 1: subjects with normal auditory thresholds without tinnitus complaint; Group 2: subjects with normal auditory thresholds and tinnitus complaint; Group 3: subjects with sensorineural hearing loss without tinnitus complaint; Group 4: subjects with sensorineural hearing loss and with tinnitus complaint. Levels of quality of life were investigated through the World Health Organization Quality Of Life (WHOQOL website - brief and psycho-emotional and functional aspects of patients with tinnitus through the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI. Statistical analyzes, comparisons among groups and descriptive analysis were performed, considering a significance level of 5%. Results: the overall mean scores of quality of life in group 4 (56.07 were smaller than those of group 1 (64.67 (p<0.05. The subjects with tinnitus complaint presented a moderate level of disturbance of the symptom. Conclusion: tinnitus interferes in the quality of life of individuals who had preserved or altered auditory thresholds. Therefore, means to reduce the discomfort caused by tinnitus symptom should be developed, in order to improve patients' quality of life.

  6. Tinnitus after Simultaneous and Sequential Bilateral Cochlear Implantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramakers, Geerte G J; Kraaijenga, Véronique J C; Smulders, Yvette E; van Zon, Alice; Stegeman, Inge; Stokroos, Robert J; Free, Rolien H; Frijns, Johan H M; Huinck, Wendy J; Van Zanten, Gijsbert A; Grolman, Wilko

    2017-01-01

    There is an ongoing global discussion on whether or not bilateral cochlear implantation should be standard care for bilateral deafness. Contrary to unilateral cochlear implantation, however, little is known about the effect of bilateral cochlear implantation on tinnitus. To investigate tinnitus outcomes 1 year after bilateral cochlear implantation. Secondarily, to compare tinnitus outcomes between simultaneous and sequential bilateral cochlear implantation and to investigate long-term follow-up (3 years). This study is a secondary analysis as part of a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Thirty-eight postlingually deafened adults were included in the original trial, in which the presence of tinnitus was not an inclusion criterion. All participants received cochlear implants (CIs) because of profound hearing loss. Nineteen participants received bilateral CIs simultaneously and 19 participants received bilateral CIs sequentially with an inter-implant interval of 2 years. The prevalence and severity of tinnitus before and after simultaneous and sequential bilateral cochlear implantation were measured preoperatively and each year after implantation with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ). The prevalence of preoperative tinnitus was 42% (16/38). One year after bilateral implantation, there was a median difference of -8 (inter-quartile range (IQR): -28 to 4) in THI score and -9 (IQR: -17 to -9) in TQ score in the participants with preoperative tinnitus. Induction of tinnitus occurred in five participants, all in the simultaneous group, in the year after bilateral implantation. Although the preoperative and also the postoperative median THI and TQ scores were higher in the simultaneous group, the median difference scores were equal in both groups. In the simultaneous group, tinnitus scores fluctuated in the 3 years after implantation. In the sequential group, four patients had an additional benefit of the second CI: a total

  7. Tinnitus and leisure noise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Warwick; Carter, Lyndal

    2017-04-01

    To study the relationship of life-time noise exposure and experience of tinnitus. Audiometric measures included otoscopy, pure tone air- and bone-conduction hearing threshold levels (HTL) and otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). Participants completed questionnaires including demographic information, past hearing health, history of participation in loud leisure activities, and attitudes to noise. A representative sample (1435) of the young (11-35 years old) Australian population. Of the sample, 63% indicated they experienced tinnitus in some form. There was no correlation of tinnitus experience with HTL or OAE amplitudes. Although median octave band HTLs for those who experienced tinnitus "all the time" were slightly higher for those who did not, neither group exhibited HTLs outside clinically-normal values. Of those who experienced tinnitus a direct correlation was found between frequency of experience of tinnitus and increasing cumulative, life-time noise exposure. Those who experienced tinnitus were more likely to report noticing deterioration in their hearing ability over time and to report difficulty hearing in quiet and/or noisy situations. Experience of tinnitus was found throughout this young population but not associated with HTLs or variation in OAE amplitudes. Males experienced 'permanent' tinnitus at significantly greater rate than females.

  8. The gap detection test: can it be used to diagnose tinnitus?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boyen, Kris; Baskent, D.; van Dijk, P.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: Animals with induced tinnitus showed difficulties in detecting silent gaps in sounds, suggesting that the tinnitus percept may be filling the gap. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the applicability of this approach to detect tinnitus in human patients. The authors first

  9. The Gap Detection Test : Can It Be Used to Diagnose Tinnitus?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boyen, Kris; Başkent, Deniz; van Dijk, Pim

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: Animals with induced tinnitus showed difficulties in detecting silent gaps in sounds, suggesting that the tinnitus percept may be filling the gap. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the applicability of this approach to detect tinnitus in human patients. The authors first

  10. Original article New challenges for clinical health psychology in diagnosis and therapy of tinnitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika Klepas

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Background Tinnitus is becoming a social issue as the number of individuals suffering from this condition is still increasing. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of tinnitus and related distress, as well as general psychiatric distress of affected individuals. Participants and procedure The study included 169 tinnitus patients aged between 22 and 88 years (mean 53.52. The duration of tinnitus ranged between 5 months and 30 years (mean 5.29 years. The participants presented either with normal hearing or with hearing loss. The study was based on a standardized interview and examination with two psychometric instruments: the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28 and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI. Results Duration of tinnitus, its subjective severity, experiencing negative emotions and lack of social support turned out to be a composite measure determining the level of tinnitus-related distress. In turn, the level of psychiatric distress was determined by sex of the participants, presence of difficulties in life, subjective severity of tinnitus and lack of social support. Conclusions Characteristics of tinnitus and its psychological consequences affect various functional aspects and health of the affected patients. The diagnostic instruments used in the study (THI and GHQ-28 proved to be appropriate and identified a subset of tinnitus patients who required appropriate psychotherapeutic intervention. The complex situation of patients experiencing subjective signs of tinnitus points to a necessity of cooperation between specialists in laryngology and psychologists, as a vital component of multidisciplinary evaluation and the therapeutic process.

  11. Can the tinnitus spectrum identify tinnitus subgroups?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heijneman, Karin M.; de Kleine, Emile; Wiersinga-Post, Esther; van Dijk, Pim

    2013-01-01

    The tinnitus spectrum is a psycho-acoustic metric of tinnitus. Previous work found a tight relation between the spectrum and the tone audiogram. This suggests that the spectrum and the audiogram provide essentially the same information, and the added value of the spectrum is limited. In order to

  12. The Distressed (Type D) Personality Is Independently Associated With Tinnitus : A Case-Control Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bartels, Hilke; Middel, Berrie; Pedersen, Susanne S.; Staal, Michiel J.; Albers, Frans W. J.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Tinnitus is a common and disturbing condition, reported by 10% to 20% of the general population. Objective: The authors sought to determine personality characteristics associated with tinnitus patients versus a control group of ear-nose-throat (ENT) patients without tinnitus. Method:

  13. A comparison of benefit and economic value between two sound therapy tinnitus management options.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Craig W; Sandridge, Sharon A

    2012-02-01

    Sound therapy coupled with appropriate counseling has gained widespread acceptance in the audiological management of tinnitus. For many years, ear level sound generators (SGs) have been used to provide masking relief and to promote tinnitus habituation. More recently, an alternative treatment device was introduced, the Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment (NTT), which employs spectrally-modified music in an acoustic desensitization approach in order to help patients overcome the disturbing consequences of tinnitus. It is unknown, however, if one treatment plan is more efficacious and cost-effective in comparison to the other. In today's economic climate, it has become critical that clinicians justify the value of tinnitus treatment devices in relation to observed benefit. To determine perceived benefit from, and economic value associated with, two forms of sound therapy, namely, SGs and NTT. Retrospective between-subject clinical study. A sample of convenience comprised of 56 patients drawn from the Tinnitus Management Clinic at the Cleveland Clinic participated. Twenty-three patients selected SGs, and 33 patients selected NTT as their preferred sound therapy treatment option. Sound therapy benefit was quantified using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). The questionnaire was administered before and 6 mo after initiation of tinnitus treatment. Prior to device fitting, all patients participated in a 1.5 hr group education session about tinnitus and its management. Economic value comparisons between sound therapy options were made using a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and cost-utility analysis (CUA). THI scores indicated a significant improvement (p 0.05) between the treatment alternatives at baseline or 6 mo postfitting. The magnitude of improvement for both SGs and NTT was dependent on initial perceived tinnitus handicap. Based on the CEA and CUA economic analyses alone, it appears that the SGs may be the more cost-effective alternative; however, the magnitude of

  14. The comparison of acoustic and psychic parameters of subjective tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karatas, Erkan; Deniz, Murat

    2012-02-01

    We aim to assess the correlation between audiometric data, and psychotic and acoustic measures associated with subjective tinnitus (ST) and to clarify the importance of the psychological process in determining the degree of subjective annoyance and disability due to tinnitus. Fifty-four patients experiencing unilateral ST were allocated for the study. Acoustic assessment of patients including LDL (loudness discomfort levels), MML (minimum masking level) and RI (residual inhibition) was performed. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) tests were performed for the psychological aspects of subjective annoyance. RI was positive in 23 patients with 13 frequency-matched stimuli at 8,000 Hz. Masking treatment response was successful in 16 RI-positive patients. Mean and standard deviation (SD) of THI scores were 38.77 ± 23.63. Ten patients (%18.51) with tinnitus had ≥ 17 points score, which was significant for BDI. Mean and SD were 5.01 ± 2.31 for VAS-1 scores (severity of tinnitus), 7.98 ± 2.79 for VAS-2 (frequency and duration of tinnitus), 5.77 ± 2.72 for VAS-3 (discomfort level), 3.56 ± 3.30 for VAS-4 (attention deficit) and 3.31 ± 3.31 for VAS-5 (sleep disorders). A significant correlation was found between the tinnitus duration time, age, gender and THI scores (P 0.05). RI might be largely frequency dependent and was found as an indicator for the masking treatment response. We did not notice statistically significant correlations between audiometric data and THI and BDI. There were correlations between with VAS and LDL and with MML and RI. VAS was simpler and easier for the assessment of ST. We should consider the psychological aspects of ST and assess it as a symptom separately with acoustic and psychotic tests.

  15. Bothersome tinnitus : Cognitive behavioral perspectives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cima, R F F

    Tinnitus is not traceable to a single disease or pathology, but merely a symptom, which is distressing to some but not all individuals able to perceive it. The experience of tinnitus does not equate to tinnitus distress. Tinnitus suffering might be understood as a function of tinnitus-related

  16. Adaptation of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory into Polish and its testing on a clinical population of tinnitus sufferers.

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    Skarzynski, Piotr H; Raj-Koziak, Danuta; J Rajchel, Joanna; Pilka, Adam; Wlodarczyk, Andrzej W; Skarzynski, Henryk

    2017-10-01

    To describe how the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) was translated into Polish (THI-POL) and to present psychometric data on how well it performed in a clinical population of tinnitus sufferers. The original version of THI was adapted into Polish. The reliability of THI-POL was investigated using test-retest, Cronbach's alpha, endorsement rate and item-total correlation. Construct validity and convergent validity were also assessed based on confirmatory factor analysis, inter-item correlation and Pearson product-moment correlations using subscale A (Tinnitus) of the Tinnitus and Hearing Survey (THS-POL); divergent validity was checked using subscale B (Hearing) of THS-POL. A group of 167 adults filled in THI-POL twice over their three-day hospitalisation period. Test-retest reliability for the total THI-POL scores was strong (r = 0.91). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total score was high (r = 0.95), confirming the questionnaire's stability. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and inter-item correlation did not confirm the three-factor model. Convergent validity from the Tinnitus subscale of THS showed a positive strong (r = 0.75) correlation. Divergent validity showed only a moderate correlation. All analyses were statistically significant (p tinnitus handicap of Polish-speaking patients to be effectively assessed.

  17. Tinnitus and its current treatment–Still an enigma in medicine

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    Santosh Kumar Swain

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus is a phantom auditory perception that occurs in humans. Tinnitus, which is a distressing problem affecting many people around the world, is commonly referred to as ringing in the ears. No effective drug therapy is available for this elusive disease, although much research work into mechanism and possible treatment is underway. As yet, there are no Food and Drug Administration approved drugs available and the quest for a new treatment option for tinnitus focus on important challenges in tinnitus management. A number of options have been used to treat patients with tinnitus, but outcomes have been limited. A new, curative modality will provide a turning point in the management of tinnitus. The purpose of this review article is to discuss the pathophysiology, global burden, current treatment, and prevention of tinnitus, with future prospective studies in new drug therapy for this elusive condition.

  18. Limbic-Auditory Interactions of Tinnitus: An Evaluation Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging.

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    Gunbey, H P; Gunbey, E; Aslan, K; Bulut, T; Unal, A; Incesu, L

    2017-06-01

    Tinnitus is defined as an imaginary subjective perception in the absence of an external sound. Convergent evidence proposes that tinnitus perception includes auditory, attentional and emotional components. The aim of this study was to investigate the thalamic, auditory and limbic interactions associated with tinnitus-related distress by Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). A total of 36 tinnitus patients, 20 healthy controls underwent an audiological examination, as well as a magnetic resonance imaging protocol including structural and DTI sequences. All participants completed the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Visual Analog Scales (VAS) related with tinnitus. The fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were obtained for the auditory cortex (AC), inferior colliculus (IC), lateral lemniscus (LL), medial geniculate body (MGB), thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), amygdala (AMG), hippocampus (HIP), parahippocampus (PHIP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). In tinnitus patients the FA values of IC, MGB, TRN, AMG, HIP decreased and the ADC values of IC, MGB, TRN, AMG, PHIP increased significantly. The contralateral IC-LL and bilateral MGB FA values correlated negatively with hearing loss. A negative relation was found between the AMG-HIP FA values and THI and VAS scores. Bilateral ADC values of PHIP and PFC significantly correlated with the attention deficiency-VAS scores. In conclusion, this is the first DTI study to investigate the grey matter structures related to tinnitus perception and the significant correlation of FA and ADC with clinical parameters suggests that DTI can provide helpful information for tinnitus. Magnifying the microstructures in DTI can help evaluate the three faces of tinnitus nature: hearing, emotion and attention.

  19. Tinnitus intensity dependent gamma oscillations of the contralateral auditory cortex.

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    Elsa van der Loo

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Non-pulsatile tinnitus is considered a subjective auditory phantom phenomenon present in 10 to 15% of the population. Tinnitus as a phantom phenomenon is related to hyperactivity and reorganization of the auditory cortex. Magnetoencephalography studies demonstrate a correlation between gamma band activity in the contralateral auditory cortex and the presence of tinnitus. The present study aims to investigate the relation between objective gamma-band activity in the contralateral auditory cortex and subjective tinnitus loudness scores. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In unilateral tinnitus patients (N = 15; 10 right, 5 left source analysis of resting state electroencephalographic gamma band oscillations shows a strong positive correlation with Visual Analogue Scale loudness scores in the contralateral auditory cortex (max r = 0.73, p<0.05. CONCLUSION: Auditory phantom percepts thus show similar sound level dependent activation of the contralateral auditory cortex as observed in normal audition. In view of recent consciousness models and tinnitus network models these results suggest tinnitus loudness is coded by gamma band activity in the contralateral auditory cortex but might not, by itself, be responsible for tinnitus perception.

  20. Tinnitus after Simultaneous and Sequential Bilateral Cochlear Implantation

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    Geerte G. J. Ramakers

    2017-11-01

    , four patients had an additional benefit of the second CI: a total suppression of tinnitus compared with their unilateral situation.ConclusionWhile bilateral cochlear implantation can have a positive effect on preoperative tinnitus complaints, the induction of (temporary or permanent tinnitus was also reported.Clinical Trial RegistrationDutch Trial Register NTR1722.

  1. Effects of frequency discrimination training on tinnitus: results from two randomised controlled trials.

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    Hoare, Derek J; Kowalkowski, Victoria L; Hall, Deborah A

    2012-08-01

    That auditory perceptual training may alleviate tinnitus draws on two observations: (1) tinnitus probably arises from altered activity within the central auditory system following hearing loss and (2) sound-based training can change central auditory activity. Training that provides sound enrichment across hearing loss frequencies has therefore been hypothesised to alleviate tinnitus. We tested this prediction with two randomised trials of frequency discrimination training involving a total of 70 participants with chronic subjective tinnitus. Participants trained on either (1) a pure-tone standard at a frequency within their region of normal hearing, (2) a pure-tone standard within the region of hearing loss or (3) a high-pass harmonic complex tone spanning a region of hearing loss. Analysis of the primary outcome measure revealed an overall reduction in self-reported tinnitus handicap after training that was maintained at a 1-month follow-up assessment, but there were no significant differences between groups. Secondary analyses also report the effects of different domains of tinnitus handicap on the psychoacoustical characteristics of the tinnitus percept (sensation level, bandwidth and pitch) and on duration of training. Our overall findings and conclusions cast doubt on the superiority of a purely acoustic mechanism to underpin tinnitus remediation. Rather, the nonspecific patterns of improvement are more suggestive that auditory perceptual training affects impact on a contributory mechanism such as selective attention or emotional state.

  2. [Acute hearing loss and tinnitus caused by amplified recreational music].

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    Metternich, F U; Brusis, T

    1999-11-01

    Hearing loss resulting from exposure to permanent or repeated amplified music in professional musicians and music consumers is described in literature. The risk of hearing loss does not exist only after prolonged exposure to music. Short-term exposure to very high sound levels, for example in concerts, can also cause hearing loss and tinnitus. The retrospective study includes 24 patients who required rheologic therapy between 1994 and 1997 due to a music related acoustic trauma. The type, intensity, and length of music exposure as well as the distance and the position to the source of noise were examined. The type of hearing damage and its development during rheological treatment was studied by pure-tone audiometry. In the majority of examined patients (67%) the hearing loss developed on the basis of one-time exposure at a rock concert or pop concert, followed by hearing loss from attending discotheques (17%) or parties (12%), and music exposure from personal cassette players (4%). The majority of patients showed a maximum hearing loss of 40-60 dB (A) in a frequency between 3 kHz and 4 kHz. Pure-tone audiometry in 58% of the patients exhibited a unilateral threshold in a frequency between 3 kHz and 4 kHz combined with ipsilateral tinnitus of the same frequency. Twenty-one percent of the patients showed a symmetric bilateral threshold and tinnitus between 3 kHz and 4 kHz. In 8% there was a unilateral tinnitus, and in 13% a bilateral tinnitus without any hearing loss. All patients improved their hearing loss during rheologic treatment. Improvement in the tinnitus was only achieved in 33% of the examined cases. The risk of permanent hearing loss resulting from short-term exposure to amplified music is low compared to the risk of continuous tinnitus. Given the lack of acceptance of personal ear protectors, the risk of acute hearing damage due to amplified music could be reduced by avoiding the immediate proximity to the speakers.

  3. Tinnitus. I: Auditory mechanisms: a model for tinnitus and hearing impairment.

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    Hazell, J W; Jastreboff, P J

    1990-02-01

    A model is proposed for tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss involving cochlear pathology. As tinnitus is defined as a cortical perception of sound in the absence of an appropriate external stimulus it must result from a generator in the auditory system which undergoes extensive auditory processing before it is perceived. The concept of spatial nonlinearity in the cochlea is presented as a cause of tinnitus generation controlled by the efferents. Various clinical presentations of tinnitus and the way in which they respond to changes in the environment are discussed with respect to this control mechanism. The concept of auditory retraining as part of the habituation process, and interaction with the prefrontal cortex and limbic system is presented as a central model which emphasizes the importance of the emotional significance and meaning of tinnitus.

  4. Tinnitus is associated with reduced sound level tolerance in adolescents with normal audiograms and otoacoustic emissions

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    Sanchez, Tanit Ganz; Moraes, Fernanda; Casseb, Juliana; Cota, Jaci; Freire, Katya; Roberts, Larry E.

    2016-01-01

    Recent neuroscience research suggests that tinnitus may reflect synaptic loss in the cochlea that does not express in the audiogram but leads to neural changes in auditory pathways that reduce sound level tolerance (SLT). Adolescents (N = 170) completed a questionnaire addressing their prior experience with tinnitus, potentially risky listening habits, and sensitivity to ordinary sounds, followed by psychoacoustic measurements in a sound booth. Among all adolescents 54.7% reported by questionnaire that they had previously experienced tinnitus, while 28.8% heard tinnitus in the booth. Psychoacoustic properties of tinnitus measured in the sound booth corresponded with those of chronic adult tinnitus sufferers. Neither hearing thresholds (≤15 dB HL to 16 kHz) nor otoacoustic emissions discriminated between adolescents reporting or not reporting tinnitus in the sound booth, but loudness discomfort levels (a psychoacoustic measure of SLT) did so, averaging 11.3 dB lower in adolescents experiencing tinnitus in the acoustic chamber. Although risky listening habits were near universal, the teenagers experiencing tinnitus and reduced SLT tended to be more protective of their hearing. Tinnitus and reduced SLT could be early indications of a vulnerability to hidden synaptic injury that is prevalent among adolescents and expressed following exposure to high level environmental sounds. PMID:27265722

  5. An economic evaluation of the healthcare cost of tinnitus management in the UK.

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    Stockdale, David; McFerran, Don; Brazier, Peter; Pritchard, Clive; Kay, Tony; Dowrick, Christopher; Hoare, Derek J

    2017-08-22

    There is no standard treatment pathway for tinnitus patients in the UK. Possible therapies include education and reassurance, cognitive behavioural therapies, modified tinnitus retraining therapy (education and sound enrichment), or amplification of external sound using hearing aids. However, the effectiveness of most therapies is somewhat controversial. As health services come under economic pressure to deploy resources more effectively there is an increasing need to demonstrate the value of tinnitus therapies, and how value may be continuously enhanced. The objective of this project was to map out existing clinical practice, estimate the NHS costs associated with the management approaches used, and obtain initial indicative estimates of cost-effectiveness. Current treatment pathways, costs and health outcomes were determined from the tinnitus literature, national statistics, a patient survey, and expert opinion. These were used to create an Excel-based economic model of therapy options for tinnitus patients. The probabilities associated with the likelihood of an individual patient receiving a particular combination of therapies was used to calculate the average cost of treatment per patient, average health outcome per patient measured in QALYs gained, and cost-effectiveness, measured by the average cost per QALY gained. The average cost of tinnitus treatment per patient per year is GB£717, equating to an NHS healthcare bill of GB£750 million per year. Across all pathways, tinnitus therapy costs £10,600 per QALY gained. Results were relatively insensitive to restrictions on access to cognitive behaviour therapy, and a subsequent reliance on other therapies. NHS provisions for tinnitus are cost-effective against the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cost-effective threshold. Most interventions help, but education alone offers very small QALY gains. The most cost-effective therapies in the model were delivered within audiology.

  6. Theoretical Tinnitus framework: A Neurofunctional Model

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    Iman Ghodratitoostani

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Subjective tinnitus is the conscious (attended awareness perception of sound in the absence of an external source and can be classified as an auditory phantom perception. The current tinnitus development models depend on the role of external events congruently paired with the causal physical events that precipitate the phantom perception. We propose a novel Neurofunctional tinnitus model to indicate that the conscious perception of phantom sound is essential in activating the cognitive-emotional value. The cognitive-emotional value plays a crucial role in governing attention allocation as well as developing annoyance within tinnitus clinical distress. Structurally, the Neurofunctional tinnitus model includes the peripheral auditory system, the thalamus, the limbic system, brain stem, basal ganglia, striatum and the auditory along with prefrontal cortices. Functionally, we assume the model includes presence of continuous or intermittent abnormal signals at the peripheral auditory system or midbrain auditory paths. Depending on the availability of attentional resources, the signals may or may not be perceived. The cognitive valuation process strengthens the lateral-inhibition and noise canceling mechanisms in the mid-brain, which leads to the cessation of sound perception and renders the signal evaluation irrelevant. However, the sourceless sound is eventually perceived and can be cognitively interpreted as suspicious or an indication of a disease in which the cortical top-down processes weaken the noise canceling effects. This results in an increase in cognitive and emotional negative reactions such as depression and anxiety. The negative or positive cognitive-emotional feedbacks within the top-down approach may have no relation to the previous experience of the patients. They can also be associated with aversive stimuli similar to abnormal neural activity in generating the phantom sound. Cognitive and emotional reactions depend on general

  7. Theoretical Tinnitus Framework: A Neurofunctional Model.

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    Ghodratitoostani, Iman; Zana, Yossi; Delbem, Alexandre C B; Sani, Siamak S; Ekhtiari, Hamed; Sanchez, Tanit G

    2016-01-01

    Subjective tinnitus is the conscious (attended) awareness perception of sound in the absence of an external source and can be classified as an auditory phantom perception. Earlier literature establishes three distinct states of conscious perception as unattended, attended, and attended awareness conscious perception. The current tinnitus development models depend on the role of external events congruently paired with the causal physical events that precipitate the phantom perception. We propose a novel Neurofunctional Tinnitus Model to indicate that the conscious (attended) awareness perception of phantom sound is essential in activating the cognitive-emotional value. The cognitive-emotional value plays a crucial role in governing attention allocation as well as developing annoyance within tinnitus clinical distress. Structurally, the Neurofunctional Tinnitus Model includes the peripheral auditory system, the thalamus, the limbic system, brainstem, basal ganglia, striatum, and the auditory along with prefrontal cortices. Functionally, we assume the model includes presence of continuous or intermittent abnormal signals at the peripheral auditory system or midbrain auditory paths. Depending on the availability of attentional resources, the signals may or may not be perceived. The cognitive valuation process strengthens the lateral-inhibition and noise canceling mechanisms in the mid-brain, which leads to the cessation of sound perception and renders the signal evaluation irrelevant. However, the "sourceless" sound is eventually perceived and can be cognitively interpreted as suspicious or an indication of a disease in which the cortical top-down processes weaken the noise canceling effects. This results in an increase in cognitive and emotional negative reactions such as depression and anxiety. The negative or positive cognitive-emotional feedbacks within the top-down approach may have no relation to the previous experience of the patients. They can also be

  8. Dataset of acute repeated sessions of bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation for treatment of intractable tinnitus: A randomized controlled trial

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    Ali Yadollahpour

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS has reportedly shown promising therapeutic effects for tinnitus (Forogh et al., 2016; Joos et al., 2014 [1,2]. Studies are ongoing to determine optimum treatment protocol and the site of stimulation. Findings of the early studies are heterogeneous and most studies have focused on single session tDCS and short follow-up periods. There is no study on repeated sessions of tDCS with long term follow-up. This study presents the results of a randomized clinical trial investigating the therapeutic effects of acute multi-session tDCS over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC on tinnitus symptoms and comorbid depression and anxiety in patients with chronic intractable tinnitus. The dataset includes the demographic information, audiometric assessments, tinnitus specific characteristics, and the response variables of the study. The response variables included the scores of tinnitus handicap inventory (THI, tinnitus loudness and tinnitus related distress based on 0–10 numerical visual analogue scale (VAS scores, beck depression inventory (BDI-II and beck anxiety inventory (BAI scores. The dataset included the scores of THI pre and immediately post intervention, and at one month follow-up; the tinnitus loudness and distress scores prior to intervention, and immediately, one hour, one week, and at one month after the last stimulation session. In addition, the BDI-II, and BAI scores pre and post intervention are included. The data of the real (n=25 and sham tDCS (n=17 groups are reported. The main manuscript of this dataset is 'Acute repeated sessions of bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation for treatment of intractable tinnitus: a randomized controlled trial' (Bayat et al., submitted for publication [3]. Keywords: Transcranial direct current stimulation, Acute stimulations, Tinnitus, Depression, Anxiety, DLPFC

  9. ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Tinnitus.

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    Kessler, Marcus M; Moussa, Marwan; Bykowski, Julie; Kirsch, Claudia F E; Aulino, Joseph M; Berger, Kevin L; Choudhri, Asim F; Fife, Terry D; Germano, Isabelle M; Kendi, A Tuba; Kim, Jeffrey H; Luttrull, Michael D; Nunez, Diego; Shah, Lubdha M; Sharma, Aseem; Shetty, Vilaas S; Symko, Sophia C; Cornelius, Rebecca S

    2017-11-01

    Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of an external source. It is a common symptom that can be related to hearing loss and other benign causes. However, tinnitus may be disabling and can be the only symptom in a patient with a central nervous system process disorder. History and physical examination are crucial first steps to determine the need for imaging. CT and MRI are useful in the setting of pulsatile tinnitus to evaluate for an underlying vascular anomaly or abnormality. If there is concomitant asymmetric hearing loss, neurologic deficit, or head trauma, imaging should be guided by those respective ACR Appropriateness Criteria ® documents, rather than the presence of tinnitus. Imaging is not usually appropriate in the evaluation of subjective, nonpulsatile tinnitus that does not localize to one ear. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Evaluation of Ecological Momentary Assessment for Tinnitus Severity.

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    Goldberg, Rachel L; Piccirillo, Marilyn L; Nicklaus, Joyce; Skillington, Andrew; Lenze, Eric; Rodebaugh, Thomas L; Kallogjeri, Dorina; Piccirillo, Jay F

    2017-07-01

    Existing patient-reported outcome measures of tinnitus assess the severity and disability retrospectively, which may result in adequate reliability, but cannot capture the fluctuating and individualized nature of tinnitus. Experience sampling may provide an alternative. To use an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to measure tinnitus disability and associated constructs. Forty adults with tinnitus provided self-report of their tinnitus bother using 5 questions measured by EMA, as well as standard retrospective outcome measures. In this 6-week longitudinal observational study conducted from July 15 to December 22, 2014, participants provided EMA data for 2 weeks (part 1); then after a 2-week break, they provided EMA data for an additional 2 weeks (part 2). A text message with a link to the EMA survey was sent for a total of 56 assessments during each 2-week assessment period. Ecological momentary assessment responses were evaluated using multilevel confirmatory factor analysis to assess the fluctuating nature of bothersome tinnitus across the group and within the pool of individuals over time. Ecological momentary assessment questions measured tinnitus disability and associated constructs. Compliance in each study part was assessed based on response rates. The Tinnitus Functional Index and the Overall Global Rating of Bother Scale were assessed at the beginning and end of each 2-week assessment period to explore the effect of the frequent EMAs on the perceived level of bother from tinnitus. Of the 40 participants in the study (10 women and 30 men; mean [SD] age, 60.0 [10.5] years), the median survey response rate was high (49 responses to 56 surveys sent [88%] for part 1 and 47 responses of 56 surveys sent [84%] for part 2). The latent factor identified by the 2-level confirmatory factor analysis models demonstrates that within-individual tinnitus bother, loudness, and stress vary together over time. In addition, tinnitus bother, feeling, and stress symptoms all

  11. Tinnitus: an epidemiologic study in Iranian population.

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    Maryam Jalessi

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available A wide range of population, 4% to 30%, suffers from tinnitus that is defined as perception of sound without apparent acoustic stimulus. We conducted the present study to determine the prevalence of tinnitus in Iranian population; Tehran province. This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2009 to December 2009, recruiting 3207 individuals (age range, 7-98 who were residing in Tehran province, Iran. Participants were asked to fill two questionnaires; the validated Persian version of Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ and another one that was specifically designed for this study. Prevalence of tinnitus and its association factors were evaluated. 3207 participants enrolled into our study comprising 1429 (44.7% male and 1765 (55.3% female with mean age of 55.01±17.85. Of total of 3207 participants, 146 (4.6% had tinnitus consisting of 80 male (54.8% and 66 (45.2% female participants. It showed a rising trend with increasing age that was especially significant after the sixth decade of life (P=0.001. The analysis showed mean TQ global score of 35.96±25.52 that was significantly different between male and female participants (P=0.051 and had no significant correlation with increasing age (Spearman's r=0.1, P=0.10. The tinnitus intensity was moderate to very severe in 95 (56.1% of the participants. Its severity level was not significantly different between men and women (P=0.09. Tinnitus intensity had no significant association with increasing age (Spearman's r=0.1, P=0.31. Patients with higher TQ global score had higher tinnitus intensities (P=0.001. The annoyance level was significantly different between men and women (P=0.04 and its impact on the participants daily routine functions were significantly higher in men (P=0.003. Given the results of the study, demonstrating that prevalence of tinnitus in Iranian population (Tehran province was lower than the other countries and had a direct correlation with increasing age only after the sixth

  12. Tinnitus: from cortex to cochlea

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geven, Leontien

    2014-01-01

    Het medische woord voor oorsuizen is tinnitus. Tinnitus is het waarnemen van geluid, waar geen bron voor is. Het kan dus alleen worden waargenomen door de persoon zelf en niet door anderen. De meeste volwassenen hebben wel eens last gehad van tijdelijke tinnitus. Tinnitus kan echter ook blijvend

  13. The Effects of Acute Stress-Induced Sleep Disturbance on Acoustic Trauma-Induced Tinnitus in Rats

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    Yiwen Zheng

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Chronic tinnitus is a debilitating condition and often accompanied by anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. It has been suggested that sleep disturbance, such as insomnia, may be a risk factor/predictor for tinnitus-related distress and the two conditions may share common neurobiological mechanisms. This study investigated whether acute stress-induced sleep disturbance could increase the susceptibility to acoustic trauma-induced tinnitus in rats. The animals were exposed to unilateral acoustic trauma 24 h before sleep disturbance being induced using the cage exchange method. Tinnitus perception was assessed behaviourally using a conditioned lick suppression paradigm 3 weeks after the acoustic trauma. Changes in the orexin system in the hypothalamus, which plays an important role in maintaining long-lasting arousal, were also examined using immunohistochemistry. Cage exchange resulted in a significant reduction in the number of sleep episodes and acoustic trauma-induced tinnitus with acoustic features similar to a 32 kHz tone at 100 dB. However, sleep disturbance did not exacerbate the perception of tinnitus in rats. Neither tinnitus alone nor tinnitus plus sleep disturbance altered the number of orexin-expressing neurons. The results suggest that acute sleep disturbance does not cause long-term changes in the number of orexin neurons and does not change the perception of tinnitus induced by acoustic trauma in rats.

  14. A scientific cognitive behavioral model of tinnitus: novel conceptualizations of tinnitus distress

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    Laurence eMcKenna

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The importance of psychological factors in tinnitus distress has been formally recognized for almost three decades. The psychological understanding of why tinnitus can be a distressing condition posits that it becomes problematic when it acquires an emotive significance through cognitive processes. Principle therapeutic efforts are directed at reducing or removing the cognitive (and behavioral obstacles to habituation. Here, the evidence relevant to a new psychological model of tinnitus is critically reviewed. The model posits that patients’ interpretations of tinnitus and the changes in behavior that result are given a central role in creating and maintaining distress. The importance of selective attention and the possibility that this leads to distorted perception of tinnitus is highlighted. From this body of evidence, we propose a coherent cognitive behavioral model of tinnitus distress that is more in keeping with contemporary psychological theories of clinical problems (particularly that of insomnia and which postulates a number of behavioral processes that are seen as cognitively mediated. This new model provides testable hypotheses to guide future research to unravel the complex mechanisms underpinning tinnitus distress. It is also well suited to define individual symptomatology and to provide a framework for the delivery of cognitive behavior therapy.

  15. Psychoacoustic Assessment to Improve Tinnitus Diagnosis

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    Hutchins, Sean; Hébert, Sylvie

    2013-01-01

    The diagnosis of tinnitus relies on self-report. Psychoacoustic measurements of tinnitus pitch and loudness are essential for assessing claims and discriminating true from false ones. For this reason, the quantification of tinnitus remains a challenging research goal. We aimed to: (1) assess the precision of a new tinnitus likeness rating procedure with a continuous-pitch presentation method, controlling for music training, and (2) test whether tinnitus psychoacoustic measurements have the sensitivity and specificity required to detect people faking tinnitus. Musicians and non-musicians with tinnitus, as well as simulated malingerers without tinnitus, were tested. Most were retested several weeks later. Tinnitus pitch matching was first assessed using the likeness rating method: pure tones from 0.25 to 16 kHz were presented randomly to participants, who had to rate the likeness of each tone to their tinnitus, and to adjust its level from 0 to 100 dB SPL. Tinnitus pitch matching was then assessed with a continuous-pitch method: participants had to match the pitch of their tinnitus to an external tone by moving their finger across a touch-sensitive strip, which generated a continuous pure tone from 0.5 to 20 kHz in 1-Hz steps. The predominant tinnitus pitch was consistent across both methods for both musicians and non-musicians, although musicians displayed better external tone pitch matching abilities. Simulated malingerers rated loudness much higher than did the other groups with a high degree of specificity (94.4%) and were unreliable in loudness (not pitch) matching from one session to the other. Retest data showed similar pitch matching responses for both methods for all participants. In conclusion, tinnitus pitch and loudness reliably correspond to the tinnitus percept, and psychoacoustic loudness matches are sensitive and specific to the presence of tinnitus. PMID:24349414

  16. Efeito da timpanoplastia no zumbido de pacientes com hipoacusia condutiva: seguimento de seis meses The effect of timpanoplasty on tinnitus in patients with conductive hearing loss: a six month follow-up

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    Adriana da Silva Lima

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available O timpanoplastia tem como objetivos erradicar a doença da orelha média e restaurar os mecanismos de condução sonora. Contudo, alguns pacientes apresentam incômodo com o zumbido e muitas vezes questionam o médico sobre os resultados da cirurgia em relação ao zumbido. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a evolução do zumbido em pacientes com hipoacusia condutiva após timpanoplastia. Forma de Estudo: Coorte prospectiva. CASUÍSTICA E MÉTODO: Foram avaliados 23 pacientes com queixa de zumbido e diagnóstico de otite média crônica simples com indicação cirúrgica. Os pacientes foram submetidos a um protocolo de investigação médica e audiológica do zumbido antes, 30 e 180 dias após a timpanoplastia. RESULTADOS: 82,6% dos pacientes apresentaram melhora ou abolição do zumbido. Melhora significante do incômodo do zumbido no pré-operatório (5,26 em relação ao pós-operatório (1,91 com 30 e 180 dias, assim como entre o incômodo da perda auditiva pré-operatória (6,56 e pós-operatória (3,65 e 2,91. A audiometria revelou melhora do limiar tonal em todas as freqüências, com exceção de 8KHz, havendo fechamento ou gap máximo de 10dB NA em 61% dos casos. Pega total do enxerto em 78% dos casos. CONCLUSÃO: Além da melhora da perda auditiva, a timpanoplastia também proporciona bons resultados sobre o controle do zumbido.Tympanoplasty is done to eradicate ear pathology and to restore the conductive hearing mechanism (eardrum and ossicles. Some patients, however, do not tolerate tinnitus and question physicians about the results of surgery when tinnitus persists. AIM: to evaluate the progression of tinnitus in patients with conductive hearing loss after tympanoplasty. STUDY DESIGN: a prospective cohort study. Material and Methods: 23 consecutive patients with tinnitus due to chronic otitis media underwent tympanoplasty. The patients underwent a medical and audiological protocol for tinnitus before and after tympanoplasty. RESULTS: 82.6% of

  17. Tinnitus and its radiological diagnosis and therpy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nadjmi, M; Hofmann, E; Ratzka, M; Schuknecht, B

    1987-03-01

    Tinnitus is a familiar symptom in diseases of the central nervous system. Its aetiology being of a varied nature, the type of tinnitus is a pointer to the pathoanatomic findings that are responsible for the disease. The causes of tinnitus are often found in the borderline areas between various neighbouring disciplines, such as otology, neurology and neurosurgery, whereas the final identification of the real causes is mainly within the scope of radiological diagnosis, in which computed tomography and superselective angiography play an essential role. In addition to arteriovenous fistulas near the petrous bone and glomus tumours, which are well known, there are a few other aetiologies of pulse-synchronous tinnitus that are being discussed in this paper. In recent years there has been substantial therapeutical progress owing to the introduction of new techniques and the development of improved materials for embolisation in international neuroradiology. Their application is discussed in connection with various patient groups.

  18. Tinnitus and its radiological diagnosis and therpy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nadjmi, M.; Hofmann, E.; Ratzka, M.; Schuknecht, B.

    1987-01-01

    Tinnitus is a familiar symptom in diseases of the central nervous system. Its aetiology being of a varied nature, the type of tinnitus is a pointer to the pathoanatomic findings that are responsible for the disease. The causes of tinnitus are often found in the borderline areas between various neighbouring disciplines, such as otology, neurology and neurosurgery, whereas the final identification of the real causes is mainly within the scope of radiological diagnosis, in which computed tomography and superselective angiography play an essential role. In addition to arteriovenous fistulas near the petrous bone and glomus tumours, which are well known, there are a few other aetiologies of pulse-synchronous tinnitus that are being discussed in this paper. In recent years there has been substantial therapeutical progress owing to the introduction of new techniques and the development of improved materials for embolisation in international neuroradiology. Their application is discussed in connection with various patient groups. (orig.) [de

  19. Validation of a Mobile Device for Acoustic Coordinated Reset Neuromodulation Tinnitus Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauptmann, Christian; Wegener, Alexander; Poppe, Hendrik; Williams, Mark; Popelka, Gerald; Tass, Peter A

    2016-10-01

    Sound-based tinnitus intervention stimuli include broad-band noise signals with subjectively adjusted bandwidths used as maskers delivered by commercial devices or hearing aids, environmental sounds broadly described and delivered by both consumer devices and hearing aids, music recordings specifically modified and delivered in a variety of different ways, and other stimuli. Acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation therapy for tinnitus reduction has unique and more stringent requirements compared to all other sound-based tinnitus interventions. These include precise characterization of tinnitus pitch and loudness, and effective provision of patient-controlled daily therapy signals at defined frequencies, levels, and durations outside of the clinic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an approach to accommodate these requirements including evaluation of a mobile device, validation of an automated tinnitus pitch-matching algorithm and assessment of a patient's ability to control stimuli and collect repeated outcome measures. The experimental design involved direct laboratory measurements of the sound delivery capabilities of a mobile device, comparison of an automated, adaptive pitch-matching method to a traditional manual method and measures of a patient's ability to understand and manipulate a mobile device graphic user interface to both deliver the therapy signals and collect the outcome measures. This study consisted of 5 samples of a common mobile device for the laboratory measures and a total of 30 adult participants: 15 randomly selected normal-hearing participants with simulated tinnitus for validation of a tinnitus pitch-matching algorithm and 15 sequentially selected patients already undergoing tinnitus therapy for evaluation of patient usability. No tinnitus intervention(s) were specifically studied as a component of this study. Data collection involved laboratory measures of mobile devices, comparison of manual and automated adaptive tinnitus

  20. Tinnitus and sound intolerance: evidence and experience of a Brazilian group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onishi, Ektor Tsuneo; Coelho, Cláudia Couto de Barros; Oiticica, Jeanne; Figueiredo, Ricardo Rodrigues; Guimarães, Rita de Cassia Cassou; Sanchez, Tanit Ganz; Gürtler, Adriana Lima; Venosa, Alessandra Ramos; Sampaio, André Luiz Lopes; Azevedo, Andreia Aparecida; Pires, Anna Paula Batista de Ávila; Barros, Bruno Borges de Carvalho; Oliveira, Carlos Augusto Costa Pires de; Saba, Clarice; Yonamine, Fernando Kaoru; Medeiros, Ítalo Roberto Torres de; Rosito, Letícia Petersen Schmidt; Rates, Marcelo José Abras; Kii, Márcia Akemi; Fávero, Mariana Lopes; Santos, Mônica Alcantara de Oliveira; Person, Osmar Clayton; Ciminelli, Patrícia; Marcondes, Renata de Almeida; Moreira, Ronaldo Kennedy de Paula; Torres, Sandro de Menezes Santos

    Tinnitus and sound intolerance are frequent and subjective complaints that may have an impact on a patient's quality of life. To present a review of the salient points including concepts, pathophysiology, diagnosis and approach of the patient with tinnitus and sensitivity to sounds. Literature review with bibliographic survey in LILACS, SciELO, Pubmed and MEDLINE database. Articles and book chapters on tinnitus and sound sensitivity were selected. The several topics were discussed by a group of Brazilian professionals and the conclusions were described. The prevalence of tinnitus has increased over the years, often associated with hearing loss, metabolic factors and inadequate diet. Medical evaluation should be performed carefully to guide the request of subsidiary exams. Currently available treatments range from medications to the use of sounds with specific characteristics and meditation techniques, with variable results. A review on tinnitus and auditory sensitivity was presented, allowing the reader a broad view of the approach to these patients, based on scientific evidence and national experience. Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  1. Progressive Tinnitus Management Level 3 Skills Education: A 5-Year Clinical Retrospective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmonds, Catherine M; Ribbe, Cheri; Thielman, Emily J; Henry, James A

    2017-09-18

    The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether progressive tinnitus management Level 3 skills education workshops conducted at the Bay Pines and Boston Veterans Affairs hospitals result in consistent use of the presented tinnitus management strategies by patients 1-5 years after completing the workshops. In fiscal year (FY) 2015, the tinnitus workshop follow-up form was mailed to all veterans who completed the Level 3 workshops between FY 2010 and FY 2014. Data were compiled to determine which, if any, of the skills taught in the workshops were being used 1-5 years after completion of the workshops and the impact on quality-of-life indicators. All self-management skills were being utilized up to 5 years postcompletion; therapeutic sound was utilized the most. The majority of patients reported an improved ability to manage reactions to tinnitus and improved quality-of-life indicators. Over 90% of patients from both sites recommended the program to others with tinnitus. The self-management skills taught in the progressive tinnitus management Level 3 workshops are sustained over time even when limited resources prevent the full complement of workshops or the involvement of mental health services. The workshops can also be successfully implemented through remote delivery via videoconferencing (telehealth). https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5370883.

  2. The effectiveness of hypnotherapy in the treatment of subjective tinnitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shirin Moghtaderi

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Tinnitus is an annoying disease cause major problems including insomnia, impaired concentration, and reduced quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in the treatment of subjective tinnitus.Methods: This was a pilot experimental study with pre- and post-test method. 20 people suffered from subjective tinnitus were divided equally in two groups of experimental and control. The two groups were matched according to age and severity of tinnitus. They completed tinnitus clinical questionnaires before and after the test and the severity of their tinnitus was recorded by a number from one to ten. Experimental group went under hypnotherapy for 10 sessions. The control group did not perform any psychological treatment. The gathered data were statistically analyzed using Student's t-test (independent and dependent.Results: There were significant differences between the pre-test and post-test scores of each group and also, between the post-test scores of experimental and control groups (p = 0.001 for all.Conclusion: The results showed that hypnotherapy could effectively reduce the seventy of tinnitus in patients in the experimental group; in other words, the results confirm the effectiveness of medical hypnosis in the treatment of subjective tinnitus.

  3. Risk of Peripheral Artery Occlusive Disease in Patients with Vertigo, Tinnitus, or Sudden Deafness: A Secondary Case-Control Analysis of a Nationwide, Population-Based Health Claims Database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koo, Malcolm; Chen, Jin-Cherng; Hwang, Juen-Haur

    2016-01-01

    Cochleovestibular symptoms, such as vertigo, tinnitus, and sudden deafness, are common manifestations of microvascular diseases. However, it is unclear whether these symptoms occurred preceding the diagnosis of peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD). Therefore, the aim of this case-control study was to investigate the risk of PAOD among patients with vertigo, tinnitus, and sudden deafness using a nationwide, population-based health claim database in Taiwan. We identified 5,340 adult patients with PAOD diagnosed between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2010 and 16,020 controls, frequency matched on age interval, sex, and year of index date, from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Risks of PAOD in patients with vertigo, tinnitus, or sudden deafness were separately evaluated with multivariate logistic regression analyses. Of the 5,340 patients with PAOD, 12.7%, 6.7%, and 0.3% were diagnosed with vertigo, tinnitus, and sudden deafness, respectively. In the controls, 10.6%, 6.1%, and 0.3% were diagnosed with vertigo (P vertigo (adjusted odds ratio = 1.12, P = 0.027) but not in those with tinnitus or sudden deafness. A modest increase in the risk of PAOD was observed among Taiwanese patients with vertigo, after adjustment for comorbidities.

  4. Tinnitus and Its Effect on the Quality of Life of Sufferers: A Nigerian Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ukaegbe, Onyinyechi C; Orji, Foster T; Ezeanolue, Basil C; Akpeh, James O; Okorafor, Ijeoma A

    2017-10-01

    Objectives To evaluate the quality of life of patients with ongoing tinnitus. Study Design This was a cross-sectional study of patients with ongoing tinnitus. Setting The study was carried out in a tertiary hospital in southeastern Nigeria. Subjects and Methods Subjects are adults who presented to the otorhinolaryngology clinic with tinnitus as their primary complaint. Pure-tone audiometry, tinnitus pitch, and loudness matching were done. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaire was used in assessing their quality of life. Results There were 63 participants within the age range of 16 to 74 years; 20 (31.7%) were male and 43 (68.3%) were female. The mean duration of tinnitus was 26.7 ± 38.1 months. Nineteen (30.2%) participants had bilateral tinnitus while 44 (69.8%) had unilateral tinnitus. The mean THI score was 36.6 ± 19.7. The most reported handicap was anxiety and difficulty with concentration followed by depression and irritability. There was no correlation between the disability shown by the THI score and the age, sex, duration of the tinnitus, the tinnitus pitch, tinnitus loudness, or the laterality of the tinnitus. There was a significant positive correlation between the grade of hearing loss and the level of disability reported in the THI ( P = .01). Conclusion Tinnitus sufferers appear to have poorer quality of life compared with nonsufferers. This quality-of-life affectation is likely to be worse in those with disabling hearing loss but does not appear to be related to their age, sex, symptom duration, or the loudness and pitch of their tinnitus.

  5. [Some aspects of pharmacotherapy of tinnitus. Compound therapy with Xylocaine and directive counseling--long-term results].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogowski, Marek; Sieśkiewicz, Andrzej; Rózańska-Kudelska, Małgorzata; Walenczak, Izabela

    2004-01-01

    29 out of 49 patients, who were treated in 1996-1998 with Xylocaine and directive counselling for their tinitus, were reevaluated. Non of the patients used any other pharmacological treatment of the tinnitus or underwent full tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) since 10-days treatment with Xylocaine had been completed. Initially 65.3% of patients declared improvement in their tinnitus. After over 5 years of observation success rate decreased to only 41.3%. Since the positive effect of 10-days treatment with Xylocaine and directive counselling was not stable we concluded that tinnitus patients should receive full TRT.

  6. Association of tinnitus and electromagnetic hypersensitivity: hints for a shared pathophysiology?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Landgrebe

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is a frequent condition with high morbidity and impairment in quality of life. The pathophysiology is still incompletely understood. Electromagnetic fields are discussed to be involved in the multi-factorial pathogenesis of tinnitus, but data proofing this relationship are very limited. Potential health hazards of electromagnetic fields (EMF have been under discussion for long. Especially, individuals claiming themselves to be electromagnetic hypersensitive suffer from a variety of unspecific symptoms, which they attribute to EMF-exposure. The aim of the study was to elucidate the relationship between EMF-exposure, electromagnetic hypersensitivity and tinnitus using a case-control design. METHODOLOGY: Tinnitus occurrence and tinnitus severity were assessed by questionnaires in 89 electromagnetic hypersensitive patients and 107 controls matched for age-, gender, living surroundings and workplace. Using a logistic regression approach, potential risk factors for the development of tinnitus were evaluated. FINDINGS: Tinnitus was significantly more frequent in the electromagnetic hypersensitive group (50.72% vs. 17.5% whereas tinnitus duration and severity did not differ between groups. Electromagnetic hypersensitivity and tinnitus were independent risk factors for sleep disturbances. However, measures of individual EMF-exposure like e.g. cell phone use did not show any association with tinnitus. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that tinnitus is associated with subjective electromagnetic hypersensitivity. An individual vulnerability probably due to an over activated cortical distress network seems to be responsible for, both, electromagnetic hypersensitivity and tinnitus. Hence, therapeutic efforts should focus on treatment strategies (e.g. cognitive behavioral therapy aiming at normalizing this dysfunctional distress network.

  7. Factors influencing tinnitus loudness and annoyance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiller, Wolfgang; Goebel, Gerhard

    2006-12-01

    To evaluate the 2 major components of tinnitus severity, loudness and annoyance, and their degree of dependence on characteristics of tinnitus manifestation, history, and etiology. Cross-sectional survey performed during the first months of 2004. Nonclinical population. A total of 4995 members of the German Tinnitus League. Comprehensive screening questionnaire, including the Klockhoff and Lindblom loudness grading system and the miniversion of the Tinnitus Questionnaire. A moderate correlation of 0.45 was found between tinnitus loudness and annoyance. Both factors were generally higher in men, those older than 50 years, those with binaural and centrally perceived tinnitus, those with increased noise sensitivity, and those who had continuous tinnitus without interruptions. Tinnitus that lasted 12 months or less had a stronger influence on annoyance (odds ratio [OR], 1.96) than on loudness (OR, 0.45), whereas the contrary was found for tinnitus of more than 5 years' duration (ORs, 0.72 and 2.11, respectively). Loudness and annoyance were increased in subjects with coexisting hearing loss, vertigo, and hyperacusis. The impact of hyperacusis on annoyance was clearly stronger than on loudness (ORs, 21.91 vs 9.47). Several clinical factors of tinnitus influence perceived loudness and annoyance. Both are distinguishable components of tinnitus severity.

  8. Tinnitus Suppression by Intracochlear Electrical Stimulation in Single Sided Deafness - A Prospective Clinical Trial: Follow-Up.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Remo A G J Arts

    Full Text Available Earlier studies show that a Cochlear Implant (CI, capable of providing intracochlear electrical stimulation independent of environmental sounds, appears to suppress tinnitus at least for minutes. The current main objective is to compare the long-term suppressive effects of looped (i.e. repeated electrical stimulation (without environmental sound perception with the standard stimulation pattern of a CI (with environmental sound perception. This could open new possibilities for the development of a "Tinnitus Implant" (TI, an intracochlear pulse generator for the suppression of tinnitus.Ten patients with single sided deafness suffering from unilateral tinnitus in the deaf ear are fitted with a CI (MED-EL Corporation, Innsbruck, Austria. Stimulation patterns are optimized for each individual patient, after which they are compared using a randomized crossover design, with a follow-up of six months, followed by a 3 month period using the modality of patient's choice.Results show that tinnitus can be suppressed with intracochlear electrical stimulation independent of environmental sounds, even long term. No significant difference in tinnitus suppression was found between the standard clinical CI and the TI.It can be concluded that coding of environmental sounds is no requirement for tinnitus suppression with intracochlear electrical stimulation. It is therefore plausible that tinnitus suppression by CI is not solely caused by an attention shift from the tinnitus to environmental sounds. Both the standard clinical CI and the experimental TI are potential treatment options for tinnitus. These findings offer perspectives for a successful clinical application of the TI, possibly even in patients with significant residual hearing.TrialRegister.nl NTR3374.

  9. A Pilot Study of EEG Source Analysis Based Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for the Treatment of Tinnitus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui Wang

    Full Text Available Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS is a novel therapeutic tool to induce a suppression of tinnitus. However, the optimal target sites are unknown. We aimed to determine whether low-frequency rTMS induced lasting suppression of tinnitus by decreasing neural activity in the cortex, navigated by high-density electroencephalogram (EEG source analysis, and the utility of EEG for targeting treatment.In this controlled three-armed trial, seven normal hearing patients with tonal tinnitus received a 10-day course of 1-Hz rTMS to the cortex, navigated by high-density EEG source analysis, to the left temporoparietal cortex region, and to the left temporoparietal with sham stimulation. The Tinnitus handicap inventory (THI and a visual analog scale (VAS were used to assess tinnitus severity and loudness. Measurements were taken before, and immediately, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after the end of the interventions.Low-frequency rTMS decreased tinnitus significantly after active, but not sham, treatment. Responders in the EEG source analysis-based rTMS group, 71.4% (5/7 patients, experienced a significant reduction in tinnitus loudness, as evidenced by VAS scores. The target site of neuronal generators most consistently associated with a positive response was the frontal lobe in the right hemisphere, sourced using high-density EEG equipment, in the tinnitus patients. After left temporoparietal rTMS stimulation, 42.8% (3/7 patients experienced a decrease in tinnitus loudness.Active EEG source analysis based rTMS resulted in significant suppression in tinnitus loudness, showing the superiority of neuronavigation-guided coil positioning in dealing with tinnitus. Non-auditory areas should be considered in the pathophysiology of tinnitus. This knowledge in turn can contribute to investigate the pathophysiology of tinnitus.

  10. The effects of neurofeedback on oscillatory processes related to tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartmann, Thomas; Lorenz, Isabel; Müller, Nadia; Langguth, Berthold; Weisz, Nathan

    2014-01-01

    Although widely used, no proof exists for the feasibility of neurofeedback for reinstating the disordered excitatory-inhibitory balance, marked by a decrease in auditory alpha power, in tinnitus patients. The current study scrutinizes the ability of neurofeedback to focally increase alpha power in auditory areas in comparison to the more common rTMS. Resting-state MEG was measured before and after neurofeedback (n = 8) and rTMS (n = 9) intervention respectively. Source level power and functional connectivity were analyzed with a focus on the alpha band. Only neurofeedback produced a significant decrease in tinnitus symptoms and-more important for the context of the study-a spatially circumscribed increase in alpha power in right auditory regions. Connectivity analysis revealed higher outgoing connectivity in a region ultimately neighboring the area in which power increases were observed. Neurofeedback decreases tinnitus symptoms and increases alpha power in a spatially circumscribed manner. In addition, compared to a more established brain stimulation-based intervention, neurofeedback is a promising approach to renormalize the excitatory-inhibitory imbalance putatively underlying tinnitus. This study is the first to demonstrate the feasibility of focally enhancing alpha activity in tinnitus patients by means of neurofeedback.

  11. The effect of physical therapy treatment directed to the cervical spine or temporomandibular joint in patients with subjective tinnitus: A systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Michiels

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Tinnitus is a very common symptom that often causes distress and decreases the patient’s quality of life. Apart from the well-known causes, tinnitus can in some cases be elicited by dysfunctions of the cervical spine or the temporomandibular joint(TMJ. To date however, it is unclear whether alleviation of these dysfunctions, by physical therapy treatment, also decreases the tinnitus complaints. Such physical therapy could be an interesting treatment option for patients that are now often left without treatment.Objectives: The aim of this review was to investigate the current evidence regarding physical therapy treatment in patients with tinnitus.Data sources: The online databases Pubmed, Web of Science, Cochrane and Embase were searched up to March 2016. Two independent reviewers conducted the data extraction and methodological quality assessment.Study eligibility criteria: Only randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental trials were included in the review. Studies had to be written in English, French, Dutch or German.Participants and interventions: The included studies investigated the effect of physical therapy treatment modalities on tinnitus severity in patients suffering from subjective tinnitus.Results: Six studies were included in this review, four investigating cervical spine treatment and two investigating TMJ treatment. These studies show positive effects of cervical spine treatment (manipulations, exercises, triggerpoint treatment on tinnitus severity. Additionally, decrease in tinnitus severity and intensity was demonstrated after TMJ treatment, following splints, occlusal adjustments as well as jaw exercises.Limitations: The risk of bias in the included studies was high, mainly due to lack of randomization, lack of blinding of subjects, therapists and/or investigators. Additionally, risk of bias is present due to incomplete presentation of the data and selective reporting. A major issue of the reviewed papers

  12. The impact of cochlear implantation on speech understanding, subjective hearing performance, and tinnitus perception in patients with unilateral severe to profound hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Távora-Vieira, Dayse; Marino, Roberta; Acharya, Aanand; Rajan, Gunesh P

    2015-03-01

    This study aimed to determine the impact of cochlear implantation on speech understanding in noise, subjective perception of hearing, and tinnitus perception of adult patients with unilateral severe to profound hearing loss and to investigate whether duration of deafness and age at implantation would influence the outcomes. In addition, this article describes the auditory training protocol used for unilaterally deaf patients. This is a prospective study of subjects undergoing cochlear implantation for unilateral deafness with or without associated tinnitus. Speech perception in noise was tested using the Bamford-Kowal-Bench speech-in-noise test presented at 65 dB SPL. The Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale and the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit were used to evaluate the subjective perception of hearing with a cochlear implant and quality of life. Tinnitus disturbance was measured using the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire. Data were collected before cochlear implantation and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after implantation. Twenty-eight postlingual unilaterally deaf adults with or without tinnitus were implanted. There was a significant improvement in speech perception in noise across time in all spatial configurations. There was an overall significant improvement on the subjective perception of hearing and quality of life. Tinnitus disturbance reduced significantly across time. Age at implantation and duration of deafness did not influence the outcomes significantly. Cochlear implantation provided significant improvement in speech understanding in challenging situations, subjective perception of hearing performance, and quality of life. Cochlear implantation also resulted in reduced tinnitus disturbance. Age at implantation and duration of deafness did not seem to influence the outcomes.

  13. Increased intensity discrimination thresholds in tinnitus subjects with a normal audiogram

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Epp, Bastian; Hots, J.; Verhey, J. L.

    2012-01-01

    Recent auditory brain stem response measurements in tinnitus subjects with normal audiograms indicate the presence of hidden hearing loss that manifests as reduced neural output from the cochlea at high sound intensities, and results from mice suggest a link to deafferentation of auditory nerve...... fibers. As deafferentation would lead to deficits in hearing performance, the present study investigates whether tinnitus patients with normal hearing thresholds show impairment in intensity discrimination compared to an audiometrically matched control group. Intensity discrimination thresholds were...... significantly increased in the tinnitus frequency range, consistent with the hypothesis that auditory nerve fiber deafferentation is associated with tinnitus....

  14. Mental health and quality of life in patients with chronic otitis media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakir, Salih; Kinis, Vefa; Bez, Yasin; Gun, Ramazan; Yorgancilar, Ediz; Ozbay, Musa; Aguloglu, Bülent; Meric, Faruk

    2013-02-01

    The present study focused on the comparison of mental health and quality of life (QoL) between chronic otitis media (COM) patients and the hearing population. The patients with chronic otitis media and healthy control group were enrolled in the study. The duration and severity of the auditory impairment were recorded. In addition to hearing loss (HL), the findings of each patient's other ear disorders (ear discharge and tinnitus) were also recorded. In both the groups, psychological symptom profile and health-related QoL were evaluated and compared using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Symptom Check List 90-Revised Form (SCL-90-R), and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). According to SCL-90-R, somatization (p sensitivity (p anxiety (p social functioning (p < 0.001), and mental health (p < 0.017) than those of control subjects. Our results indicated that COM patients with mild or moderate HL have poorer life quality and higher psychological problems. Psychological well being should be also considered in assessment of COM patients in addition to the clinical evaluation and audiological tests.

  15. Tinnitus referral pathways within the National Health Service in England: a survey of their perceived effectiveness among audiology staff

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    Collins Luke

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the UK, audiology services deliver the majority of tinnitus patient care, but not all patients experience the same level of service. In 2009, the Department of Health released a Good Practice Guide to inform commissioners about key aspects of a quality tinnitus service in order to promote equity of tinnitus patient care in UK primary care, audiology, and in specialist multi-disciplinary centres. The purpose of the present research was to evaluate utilisation and opinions on pathways for the referral of tinnitus patients to and from English Audiology Departments. Methods We surveyed all audiology staff engaged in providing tinnitus services across England. A 36-item questionnaire was mailed to 351 clinicians in all 163 National Health Service (NHS Trusts identified as having a tinnitus service. 138 clinicians responded. The results presented here describe experiences and opinions of the current patient pathways to and from the audiology tinnitus service. Results The most common referral pathway was from general practice to a hospital-based Ear, Nose & Throat department and from there to a hospital-based audiology department (64%. Respondents considered the NHS tinnitus referral process to be generally effective (67%, but expressed needs for improving GP referral and patients' access to services. 'Open access' to the audiology clinic was rarely an option for patients (9%, nor was the opportunity to access specialist counselling provided by clinical psychology (35%. To decrease the number of inappropriate referrals, 40% of respondents called for greater awareness by referrers about the audiology tinnitus service. Conclusions Respondents in the present survey were generally satisfied with the tinnitus referral system. However, they highlighted some potential targets for service improvement including 1] faster and more appropriate referral from GPs, to be achieved through education on tinnitus referral criteria, 2] improved

  16. Auditory-somatosensory bimodal stimulation desynchronizes brain circuitry to reduce tinnitus in guinea pigs and humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marks, Kendra L; Martel, David T; Wu, Calvin; Basura, Gregory J; Roberts, Larry E; Schvartz-Leyzac, Kara C; Shore, Susan E

    2018-01-03

    The dorsal cochlear nucleus is the first site of multisensory convergence in mammalian auditory pathways. Principal output neurons, the fusiform cells, integrate auditory nerve inputs from the cochlea with somatosensory inputs from the head and neck. In previous work, we developed a guinea pig model of tinnitus induced by noise exposure and showed that the fusiform cells in these animals exhibited increased spontaneous activity and cross-unit synchrony, which are physiological correlates of tinnitus. We delivered repeated bimodal auditory-somatosensory stimulation to the dorsal cochlear nucleus of guinea pigs with tinnitus, choosing a stimulus interval known to induce long-term depression (LTD). Twenty minutes per day of LTD-inducing bimodal (but not unimodal) stimulation reduced physiological and behavioral evidence of tinnitus in the guinea pigs after 25 days. Next, we applied the same bimodal treatment to 20 human subjects with tinnitus using a double-blinded, sham-controlled, crossover study. Twenty-eight days of LTD-inducing bimodal stimulation reduced tinnitus loudness and intrusiveness. Unimodal auditory stimulation did not deliver either benefit. Bimodal auditory-somatosensory stimulation that induces LTD in the dorsal cochlear nucleus may hold promise for suppressing chronic tinnitus, which reduces quality of life for millions of tinnitus sufferers worldwide. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  17. Pediatric tinnitus: Incidence of imaging anomalies and the impact of hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerr, Rhorie; Kang, Elise; Hopkins, Brandon; Anne, Samantha

    2017-12-01

    Guidelines exist for evaluation and management of tinnitus in adults; however lack of evidence in children limits applicability of these guidelines to pediatric patients. Objective of this study is to determine the incidence of inner ear anomalies detected on imaging studies within the pediatric population with tinnitus and evaluate if presence of hearing loss increases the rate of detection of anomalies in comparison to normal hearing patients. Retrospective review of all children with diagnosis of tinnitus from 2010 to 2015 ;at a tertiary care academic center. 102 pediatric patients with tinnitus were identified. Overall, 53 patients had imaging studies with 6 abnormal findings (11.3%). 51/102 patients had hearing loss of which 33 had imaging studies demonstrating 6 inner ear anomalies detected. This is an incidence of 18.2% for inner ear anomalies identified in patients with hearing loss (95% confidence interval (CI) of 7.0-35.5%). 4 of these 6 inner ear anomalies detected were vestibular aqueduct abnormalities. The other two anomalies were cochlear hypoplasia and bilateral semicircular canal dysmorphism. 51 patients had no hearing loss and of these patients, 20 had imaging studies with no inner ear abnormalities detected. There was no statistical difference in incidence of abnormal imaging findings in patients with and without hearing loss (Fisher's exact test, p ;= ;0.072.) CONCLUSION: There is a high incidence of anomalies detected in imaging studies done in pediatric patients with tinnitus, especially in the presence of hearing loss. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Neurophysiological model of tinnitus: dependence of the minimal masking level on treatment outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastreboff, P J; Hazell, J W; Graham, R L

    1994-11-01

    Validity of the neurophysiological model of tinnitus (Jastreboff, 1990), outlined in this paper, was tested on data from multicenter trial of tinnitus masking (Hazell et al., 1985). Minimal masking level, intensity match of tinnitus, and the threshold of hearing have been evaluated on a total of 382 patients before and after 6 months of treatment with maskers, hearing aids, or combination devices. The data has been divided into categories depending on treatment outcome and type of approach used. Results of analysis revealed that: i) the psychoacoustical description of tinnitus does not possess a predictive value for the outcome of the treatment; ii) minimal masking level changed significantly depending on the treatment outcome, decreasing on average by 5.3 dB in patients reporting improvement, and increasing by 4.9 dB in those whose tinnitus remained the same or worsened; iii) 73.9% of patients reporting improvement had their minimal masking level decreased as compared with 50.5% for patients not showing improvement, which is at the level of random change; iv) the type of device used has no significant impact on the treatment outcome and minimal masking level change; v) intensity match and threshold of hearing did not exhibit any significant changes which can be related to treatment outcome. These results are fully consistent with the neurophysiological interpretation of mechanisms involved in the phenomenon of tinnitus and its alleviation.

  19. A scientific cognitive-behavioral model of tinnitus: novel conceptualizations of tinnitus distress.

    OpenAIRE

    McKenna, L.; Handscomb, L. E.; Hoare, D.; Hall, D.

    2014-01-01

    The importance of psychological factors in tinnitus distress has been formally recognized for almost three decades. The psychological understanding of why tinnitus can be a distressing condition posits that it becomes problematic when it acquires an emotive significance through cognitive processes. Principle therapeutic efforts are directed at reducing or removing the cognitive (and behavioral) obstacles to habituation. Here, the evidence relevant to a new psychological model of tinnitus is c...

  20. A scientific cognitive behavioral model of tinnitus: novel conceptualizations of tinnitus distress

    OpenAIRE

    Laurence eMcKenna; Lucy eHandscomb; Lucy eHandscomb; Lucy eHandscomb; Derek eHoare; Derek eHoare; Deborah eHall; Deborah eHall

    2014-01-01

    The importance of psychological factors in tinnitus distress has been formally recognized for almost three decades. The psychological understanding of why tinnitus can be a distressing condition posits that it becomes problematic when it acquires an emotive significance through cognitive processes. Principle therapeutic efforts are directed at reducing or removing the cognitive (and behavioral) obstacles to habituation. Here, the evidence relevant to a new psychological model of tinnitus is c...

  1. A Scientific Cognitive-Behavioral Model of Tinnitus: Novel Conceptualizations of Tinnitus Distress

    OpenAIRE

    McKenna, Laurence; Handscomb, Lucy; Hoare, Derek J.; Hall, Deborah A.

    2014-01-01

    The importance of psychological factors in tinnitus distress has been formally recognized for almost three decades. The psychological understanding of why tinnitus can be a distressing condition posits that it becomes problematic when it acquires an emotive significance through cognitive processes. Principle therapeutic efforts are directed at reducing or removing the cognitive (and behavioral) obstacles to habituation. Here, the evidence relevant to a new psychological model of tinnitus is c...

  2. Comparison of Auditory Brainstem Response in Noise Induced Tinnitus and Non-Tinnitus Control Subjects

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    Ghassem Mohammadkhani

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Tinnitus is an unpleasant sound which can cause some behavioral disorders. According to evidence the origin of tinnitus is not only in peripheral but also in central auditory system. So evaluation of central auditory system function is necessary. In this study Auditory brainstem responses (ABR were compared in noise induced tinnitus and non-tinnitus control subjects.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive and analytic study is conducted in 60 cases in two groups including of 30 noise induced tinnitus and 30 non-tinnitus control subjects. ABRs were recorded ipsilateraly and contralateraly and their latencies and amplitudes were analyzed.Results: Mean interpeak latencies of III-V (p= 0.022, I-V (p=0.033 in ipsilatral electrode array and mean absolute latencies of IV (p=0.015 and V (p=0.048 in contralatral electrode array were significantly increased in noise induced tinnitus group relative to control group. Conclusion: It can be concluded from that there are some decrease in neural transmission time in brainstem and there are some sign of involvement of medial nuclei in olivery complex in addition to lateral lemniscus.

  3. Hearing loss and tinnitus in rock musicians: A Norwegian survey

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    Carl Christian Lein Størmer

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Our focus in this study was to assess hearing thresholds and the prevalence and characteristics of tinnitus in a large group of rock musicians based in Norway. A further objective was to assess related factors such as exposure, instrument category, and the preventive effect of hearing protection. The study was a cross-sectional survey of rock musicians selected at random from a defined cohort of musicians. A random control group was included for comparison. We recruited 111 active musicians from the Oslo region, and a control group of 40 nonmusicians from the student population at the University of TromsØ. The subjects were investigated using clinical examination, pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, and a questionnaire. We observed a hearing loss in 37.8% of the rock musicians. Significantly poorer hearing thresholds were seen at most pure-tone frequencies in musicians than controls, with the most pronounced threshold shift at 6 kHz. The use of hearing protection, in particular custom-fitted earplugs, has a preventive effect but a minority of rock musicians apply them consistently. The degree of musical performance exposure was inversely related to the degree of hearing loss in our sample. Bass and guitar players had higher hearing thresholds than vocalists. We observed a 20% prevalence of chronic tinnitus but none of the affected musicians had severe tinnitus symptomatology. There was no statistical association between permanent tinnitus and hearing loss in our sample. We observed an increased prevalence of hearing loss and tinnitus in our sample of Norwegian rock musicians but the causal relationship between musical exposure and hearing loss or tinnitus is ambiguous. We recommend the use of hearing protection in rock musicians.

  4. [An assessment of tinnitus retraining therapy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Wedel, H; von Wedel, U C

    2000-12-01

    Based on the neurophysiological model of tinnitus developed by Jastreboff and Hazell [39] there have been some important developments in understanding and therapy of tinnitus over the last decade. The clinical applications of this model are known as "tinnitus retraining therapy", which has the objective of reducing both the distress associated with tinnitus and the tinnitus perception itself. As a form of systematic, repeated and skilled counselling over a long period of up to 2 years supported by sound therapy (hearing aid or noise generator) the evidence for their high degree of effectiveness is overwhelming. On the basis of a "German concept" of tinnitus retraining therapy developed and proposed by the ADANO (Arbeitsgemeinschaft deutschsprachiger Audiologen und Neurootologen) the current status of this treatment will be briefly reviewed including some actual studies of Goebel et al. [14] that confirm the world wide critical comments on the recent developments in the management of tinnitus especially with regard to tinnitus retraining therapy [79].

  5. Prevalence of hearing loss and tinnitus in Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans: A Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swan, A A; Nelson, J T; Swiger, B; Jaramillo, C A; Eapen, B C; Packer, M; Pugh, M J

    2017-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of hearing loss and tinnitus in a cohort of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans (IAV) with common post-deployment conditions, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other typical post-concussive conditions such as headaches and vertigo/dizziness. This retrospective observational study used data from the national Veterans Health Administration (VA) data repository from fiscal years 2001-2014. Veteran data was included if there were at least three years of VA care, with one or more years of care in 2007 or after. We identified comorbidities that may be associated with post-deployment hearing loss or tinnitus including TBI, PTSD, depression, and common post-concussive symptoms using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine conditions associated with hearing loss or tinnitus. Among IAV, 570,332 were included in the final analysis. Of these, 7.78% of these were diagnosed with hearing loss alone, 6.54% with tinnitus alone, and 6.24% with both hearing loss and tinnitus. Comorbid TBI, PTSD, and depression were significantly associated with increased rates of hearing loss, tinnitus, or both conditions together. Older individuals, males, and those with TBI, PTSD, or vertigo/dizziness were significantly more likely to have hearing loss, tinnitus, or both. In order to provide more holistic post-deployment support, this myriad of conditions should be carefully considered in the planning of clinical care and beyond. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Electrical stimulation and tinnitus: neuroplasticity, neuromodulation, neuroprotection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abraham, Shulman; Barbara, Goldstein; Arnold, Strashun

    2013-01-01

    Neuroplasticity (NPL), neuromodulation (NM), and neuroprotection (NPT) are ongoing biophysiological processes that are linked together in sensory systems, the goal being the maintenance of a homeostasis of normal sensory function in the central nervous system. It is hypothesized that when the balance between excitatory - inhibitory action is broken in sensory systems, predominantly due to neuromodulatory activity with reduced induced inhibition and excitation predominates, sensory circuits become plastic with adaptation at synaptic levels to environmental inputs(1). Tinnitus an aberrant auditory sensation, for all clinical types, is clinically considered to reflect a failure of NPL, NM, and NPT to maintain normal auditory function at synaptic levels in sensory cortex and projected to downstream levels in the central auditory system in brain and sensorineural elements in ear. Clinically, the tinnitus sensation becomes behaviorally manifest with varying degrees of annoyance, reflecting a principle of sensory physiology that each sensation has components, i.e. sensory, affect/behavior, psychomotor and memory. Modalities of tinnitus therapies, eg instrumentation, pharmacology, surgery, target a particular component of tinnitus, with resultant activation of neuromodulators at multiple neuromodulatory centers in brain and ear. Effective neuromodulation at sensory neuronal synaptic levels results in NPL in sensory cortex, NPT and tinnitus relief. Functional brain imaging, metabolic (PET brain) and electrophysiology quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) data in a cochlear implant soft failure patient demonstrates what is clinically considered to reflect NPL, NM, NPT. The reader is provided with a rationale for tinnitus diagnosis and treatment, with a focus on ES, reflecting the biology underlying NPL, NM, NPT.

  7. Intensity, Duration, and Location of High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Tinnitus Relief.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shekhawat, Giriraj Singh; Sundram, Frederick; Bikson, Marom; Truong, Dennis; De Ridder, Dirk; Stinear, Cathy M; Welch, David; Searchfield, Grant D

    2016-05-01

    Tinnitus is the perception of a phantom sound. The aim of this study was to compare current intensity (center anode 1 mA and 2 mA), duration (10 minutes and 20 minutes), and location (left temporoparietal area [LTA] and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [DLPFC]) using 4 × 1 high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) for tinnitus reduction. Twenty-seven participants with chronic tinnitus (>2 years) and mean age of 53.5 years underwent 2 sessions of HD-tDCS of the LTA and DLPFC in a randomized order with a 1 week gap between site of stimulation. During each session, a combination of 4 different settings were used in increasing dose (1 mA, 10 minutes; 1 mA, 20 minutes; 2 mA, 10 minutes; and 2 mA, 20 minutes). The impact of different settings on tinnitus loudness and annoyance was documented. Twenty-one participants (77.78%) reported a minimum of 1 point reduction on tinnitus loudness or annoyance scales. There were significant changes in loudness and annoyance for duration of stimulation,F(1, 26) = 10.08,Ptinnitus relief. The stimulation of the LTA and DLPFC were equally effective for suppressing tinnitus loudness and annoyance. © The Author(s) 2015.

  8. The hearing benefit of cochlear implantation for individuals with unilateral hearing loss, but no tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skarzynski, Henryk; Lorens, Artur; Kruszynska, Marika; Obrycka, Anita; Pastuszak, Dorota; Skarzynski, Piotr Henryk

    2017-07-01

    Cochlear implants improve the hearing abilities of individuals with unilateral hearing loss and no tinnitus. The benefit is no different from that seen in patients with unilateral hearing loss and incapacitating tinnitus. To evaluate hearing outcomes after cochlear implantation in individuals with unilateral hearing loss and no tinnitus and compare them to those obtained in a similar group who had incapacitating tinnitus. Six cases who did not experience tinnitus before operation and 15 subjects with pre-operative tinnitus were evaluated with a structured interview, a monosyllabic word test under difficult listening situations, a sound localization test, and an APHAB (abbreviated profile of hearing aid benefit) questionnaire. All subjects used their cochlear implant more than 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. In 'no tinnitus' patients, mean benefit of cochlear implantation was 19% for quiet speech, 15% for speech in noise (with the same signal-to-noise ratio in the implanted and non-implanted ear), and 16% for a more favourable signal-to-noise ratio at the implanted ear. Sound localization error improved by an average of 19°. The global score of APHAB improved by 16%. The benefits across all evaluations did not differ significantly between the 'no tinnitus' and 'tinnitus' groups.

  9. Enhanced GABAA-Mediated Tonic Inhibition in Auditory Thalamus of Rats with Behavioral Evidence of Tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sametsky, Evgeny A; Turner, Jeremy G; Larsen, Deb; Ling, Lynne; Caspary, Donald M

    2015-06-24

    Accumulating evidence suggests a role for inhibitory neurotransmitter dysfunction in the pathology of tinnitus. Opposing hypotheses proposed either a pathologic decrease or increase of GABAergic inhibition in medial geniculate body (MGB). In thalamus, GABA mediates fast synaptic inhibition via synaptic GABAA receptors (GABAARs) and persistent tonic inhibition via high-affinity extrasynaptic GABAARs. Given that extrasynaptic GABAARs control the firing mode of thalamocortical neurons, we examined tonic GABAAR currents in MGB neurons in vitro, using the following three groups of adult rats: unexposed control (Ctrl); sound exposed with behavioral evidence of tinnitus (Tin); and sound exposed with no behavioral evidence of tinnitus (Non-T). Tonic GABAAR currents were evoked using the selective agonist gaboxadol. Months after a tinnitus-inducing sound exposure, gaboxadol-evoked tonic GABAAR currents showed significant tinnitus-related increases contralateral to the sound exposure. In situ hybridization studies found increased mRNA levels for GABAAR δ-subunits contralateral to the sound exposure. Tin rats showed significant increases in the number of spikes per burst evoked using suprathreshold-injected current steps. In summary, we found little evidence of tinnitus-related decreases in GABAergic neurotransmission. Tinnitus and chronic pain may reflect thalamocortical dysrhythmia, which results from abnormal theta-range resonant interactions between thalamus and cortex, due to neuronal hyperpolarization and the initiation of low-threshold calcium spike bursts (Walton and Llinás, 2010). In agreement with this hypothesis, we found tinnitus-related increases in tonic extrasynaptic GABAAR currents, in action potentials/evoked bursts, and in GABAAR δ-subunit gene expression. These tinnitus-related changes in GABAergic function may be markers for tinnitus pathology in the MGB. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/359369-12$15.00/0.

  10. Tinnitus and cell phones: the role of electromagnetic radiofrequency radiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medeiros, Luisa Nascimento; Sanchez, Tanit Ganz

    2016-01-01

    Tinnitus is a multifactorial condition and its prevalence has increased on the past decades. The worldwide progressive increase of the use of cell phones has exposed the peripheral auditory pathways to a higher dose of electromagnetic radiofrequency radiation (EMRFR). Some tinnitus patients report that the abusive use of mobiles, especially when repeated in the same ear, might worsen ipsilateral tinnitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the available evidence about the possible causal association between tinnitus and exposure to electromagnetic waves. A literature review was performed searching for the following keywords: tinnitus, electromagnetic field, mobile phones, radio frequency, and electromagnetic hypersensitivity. We selected 165 articles that were considered clinically relevant in at least one of the subjects. EMRFR can penetrate exposed tissues and safety exposure levels have been established. These waves provoke proved thermogenic effects and potential biological and genotoxic effects. Some individuals are more sensitive to electromagnetic exposure (electrosensitivity), and thus, present earlier symptoms. There may be a common pathophysiology between this electrosensitivity and tinnitus. There are already reasonable evidences to suggest caution for using mobile phones to prevent auditory damage and the onset or worsening of tinnitus. Copyright © 2015 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  11. EEG oscillatory power dissociates between distress- and depression-related psychopathology in subjective tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Martin; Neff, Patrick; Grest, Angelina; Hemsley, Colette; Weidt, Steffi; Kleinjung, Tobias

    2017-05-15

    Recent research has used source estimation approaches to identify spatially distinct neural configurations in individuals with chronic, subjective tinnitus (TI). The results of these studies are often heterogeneous, a fact which may be partly explained by an inherent heterogeneity in the TI population and partly by the applied EEG data analysis procedure and EEG hardware. Hence this study was performed to re-enact a formerly published study (Joos et al., 2012) to better understand the reason for differences and overlap between studies from different labs. We re-investigated the relationship between neural oscillations and behavioral measurements of affective states in TI, namely depression and tinnitus-related distress by recruiting 45 TI who underwent resting-state EEG. Comprehensive psychopathological (depression and tinnitus-related distress scores) and psychometric data (including other tinnitus characteristics) were gathered. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to unveil independent factors that predict distinct aspects of tinnitus-related pathology. Furthermore, we correlated EEG power changes in the standard frequency bands with the behavioral scores for both the whole-brain level and, as a post hoc approach, for selected regions of interest (ROI) based on sLORETA. Behavioral data revealed significant relationships between measurements of depression and tinnitus-related distress. Notably, no significant results were observed for the depressive scores and modulations of the EEG signal. However, akin to the former study we evidenced a significant relationship between a power increase in the β-bands and tinnitus-related distress. In conclusion, it has emerged that depression and tinnitus-related distress, even though they are assumed not to be completely independent, manifest in distinct neural configurations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Sound therapies for tinnitus management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastreboff, Margaret M

    2007-01-01

    Many people with bothersome (suffering) tinnitus notice that their tinnitus changes in different acoustical surroundings, it is more intrusive in silence and less profound in the sound enriched environments. This observation led to the development of treatment methods for tinnitus utilizing sound. Many of these methods are still under investigation in respect to their specific protocol and effectiveness and only some have been objectively evaluated in clinical trials. This chapter will review therapies for tinnitus using sound stimulation.

  13. Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI-P

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mir Mohammad Jalali

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Tinnitus can have a significant effect on an individual’s quality of life, and is very difficult quantify. One of the most popular questionnaires used in this area is the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of a Persian translation of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI-P.   Materials and Methods: This prospective clinical study was performed in the Otolaryngology Department of Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. A total of 102 patients aged 23–80 years with tinnitus completed the (THI-P. The patients were instructed to complete the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI. Audiometry was performed. Eight-five patients were asked to complete the THI-P for a second time 7–10 days after the initial interview. We assessed test–retest reliability and internal reliability of the THI-P. Validity was assessed by analyzing the THI-P of patients according to their age, tinnitus duration and psychological distress (BDI and STAI. A factor analysis was computed to verify if three subscales (functional, emotional, and catastrophic represented three distinct variables.   Results: Test–retest correlation coefficient scores were highly significant. The THI-P and its subscales showed good internal consistency reliability (α = 0.80 to 0.96. High-to-moderate correlations were observed between THI-P and psychological distress and tinnitus symptom ratings. A confirmatory factor analysis failed to validate the three subscales of THI, and high inter-correlations found between the subscales question whether they represent three distinct factors. Conclusion:  The results suggest that the THI-P is a reliable and valid tool which can be used in a clinical setting to quantify the impact of tinnitus on the quality of life of Iranian patients.

  14. The differences in brain activity between narrow band noise and pure tone tinnitus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sven Vanneste

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is an auditory sensation characterized by the perception of sound or noise in the absence of any external sound source. Based on neurobiological research, it is generally accepted that most forms of tinnitus are attributable to maladaptive plasticity due to damage to auditory system. Changes have been observed in auditory structures such as the inferior colliculus, the thalamus and the auditory cortex as well as in non-auditory brain areas. However, the observed changes show great variability, hence lacking a conclusive picture. One of the reasons might be the selection of inhomogeneous groups in data analysis. METHODOLOGY: The aim of the present study was to delineate the differences between the neural networks involved in narrow band noise and pure tone tinnitus conducting LORETA based source analysis of resting state EEG. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrated that narrow band noise tinnitus patients differ from pure tone tinnitus patients in the lateral frontopolar (BA 10, PCC and the parahippocampal area for delta, beta and gamma frequency bands, respectively. The parahippocampal-PCC current density differences might be load dependent, as noise-like tinnitus constitutes multiple frequencies in contrast to pure tone tinnitus. The lateral frontopolar differences might be related to pitch specific memory retrieval.

  15. Auditory thalamic circuits and GABAA receptor function: Putative mechanisms in tinnitus pathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caspary, Donald M; Llano, Daniel A

    2017-06-01

    , thalamocortical dysrhythmia, predict tinnitus pathology (De Ridder et al., 2015). These unusual oscillations/rhythms reflect net increased tonic inhibition in a subset of thalamocortical projection neurons resulting in abnormal bursting. Hyperpolarizing de-inactivation of T-type Ca2+ channels switches thalamocortical projection neurons into burst mode. Thalamocortical dysrhythmia originating in sensory thalamus has been postulated to underpin neuropathies including tinnitus and chronic pain. Here we review the relationship between noise-induced tinnitus and altered inhibition in the MGB. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Tinnitus: Network pathophysiology-network pharmacology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Belen eElgoyhen

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus, the phantom perception of sound, is a prevalent disorder. One in 10 adults has clinically significant subjective tinnitus, and for 1 in 100, tinnitus severely affects their quality of life. Despite the significant unmet clinical need for a safe and effective drug targeting tinnitus relief, there is currently not a single FDA-approved drug on the market. The search for drugs that target tinnitus is hampered by the lack of a deep knowledge of the underlying neural substrates of this pathology. Recent studies are increasingly demonstrating that, as described for other central nervous system disorders, tinnitus is a pathology of brain networks. The application of graph theoretical analysis to brain networks has recently provided new information concerning their topology, their robustness and their vulnerability to attacks. Moreover, the philosophy behind drug design and pharmacotherapy in central nervous system pathologies is changing from that of magic bullets that target individual chemoreceptors or disease-causing genes into that of magic shotguns, promiscuous or dirty drugs that target disease-causing networks, also known as network pharmacology. In the present work we provide some insight into how this knowledge could be applied to tinnitus pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy.

  17. Tinnitus: network pathophysiology-network pharmacology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elgoyhen, Ana B; Langguth, Berthold; Vanneste, Sven; De Ridder, Dirk

    2012-01-01

    Tinnitus, the phantom perception of sound, is a prevalent disorder. One in 10 adults has clinically significant subjective tinnitus, and for one in 100, tinnitus severely affects their quality of life. Despite the significant unmet clinical need for a safe and effective drug targeting tinnitus relief, there is currently not a single Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug on the market. The search for drugs that target tinnitus is hampered by the lack of a deep knowledge of the underlying neural substrates of this pathology. Recent studies are increasingly demonstrating that, as described for other central nervous system (CNS) disorders, tinnitus is a pathology of brain networks. The application of graph theoretical analysis to brain networks has recently provided new information concerning their topology, their robustness and their vulnerability to attacks. Moreover, the philosophy behind drug design and pharmacotherapy in CNS pathologies is changing from that of "magic bullets" that target individual chemoreceptors or "disease-causing genes" into that of "magic shotguns," "promiscuous" or "dirty drugs" that target "disease-causing networks," also known as network pharmacology. In the present work we provide some insight into how this knowledge could be applied to tinnitus pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy.

  18. Does the location of a vascular loop in the cerebellopontine angle explain pulsatile and non-pulsatile tinnitus?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nowe, V.; Wang, X.L.; Gielen, J.; Goethem, J.Van; Oezsarlak, Oe.; De Schepper, A.M.; Parizel, P.M.; Ridder, D. De; Heyning, P.H.Van de

    2004-01-01

    The purpose was to investigate patients with unexplained pulsatile and non-pulsatile tinnitus by means of MR imaging of the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) and to correlate the clinical subtype of tinnitus with the location of a blood vessel (in the internal auditory canal or at the cisternal part of the VIIIth cranial nerve). Clinical presentation of tinnitus and perceptive hearing loss were correlated. In 47 patients with unexplained tinnitus, an MR examination of the CPA was performed. Virtual endoscopy reconstructions were obtained using a 3D axial thin-section high-resolution heavily T2-weighted gradient echo constructive interference in steady state (CISS) data-set. High-resolution T2-weighted CISS images showed a significantly higher number of vascular loops in the internal auditory canal in patients with arterial pulsatile tinnitus compared to patients with non-pulsatile tinnitus (P<0.00001). Virtual endoscopy images were used to investigate vascular contacts at the cisternal part of the VIIIth cranial nerve in patients with low pitch and high pitch non-pulsatile tinnitus. A significantly different distribution of the vascular contacts (P=0.0320) was found. Furthermore, a correlation between the clinical presentation of non-pulsatile tinnitus (high pitch and low pitch) and the perceptive hearing loss was found (P=0.0235). High-resolution heavily T2-weighted CISS images and virtual endoscopy of the CPA can be used to evaluate whether a vascular contact is present in the internal auditory canal or at the cisternal part of the VIIIth cranial nerve and whether the location of the vascular contact correlates with the clinical subtype of tinnitus. Our findings suggest that there is a tonotopical structure of the cisternal part of the VIIIth cranial nerve. A correlation between the clinical presentation of tinnitus and hearing loss was found. (orig.)

  19. Does the location of a vascular loop in the cerebellopontine angle explain pulsatile and non-pulsatile tinnitus?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nowe, V; Wang, X L; Gielen, J; Goethem, J Van; Oezsarlak, Oe; De Schepper, A M; Parizel, P M [University of Antwerp, Department of Radiology, Edegem (Belgium); Ridder, D De [University of Antwerp, Department of Neurosurgery, Edegem (Belgium); Heyning, P.H.Van de [University of Antwerp, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Edegem (Belgium)

    2004-12-01

    The purpose was to investigate patients with unexplained pulsatile and non-pulsatile tinnitus by means of MR imaging of the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) and to correlate the clinical subtype of tinnitus with the location of a blood vessel (in the internal auditory canal or at the cisternal part of the VIIIth cranial nerve). Clinical presentation of tinnitus and perceptive hearing loss were correlated. In 47 patients with unexplained tinnitus, an MR examination of the CPA was performed. Virtual endoscopy reconstructions were obtained using a 3D axial thin-section high-resolution heavily T2-weighted gradient echo constructive interference in steady state (CISS) data-set. High-resolution T2-weighted CISS images showed a significantly higher number of vascular loops in the internal auditory canal in patients with arterial pulsatile tinnitus compared to patients with non-pulsatile tinnitus (P<0.00001). Virtual endoscopy images were used to investigate vascular contacts at the cisternal part of the VIIIth cranial nerve in patients with low pitch and high pitch non-pulsatile tinnitus. A significantly different distribution of the vascular contacts (P=0.0320) was found. Furthermore, a correlation between the clinical presentation of non-pulsatile tinnitus (high pitch and low pitch) and the perceptive hearing loss was found (P=0.0235). High-resolution heavily T2-weighted CISS images and virtual endoscopy of the CPA can be used to evaluate whether a vascular contact is present in the internal auditory canal or at the cisternal part of the VIIIth cranial nerve and whether the location of the vascular contact correlates with the clinical subtype of tinnitus. Our findings suggest that there is a tonotopical structure of the cisternal part of the VIIIth cranial nerve. A correlation between the clinical presentation of tinnitus and hearing loss was found. (orig.)

  20. Examining the short term effects of emotion under an Adaptation Level Theory model of tinnitus perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durai, Mithila; O'Keeffe, Mary G; Searchfield, Grant D

    2017-03-01

    Existing evidence suggests a strong relationship between tinnitus and emotion. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of short-term emotional changes along valence and arousal dimensions on tinnitus outcomes. Emotional stimuli were presented in two different modalities: auditory and visual. The authors hypothesized that (1) negative valence (unpleasant) stimuli and/or high arousal stimuli will lead to greater tinnitus loudness and annoyance than positive valence and/or low arousal stimuli, and (2) auditory emotional stimuli, which are in the same modality as the tinnitus, will exhibit a greater effect on tinnitus outcome measures than visual stimuli. Auditory and visual emotive stimuli were administered to 22 participants (12 females and 10 males) with chronic tinnitus, recruited via email invitations send out to the University of Auckland Tinnitus Research Volunteer Database. Emotional stimuli used were taken from the International Affective Digital Sounds- Version 2 (IADS-2) and the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) (Bradley and Lang, 2007a, 2007b). The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross and John, 2003) was administered alongside subjective ratings of tinnitus loudness and annoyance, and psychoacoustic sensation level matches to external sounds. Males had significantly different emotional regulation scores than females. Negative valence emotional auditory stimuli led to higher tinnitus loudness ratings in males and females and higher annoyance ratings in males only; loudness matches of tinnitus remained unchanged. The visual stimuli did not have an effect on tinnitus ratings. The results are discussed relative to the Adaptation Level Theory Model of Tinnitus. The results indicate that the negative valence dimension of emotion is associated with increased tinnitus magnitude judgements and gender effects may also be present, but only when the emotional stimulus is in the auditory modality. Sounds with emotional associations may be

  1. Hypacusis and Tinnitus Associated to Otosyphilis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliveira, Neide Fátima Cordeiro Diniz

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Both congenital and acquired syphilis may cause cochleovestibular dysfunction. In the literature, the neurosensorial hearing loss, tinnitus and unbalance have been described in the secondary and tertiary syphilis. Objective: The objective of this work was to emphasize the need for etiologic identification for treatment and control of individuals with cochleovestibular symptoms. Case Report: We described the case of a patient, aged 64 years, black, with complaints of slow and progressive diminishing of auditory accuracy since about 12 years ago, associated with tinnitus and occasional unbalances. In the laboratorial and audiometric evaluation, after exclusion of other related causes, we came to the additional diagnosis of otosyphilis. Final Comments: Syphilis must always be taken into account in patients with cochleovestibular complications, irrespectively of the age range, whether or not belonging to risk groups, and the number of partners of each patient. The etiological diagnosis is very important for the control and treatment of such patients.

  2. Original article New challenges for clinical health psychology in diagnosis and therapy of tinnitus

    OpenAIRE

    Monika Klepas; Eugeniusz Szymiec; Helena Sęk; Zofia Obrębowska; Anna Sowińska

    2014-01-01

    Background Tinnitus is becoming a social issue as the number of individuals suffering from this condition is still increasing. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of tinnitus and related distress, as well as general psychiatric distress of affected individuals. Participants and procedure The study included 169 tinnitus patients aged between 22 and 88 years (mean 53.52). The duration of tinnitus ranged between 5 months and 30 years (mean 5.29 years). Th...

  3. Neurostimulation as a new treatment for severe tinnitus : A pilot study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Holm, AF; Staal, TJ; Mooij, TJA; Albers, FWJ

    Background: Tinnitus is an uncomfortable symptom for the patient and an embarrassing one for the consulted physician. So far, there is no treatment that can be considered well established in terms of providing long-term reduction of tinnitus in excess of placebo effects. There is considerable

  4. Is the effect of tinnitus on auditory steady-state response amplitude mediated by attention?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eugen eDiesch

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The amplitude of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR is enhanced in tinnitus. As ASSR ampli¬tude is also enhanced by attention, the effect of tinnitus on ASSR amplitude could be interpreted as an effect of attention mediated by tinnitus. As attention effects on the N1 are signi¬fi¬cantly larger than those on the ASSR, if the effect of tinnitus on ASSR amplitude were due to attention, there should be similar amplitude enhancement effects in tinnitus for the N1 component of the auditory evoked response. Methods: MEG recordings of auditory evoked responses which were previously examined for the ASSR (Diesch et al. 2010 were analysed with respect to the N1m component. Like the ASSR previously, the N1m was analysed in the source domain (source space projection. Stimuli were amplitude-modulated tones with one of three carrier fre¬quen¬cies matching the tinnitus frequency or a surrogate frequency 1½ octaves above the audio¬metric edge frequency in con¬trols, the audiometric edge frequency, and a frequency below the audio¬metric edgeResults: In the earlier ASSR study (Diesch et al., 2010, the ASSR amplitude in tinnitus patients, but not in controls, was significantly larger in the (surrogate tinnitus condition than in the edge condition. In the present study, both tinnitus patients and healthy controls show an N1m-amplitude profile identical to the one of ASSR amplitudes in healthy controls. N1m amplitudes elicited by tonal frequencies located at the audiometric edge and at the (surrogate tinnitus frequency are smaller than N1m amplitudes elicited by sub-edge tones and do not differ among each other.Conclusions: There is no N1-amplitude enhancement effect in tinnitus. The enhancement effect of tinnitus on ASSR amplitude cannot be accounted for in terms of attention induced by tinnitus.

  5. Objective quantification of the tinnitus decompensation by synchronization measures of auditory evoked single sweeps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strauss, Daniel J; Delb, Wolfgang; D'Amelio, Roberto; Low, Yin Fen; Falkai, Peter

    2008-02-01

    Large-scale neural correlates of the tinnitus decompensation might be used for an objective evaluation of therapies and neurofeedback based therapeutic approaches. In this study, we try to identify large-scale neural correlates of the tinnitus decompensation using wavelet phase stability criteria of single sweep sequences of late auditory evoked potentials as synchronization stability measure. The extracted measure provided an objective quantification of the tinnitus decompensation and allowed for a reliable discrimination between a group of compensated and decompensated tinnitus patients. We provide an interpretation for our results by a neural model of top-down projections based on the Jastreboff tinnitus model combined with the adaptive resonance theory which has not been applied to model tinnitus so far. Using this model, our stability measure of evoked potentials can be linked to the focus of attention on the tinnitus signal. It is concluded that the wavelet phase stability of late auditory evoked potential single sweeps might be used as objective tinnitus decompensation measure and can be interpreted in the framework of the Jastreboff tinnitus model and adaptive resonance theory.

  6. Differential [14C]2-deoxyglucose uptake after deafferentation of the mammalian auditory pathway - a model for examining tinnitus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sasaki, C.T.; Kauer, J.S.; Babitz, L.

    1980-01-01

    The authors have used 2-DG in examining metabolic changes of the auditory pathways after surgical deafferentation, consequences of which within a week or so often produce the pathophysiological condition of tinnitus in humans. The findings identify increased glucose uptake related to increased neuronal activity after chronic cochlear ablation and may thus represent an analog of the tinnitus phenomenon in man. (Auth.)

  7. Objective assessment of subjective tinnitus through contralateral suppression of otoacoustic emissions by white noise; suggested cut-off points.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riga, M; Komis, A; Maragkoudakis, P; Korres, G; Danielides, V

    2016-12-01

    Normative otoacoustic emission (OAE) suppression values are currently lacking and the role of cochlear efferent innervation in tinnitus is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between tinnitus and medial olivocochlear bundle (MOCB) malfunction. Potential suppression amplitude cut-off criteria that could differentiate participants with tinnitus from those without were sought. Mean suppression amplitudes of transient evoked OAEs and distortion product OAEs by contralateral white noise (50 dBSL) were recorded. Six mean suppression amplitudes criteria were validated as possible cut-off points. The population consisted of normal hearing (n = 78) or presbycusic adults (n = 19) with tinnitus or without (n = 28 and 13, respectively) chronic tinnitus (in total, n = 138 78 females/60males, aged 49 ± 14 years). Participants with mean suppression values lower than 0.5-1 dBSPL seem to present a high probability to report tinnitus (specificity 88-97%). On the other hand, participants with mean suppression values larger than 2-2.5dBSPL seem to present a high probability of the absence of tinnitus (sensitivity 87-99%). Correlations were stronger among participants with bilateral presence or absence of tinnitus. This study seem to confirm an association between tinnitus and low suppression amplitudes (<1 dBSPL), which might evolve into an objective examination tool, supplementary to conventional audiological testing.

  8. Tinnitus pitch and acoustic trauma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cahani, M; Paul, G; Shahar, A

    1983-01-01

    Fifty-six subjects complaining of tinnitus underwent an audiometric test and a test for identifying the analogous pitch of their tinnitus. All of the subjects reported that they had been exposed to noise in the past. The subjects were divided into two groups on the basis of their audiometric test results. Group P was composed of subjects who showed a sensorineural hearing loss typical of acoustic trauma. Group N was composed of subjects whose hearing was within normal limits. The pitch of the tinnitus in group P was concentrated in the high-frequency range, whereas in group N tinnitus pitch values were distributed over the low and mid-audiometric frequency spectrum. It was deduced that different processes are involved in the generation of tinnitus in the two groups.

  9. [The role of the cervical spine and the craniomandibular system in the pathogenesis of tinnitus. Somatosensory tinnitus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biesinger, E; Reisshauer, A; Mazurek, B

    2008-07-01

    The causes of tinnitus, vertigo, and hearing disturbances may be pathological processes in the cervical spine and temporomaxillary joint. In these cases, tinnitus is called somatosensory tinnitus (SST). For afferences of the cervical spine, projections of neuronal connections in the cochlear nucleus were found. A reflex-like impact of the cervical spine on the cochlear nucleus can be assumed. The tinnitus treatment concept of the Charité University Hospital in Berlin involves the cooperation of ENT specialists with many other disciplines in an outpatient clinic. A standardized examination protocol has been established, and physical therapy has been integrated into the interdisciplinary tinnitus treatment. For tinnitus-modulating therapy of muscular trigger points, local anesthetics as well as self-massage or treatment by a physiotherapist or osteopath are useful.

  10. Pitch and Loudness from Tinnitus in Individuals with Noise-induced Hearing Loss

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flores, Leticia Sousa

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Tinnitus is one of the symptoms that affects individuals suffering from noise induced hearing loss. This condition can be disabling, leading the affected individual to turn away from work. Objective This literature review aims to analyze the possible association between gender and tinnitus pitch and loudness, the degree of hearing loss and the frequencies affected in subjects with noise-induced hearing loss. Methods This contemporary cohort study was conducted through a cross-sectional analysis. The study sample consisted of adults with unilateral or bilateral tinnitus, who had been diagnosed with noise-induced hearing loss. The patients under analysis underwent an otorhinolaryngological evaluation, pure tone audiometry, and acuphenometry. Results The study included 33 subjects with noise-induced hearing loss diagnoses, of which 22 (66.7% were men. Authors observed no statistical difference between gender and loudness/pitch tinnitus and loudness/pitch in subjects with bilateral tinnitus. Authors found an inverse relation between tinnitus loudness with intensity greater hearing threshold and the average of the thresholds and the grade of hearing loss. The tinnitus pitch showed no association with higher frequency of hearing threshold. Conclusion Data analysis shows that, among the individuals evaluated, the greater the hearing loss, the lower the loudness of tinnitus. We did not observe an association between hearing loss and tinnitus pitch.

  11. Clinical Characteristics of Troublesome Pediatric Tinnitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annett Szibor

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The frequency of tinnitus in children and adults is practically the same. However, although adults reveal their symptoms and seek for medical aid, the suffering often remains unrecognized in the young. This is due to both the inability of children to properly describe their symptoms and the lack of recognition. Materials and methods: Among 5768 patients entering our department with complaints of tinnitus between 2010 and 2015, there were only 112 children. A full clinical history and medical status had been determined at the time of presentation and were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The average duration from first complain to clinical presentation was approximately 12 months. A normal hearing capability of less than 25 dB was measured in 80% of the cases. Only 23 patients presented with a hearing impairment. The causes ranged from hearing loss, previous orthodontic treatment, noise trauma, middle ear aeration, muscular neck tension, and skull base fracture. Typical co-morbidities such as sleeping disorders, concentration disorders, and hyperacusis were observed. Conclusions: This retrospective study shows that recognition of tinnitus in the childhood is generally delayed. A better characterization of complaints and triggers, however, is a prerequisite to sensitize medical personnel and caretakers for the suffering and to avoid developmental impairments.

  12. Tinnitus: Understanding the Facts

    Science.gov (United States)

    American Tinnitus Association Donate Become A Member Member Login Find A Provider Support Search form Search Menu Close Understanding The Facts Managing Your Tinnitus Research Toward A Cure About Us Initiatives News & ...

  13. [Good practices with tinnitus in adult].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Pajolec, Christine; Ohresser, Martine; Nevoux, Jérome

    2017-11-01

    The interrogation is essential to trace the genesis of the tinnitus and to appreciate its repercussion. Clinical examination should look for a local, vascular or cervical cause. The ENT consultation with audiogram and tinnitus evaluation is essential to know the characteristics of the tinnitus and to consider the treatment. If tinnitus is accompanied by a decrease in hearing, then wearing hearing aids can correct deafness and decrease the tinnitus. The psychological impact of tinnitus must always be taken into account and the use of a multidisciplinary team is an interesting solution. Medical treatments are not very effective; on the other hand psychotherapies (CBT, TRT and sophrology) bring a real improvement. The doctor's speech must always be supportive and provide therapeutic hope. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  14. [TRT and psychotherapy in the treatment of tinnitus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaaf, H; Gieler, U

    2010-10-01

    Basic requirements and results of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) as well as other habituation therapies with psychotherapeutic approaches in the treatment of tinnitus are examined closely in this literature review. In German-speaking countries experts generally aim for involvement of psychotherapists beyond the classic TRT developed by Jastreboff and Hazell. On the basis of a validated diagnostic test such as the Tinnitus Questionnaire according to Hiller and Goebel (1998), such a therapy regime is more effective than the "classic" procedure. Under different treatment approaches, cognitive behavioural therapy elements have been proven to be effective-even as a component of the TRT-as well as integrated variants in psychodynamic therapies. We have to give consideration to the fact that in all studies about the selection and inclusion criteria selective test conditions were established which suggest that in each case diverse patient groups were studied. In the overall picture it becomes apparent that depending on the severity of the tinnitus and accompanying hearing problems a dysfunction-oriented and staged approach makes sense.

  15. Psychological and audiological correlates of perceived tinnitus severity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erlandsson, S I; Hallberg, L R; Axelsson, A

    1992-01-01

    Beliefs and attitudes towards tinnitus have been found to play an important role in the process of rehabilitation. The relationship between audiological, psychological and psychosomatic factors (self-assessment of vertigo and headache and the perceived severity of tinnitus) was investigated in a clinical population of 163 subjects. Audiological descriptives comprised pure-tone average (dB HL), etiology of hearing loss, duration of tinnitus and tinnitus localisation. Perceived severity of tinnitus was assessed with a questionnaire focusing on tinnitus impact on aspects of quality of life, concentration and sleep. A 28-item handicap and support questionnaire was used and factor analysed, resulting in three factors: perceived attitudes, social support and disability/handicap. Tinnitus severity was significantly related to perceived attitudes. The influence of social support on tinnitus severity did not seem to be crucial. The results showed that significantly more women than men complained about vertigo. Unilateral tinnitus localisation was also more prevalent in females. The subjects with multiple tinnitus localisations were older and had significantly more sleep disturbance than subjects with tinnitus localized to the ears only. In accordance with previously reported observations, the frequency of headaches was strongly correlated with the severity of tinnitus.

  16. Positive and Negative Thinking in Tinnitus: Factor Structure of the Tinnitus Cognitions Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Handscomb, Lucy E; Hall, Deborah A; Shorter, Gillian W; Hoare, Derek J

    Researchers and clinicians consider thinking to be important in the development and maintenance of tinnitus distress, and altering thoughts or thinking style is an object of many forms of psychological therapy for tinnitus. Those working with people with tinnitus require a reliable, psychometrically robust means of measuring both positive and negative thinking related to it. The Tinnitus Cognitions Questionnaire (TCQ) was designed as such a measure and its authors showed it to be reliable, with good psychometric properties. However, no research teams have yet carried out independent validation. This study aimed to use the TCQ to investigate thinking amongst members of the general population with both bothersome and nonbothersome tinnitus and also to verify its factor structure. Three hundred forty-two members of the public with tinnitus completed the TCQ online or on paper. They also rated their tinnitus on a scale as "not a problem," "a small problem," "a moderate problem," "a big problem," or a "very big problem." The authors tested the original factor structure of the TCQ using confirmatory factor analysis and then calculated the mean scores for each item, comparing mean total scores across "problem categories" for the full questionnaire and for the positive and negative subscales. The original two-factor structure of the TCQ was a good fit to the data when the correlation between positive and negative factors was fixed at zero (root mean square error of approximation = 0.064, 90% confidence interval = 0.058 to 0.070). Items pertaining to wishing the tinnitus would go away and despairing that it would ever get better had the highest mean scores. The mean total score for the "no problem" group (M = 31.17, SD = 16.03) was not significantly different from the mean total score for the "small problem" group (M = 34.00, SD = 12.44, p = 0.99). Differences between mean scores for all other groups were statistically significant. For the negative subscale, differences

  17. [Tinnitus: algorithm of diagnostics and clinical management].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boiko, N V

    Hearing of sound, or tinnitus, can be a symptom of different diseases. The differential diagnosis should be based on the identification of subgroups with confirmed causes of the disease. Subjective and objective tinnitus groups should be isolated. Objective tinnitus can be vascular or muscular. In making a diagnosis of tinnitus, it is important to know its characteristics, laterality, circumstances of onset, duration, comorbidity with other symptoms: headache, hearing decline, dizziness, depression, etc. Urgent diagnostic and treatment measures are needed after the identification of 'red flags': acute pulsatile tinnitus, in particular after the brain injury, combination of tinnitus with acute hearing loss and depression.

  18. Quinine-induced tinnitus in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastreboff, P J; Brennan, J F; Sasaki, C T

    1991-10-01

    Quinine ingestion reportedly induces tinnitus in humans. To expand our salicylate-based animal model of tinnitus, a series of conditioned suppression experiments was performed on 54 male-pigmented rats using quinine injections to induce tinnitus. Quinine induced changes in both the extent of suppression and recovery of licking, which followed a pattern that paralleled those produced after salicylate injections, and which may be interpreted as the result of tinnitus perception in animals. These changes depended on the dose and time schedule of quinine administration. Additionally, the calcium channel blocker, nimodipine, abolished the quinine-induced effect in a dose-dependent manner.

  19. [A Method of Synthesizing Tinnitus Rehabilitation Sound Based on Pentatonic Scale and Chaos].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jiemei; He, Peiyu; Pan, Fan

    2015-12-01

    Tinnitus is a common clinical symptom and its occurrence rate is high. It seriously affects life quality of the patients. Scientific researches show that listening some similar and none-repetitive music can relieve tinnitus to some extent. The overall music accorded with self-similarity character by the direct mapping method based on chaos. However, there were often the same tones continuous repeating a few times and tone mutations. To solve the problem, this paper proposes a new method for tinnitus rehabilitation sound synthesis based on pentatonic scale, chaos and musical instrument digital interface (MIDI). Experimental results showed that the tinnitus rehabilitation sounds were not only self-similar and incompletely reduplicate, but also no sudden changes. Thus, it has a referential significance for tinnitus treatment.

  20. An animal model for tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastreboff, P J; Brennan, J F; Sasaki, C T

    1988-03-01

    Subjective tinnitus remains obscure, widespread, and without apparent cure. In the absence of a suitable animal model, past investigations took place in humans, resulting in studies that were understandably restricted by the nature of human investigation. Within this context, the development of a valid animal model would be considered a major breakthrough in this field of investigation. Our results showed changes in the spontaneous activity of single neurons in the inferior colliculus, consistent with abnormally increased neuronal activity within the auditory pathways after manipulations known to produce tinnitus in man. A procedure based on a Pavlovian conditioned suppression paradigm was recently developed that allows us to measure tinnitus behaviorally in conscious animals. Accordingly, an animal model of tinnitus is proposed that permits tests of hypotheses relating to tinnitus generation, allowing the accommodation of interventional strategies for the treatment of this widespread auditory disorder.

  1. The tinnitus intensive therapy habituation program: a 2-year follow-up pilot study on subjective tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bessman, Peter; Heider, Tom; Watten, Veslemøy P; Watten, Reidulf G

    2009-05-01

    To explore the effects of a new tinnitus treatment program (tinnitus intensive therapy [TIT]) based on auditory perception principles and neural habituation. A follow-up study with measurement of treatment effects every third month over a 2-year period in which the cases were their own controls. There were 25 participants with a mean age 50.1 years (SD = 16.1); 10 women (52.7 years; SD = 16.8) and 15 men (48.3 years; SD = 15.9). The participants were recruited from clinical population admitted to a polyclinic tinnitus treatment program in western Germany. There was a significant reduction of tinnitus in the follow-up period. Mean baseline tinnitus scores (Tinnitus Fragebogen; Goebel & Hiller, 1998) at the start of the treatment were 50.9 (SD = 14.5) and the final scores were 14.2 (SD = 5.9). In total, the clinical improvement over the follow-up period was 72.1%. The TIT program showed a significant clinical treatment effect and should be tested further in a multicenter treatment project. The findings support the Jastreboff habituation model of tinnitus, but social cognitive factors should also be taken into account. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. A Brain Centred View of Psychiatric Comorbidity in Tinnitus: From Otology to Hodology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minichino, Amedeo; Panico, Roberta; Testugini, Valeria; Altissimi, Giancarlo; Cianfrone, Giancarlo

    2014-01-01

    Introduction. Comorbid psychiatric disorders are frequent among patients affected by tinnitus. There are mutual clinical influences between tinnitus and psychiatric disorders, as well as neurobiological relations based on partially overlapping hodological and neuroplastic phenomena. The aim of the present paper is to review the evidence of alterations in brain networks underlying tinnitus physiopathology and to discuss them in light of the current knowledge of the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders. Methods. Relevant literature was identified through a search on Medline and PubMed; search terms included tinnitus, brain, plasticity, cortex, network, and pathways. Results. Tinnitus phenomenon results from systemic-neurootological triggers followed by neuronal remapping within several auditory and nonauditory pathways. Plastic reorganization and white matter alterations within limbic system, arcuate fasciculus, insula, salience network, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, auditory pathways, ffrontocortical, and thalamocortical networks are discussed. Discussion. Several overlapping brain network alterations do exist between tinnitus and psychiatric disorders. Tinnitus, initially related to a clinicoanatomical approach based on a cortical localizationism, could be better explained by an holistic or associationist approach considering psychic functions and tinnitus as emergent properties of partially overlapping large-scale neural networks. PMID:25018882

  3. Using therapeutic sound with progressive audiologic tinnitus management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, James A; Zaugg, Tara L; Myers, Paula J; Schechter, Martin A

    2008-09-01

    Management of tinnitus generally involves educational counseling, stress reduction, and/or the use of therapeutic sound. This article focuses on therapeutic sound, which can involve three objectives: (a) producing a sense of relief from tinnitus-associated stress (using soothing sound); (b) passively diverting attention away from tinnitus by reducing contrast between tinnitus and the acoustic environment (using background sound); and (c) actively diverting attention away from tinnitus (using interesting sound). Each of these goals can be accomplished using three different types of sound-broadly categorized as environmental sound, music, and speech-resulting in nine combinations of uses of sound and types of sound to manage tinnitus. The authors explain the uses and types of sound, how they can be combined, and how the different combinations are used with Progressive Audiologic Tinnitus Management. They also describe how sound is used with other sound-based methods of tinnitus management (Tinnitus Masking, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, and Neuromonics).

  4. Differential (/sup 14/C)2-deoxyglucose uptake after deafferentation of the mammalian auditory pathway - a model for examining tinnitus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sasaki, C T; Kauer, J S; Babitz, L [Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (USA). School of Medicine

    1980-08-04

    The authors have used 2-DG in examining metabolic changes of the auditory pathways after surgical deafferentation, consequences of which within a week or so often produce the pathophysiological condition of tinnitus in humans. The findings identify increased glucose uptake related to increased neuronal activity after chronic cochlear ablation and may thus represent an analog of the tinnitus phenomenon in man.

  5. Sound therapy and aural rehabilitation for tinnitus: a person centred therapy framework based on an ecological model of tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Searchfield, Grant D; Linford, Tania; Durai, Mithila

    2018-03-23

    Tinnitus is a common oto-neurological complaint often accompanying hearing loss. In this perspective on rehabilitation we describe a framework for sound therapy and aural rehabilitation of tinnitus based on the ecological model of tinnitus. A thematic network analysis-based approach was used to relate aural rehabilitation methods to the ecological model of tinnitus and the client-oriented scale of improvement in tinnitus. Aural rehabilitation methods were mapped to concepts of: (1) Context, (2) presence of sound and (3) reaction to sound. A global theme was: adaptation to sound. The framework is the result of an iterative and cumulative research program exploring tinnitus as the outcome of the relationship between individual psychoacoustics and psychosocial factors including context of perception. The intent of this framework is to help guide audiologists managing tinnitus. The framework has been useful in our clinic as illustrated by a case study. The benefits of this approach relative to standard care needs to be independently ascertained. Implications for Rehabilitation Tinnitus is a common oto-neurological complaint that when severe can be very disabling. Tinnitus is very heterogeneous as a consequence of this no one treatment is suitable for everyone. The sound therapy and aural rehabilitation for tinnitus framework is designed to assist audiologists in clinical planning that addresses individual needs. The framework is the result of an iterative and cumulative research program exploring tinnitus as the outcome of the relationship between individual psychoacoustics and psychosocial factors including context of perception.

  6. Tinnitus Multimodal Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-12-01

    those next steps, we can start to unravel how alterations in connectivity affect perceptual, attentional, and emotional aspects of tinnitus among...Coleman Memorial and Hearing Research, Inc, endowment funds. REFERENCES Ashburner, J. (2007). A fast diffeomorphic image registration algorithm. Neuroimage...Jiao, Y., et al. (2015). Tinnitus and hyperacusis involve hyperactivity and enhanced connectivity in auditory- limbic- arousal -cerebellar network

  7. Microsurgical Decompression of the Cochlear Nerve to Treat Disabling Tinnitus via an Endoscope-Assisted Retrosigmoid Approach: The Padua Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Stadio, Arianna; Colangeli, Roberta; Dipietro, Laura; Martini, Alessandro; Parrino, Daniela; Nardello, Ennio; D'Avella, Domenico; Zanoletti, Elisabetta

    2018-05-01

    The use of surgical cochlear nerve decompression is controversial. This study aimed at investigating the safety and validity of microsurgical decompression via an endoscope-assisted retrosigmoid approach to treat tinnitus in patients with neurovascular compression of the cochlear nerve. Three patients with disabling tinnitus resulting from a loop in the internal auditory canal were evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging and tests of pure tone auditory, tinnitus, and auditory brain response (ABR) to identify the features of the cochlear nerve involvement. We observed a loop with a caliber greater than 0.8 mm in all patients. Patients were treated via an endoscope-assisted retrosigmoid microsurgical decompression. After surgery, none of the patients reported short-term or long-term complications. After surgery, tinnitus resolved immediately in 2 patients, whereas in the other patient symptoms persisted although they improved; in all patients, hearing was preserved and ABR improved. Microsurgical decompression via endoscope-assisted retrosigmoid approach is a promising, safe, and valid procedure for treating tinnitus caused by cochlear nerve compression. This procedure should be considered in patients with disabling tinnitus who have altered ABR and a loop that has a caliber greater than 0.8 mm and is in contact with the cochlear nerve. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Increasing awareness with recognition of pulsatile tinnitus for nurse practitioners in the primary care setting: A case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vecchiarelli, Kelly; Amar, Arun Paul; Emanuele, Donna

    2017-09-01

    Pulsatile tinnitus is a whooshing sound heard synchronous with the heartbeat. It is an uncommon symptom affecting fewer than 10% of patients with tinnitus. It often goes unrecognized in the primary care setting. Failure to recognize this symptom can result in a missed or delayed diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening condition known as a dural arteriovenous fistula. The purpose of this case study is to provide a structured approach to the identification of pulsatile tinnitus and provide management recommendations. A case study and review of pertinent literature. Pulsatile tinnitus usually has a vascular treatable cause. A comprehensive history and physical examination will alert the nurse practitioner (NP) when pulsatile tinnitus is present. Auscultation in specific areas of the head can detect audible or objective pulsatile tinnitus. Pulsatile tinnitus that is audible to the examiner is an urgent medical condition requiring immediate consultation and referral. Knowledge of pulsatile tinnitus and awareness of this often treatable condition directs the NP to perform a detailed assessment when patients present with tinnitus, directs appropriate referral for care and treatment, and can reduce the risk of delayed or missed diagnosis. ©2017 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

  9. Tinnitus: considerations for nursing practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Truscott, Gill

    2016-11-09

    Tinnitus is a common condition characterised by a subjective, and less commonly objective, noise sensation that is often described as ringing heard in one or both ears by the individual. The exact cause of tinnitus is not known, but it is related to physiological changes in the auditory system and is closely linked to psychological well-being. Tinnitus can have a significant effect on the lives of people who experience it on a continuous basis. Although there is no cure for tinnitus, various strategies are available to support individuals to manage the condition on a daily basis; these management strategies are discussed in this article.

  10. When tinnitus loudness and annoyance are discrepant: audiological characteristics and psychological profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiller, Wolfgang; Goebel, Gerhard

    2007-01-01

    This study evaluates sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients reporting discrepant levels of tinnitus loudness and annoyance. 4958 subjects recruited from a national tinnitus association completed a comprehensive screening questionnaire including Klockhoff and Lindblom's loudness grading system and the psychometric Mini-TQ (Tinnitus Questionnaire). There was a moderate correlation of 0.45 between loudness and annoyance. Of the subjects reporting very loud tinnitus, about one third had only mild or moderate annoyance scores. They were not different from those with high annoyance regarding age, gender and tinnitus duration, but annoyance was increased when subjects had additional hearing loss (OR = 1.71), vertigo/dizziness (OR = 1.94) or hyperacusis (OR = 4.96). Another significant predictor was history of neurological disease (OR = 3.16). Subjects reported low annoyance despite high loudness more often if not feeling low/depressed and not considering themselves as victims of their noises. A specific psychological profile was found to characterize annoyed tinnitus sufferers. Permanent awareness of the noises, decreased ability to ignore them and concentration difficulties were reported frequently even when overall annoyance scores were comparatively low. It is concluded that the coexistence of tinnitus with hearing loss, vertigo/dizziness and hyperacusis as complicating otological conditions seems to be of clinical relevance for the prediction of high annoyance levels. Tinnitus loudness and annoyance are not necessarily congruent and should be assessed separately. (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  11. The efficacy of individual treatment of subjective tinnitus with cognitive behavioural therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canals, Pascual; Pérez Del Valle, Belén; Lopez, Francisco; Marco, Amparo

    2016-01-01

    It has been a long time since subjective tinnitus cases were described for the first time but they still lack a treatment with proven effectiveness. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy in these patients. Between 2012 and 2013, 310 patients that suffered from subjective tinnitus were studied. Of these, 267 were included in treatment based on cognitive behavioural therapy. The monitoring period lasted 18 months for most cases, while it lasted 21 months for 11 patients. Considering patients that interrupted their treatment as failures, the percentage of recovery was 95.7%. Cognitive behavioural therapy should always be included in the treatment of people suffering from tinnitus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.

  12. Metabolic disorders in vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaźmierczak, H; Doroszewska, G

    2001-01-01

    Vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss are common complaints among populations of industrial countries, especially in persons older than 40 years. Numerous agents are known to incite vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss, among them hyperinsulinemia, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. In this study, we proposed to assess the occurrence of hyperinsulinemia, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia in patients suffering from vertigo, tinnitus, or hearing loss of unknown origin. Results of various tests in 48 patients were compared to those in 31 control subjects. Assessments of body mass index, blood pressure, and laryngological, audiometric, and electronystagmographic parameters were performed in all study participants. An oral glucose tolerance test was used to evaluate insulin levels, and lipoprotein phenotyping served to determine cholesterol, triglyceride, and lipoprotein levels. Patients were found to be significantly more overweight (on the basis of body mass index) than were the control subjects. Hypertension was more common among patients than controls, but the difference was significant only between the men in the two groups. Disturbances of glucose metabolism were found in 27.1% of patients but in only 9.7% of controls. Diabetes mellitus was not present in any controls but was identified in four patients. Hyperinsulinemia was almost twice as common in patients as in controls. Only the occurrence of hyperlipoproteinemia seemed not to differ between patients and control subjects. We conclude that such disturbances of glucose metabolism as diabetes mellitus and hyperinsulinemia may be responsible for inner ear diseases, whereas the role of disturbances of lipid metabolism remains vague.

  13. Treating tinnitus distress via the Internet: A mixed methods approach of what makes patients seek help and stay motivated during Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy

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    Sarah Heinrich

    2016-05-01

    Conclusion: There are several motivational factors that tinnitus patients consider relevant for beginning and continuing ICBT. Particularly, focusing on specific targets that do not involve the tinnitus itself, and encouraging participants to take an active role in treatment may increase treatment effectiveness. However, further hypothesis-guided research is necessary to confirm our explorative results.

  14. Prevention and Treatment of Noise-Induced Tinnitus

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-09-01

    Tinnitus PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Richard A. Altschuler CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: University of Michigan REPORT DATE: 2014...3 Ju 2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Prevention and Treatment of Noise-Induced Tinnitus 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM...prevent or treat noise induced tinnitus . Our studies showed a military relevant small arms fire-like noise will induce tinnitus in approximately 33

  15. Improving the Reliability of Tinnitus Screening in Laboratory Animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Aikeen; May, Bradford J

    2017-02-01

    Behavioral screening remains a contentious issue for animal studies of tinnitus. Most paradigms base a positive tinnitus test on an animal's natural tendency to respond to the "sound" of tinnitus as if it were an actual sound. As a result, animals with tinnitus are expected to display sound-conditioned behaviors when no sound is present or to miss gaps in background sounds because tinnitus "fills in the gap." Reliable confirmation of the behavioral indications of tinnitus can be problematic because the reinforcement contingencies of conventional discrimination tasks break down an animal's tendency to group tinnitus with sound. When responses in silence are rewarded, animals respond in silence regardless of their tinnitus status. When responses in silence are punished, animals stop responding. This study introduces stimulus classification as an alternative approach to tinnitus screening. Classification procedures train animals to respond to the common perceptual features that define a group of sounds (e.g., high pitch or narrow bandwidth). Our procedure trains animals to drink when they hear tinnitus and to suppress drinking when they hear other sounds. Animals with tinnitus are revealed by their tendency to drink in the presence of unreinforced probe sounds that share the perceptual features of the tinnitus classification. The advantages of this approach are illustrated by taking laboratory rats through a testing sequence that includes classification training, the experimental induction of tinnitus, and postinduction screening. Behavioral indications of tinnitus are interpreted and then verified by simulating a known tinnitus percept with objective sounds.

  16. Hearing Loss and Tinnitus in Military Personnel with Deployment-Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karch, Stephanie J; Capó-Aponte, José E; McIlwain, D Scott; Lo, Michael; Krishnamurti, Sridhar; Staton, Roger N; Jorgensen-Wagers, Kendra

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to analyze differences in incidence and epidemiologic risk factors for significant threshold shift (STS) and tinnitus in deployed military personnel diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) due to either a blast exposure or nonblast head injury. A retrospective longitudinal cohort study of electronic health records of 500 military personnel (456 met inclusion criteria) diagnosed with deployment-related mTBI was completed. Chi-square tests and STS incidence rates were calculated to assess differences between blast-exposed and nonblast groups; relative risks and adjusted odds ratios of developing STS or tinnitus were calculated for risk factors. Risk factors included such characteristics as mechanism of injury, age, race, military occupational specialty, concurrent diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and nicotine use. Among blast-exposed and nonblast patients, 67% and 58%, respectively, developed STS, (P=.06); 59% and 40%, respectively, developed tinnitus (Ptinnitus. Unprotected noise exposure was associated with both STS and tinnitus. This study highlights potential risk factors for STS and tinnitus among blast-exposed and nonblast mTBI patient groups.

  17. Validation of the Italian Tinnitus Questionnaire Short Form (TQ 12-I as a Brief Test for the Assessment of Tinnitus-Related Distress: Results of a Cross-Sectional Multicenter-Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roland Moschen

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The use of reliable and valid psychometric tools to assess subjectively experienced distress due to tinnitus is broadly recommended. The purpose of the study was the validation of the Italian version of Tinnitus Questionnaire 12 item short form (TQ 12-I as a brief test for the assessment of patient reported tinnitus-related distress.Design: Cross-sectional multicenter questionnaire study.Setting: Tinnitus Center, European Hospital (Rome, the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, “Guglielmo da Saliceto” Hospital (Piacenza, and the Department of Audiology and Phoniatry, “Mater Domini” University Hospital (Catanzaro.Participants: One hundred and forty-three outpatients with tinnitus treated at one of the participating medical centers.Main Outcome Measures: Tinnitus Questionnaire Short Form (TQ 12-I, compared to the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI, Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI, and Short Form (SF-36 Health Survey.Results: Our factor analysis revealed a two-factor solution (health anxiety, cognitive distress, accounting for 53.5% of the variance. Good internal consistency for the total score (α = 0.86 and both factors (α = 0.79–0.87 was found. Moderate correlations with the THI (r = 0.65, p < 0.001 indicated good convergent validity. Tinnitus distress was further correlated to increased psychological distress (r = 0.31, p < 0.001 and reduced emotional well-being (r = -0.34, p < 0.001.Conclusion: The study clearly showed that the TQ 12-I is a reliable and valid instrument to assess tinnitus-related distress which can be used in clinical practice as well as for research.

  18. [Role of hypnotherapy in the treatment of debilitating tinnitus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gajan, F; Pannetier, B; Cordier, A; Amstutz-Montadert, I; Dehesdin, D; Marie, J P

    2011-01-01

    Hypnotherapy is currently used for tinnitus therapy in our university hospital. The aim of this study was to evaluate its efficacy. This study was performed on 110 patients suffering from distressing tinnitus. They were treated during five sessions with hypnotherapy, supplemented by instruction on self-hypnotherapy. A subjective evaluation was done by the practitioner at the end of the sessions of hypnotherapy. Then a questionnaire on psychologic distress (Wilson 1991) was sent retrospectively to the patients. We received 65 responses which were used for this study. Before treatment, the mean value of the Wilson score was 54 (28-104). After treatment, it was: 31 (0-86). 69% of the patients felt an improvement > or = 5 points Wilson score. These results were compared with the evaluation carried out by the practitioner at the end of the sessions of hypnosis. There was a "significant correlation" between the evaluation of the felt benefice, analyzed by the practitioner at the end of the sessions of hypnosis, and by the patient questioned long after the treatment. These results had significant correlation with the evaluation made by the therapist at the end of the five sessions of hypnotherapy. They show, how effective (68% improvement) this therapeutic approach can be. Hypnotherapy can be regarded as an effective treatment against distressing tinnitus.

  19. 21 CFR 874.3400 - Tinnitus masker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tinnitus masker. 874.3400 Section 874.3400 Food... DEVICES EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 874.3400 Tinnitus masker. (a) Identification. A tinnitus masker is an electronic device intended to generate noise of sufficient intensity and bandwidth to...

  20. An increase in alpha band frequency in resting state EEG after electrical stimulation of the ear in tinnitus patients - a pilot study

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    Marzena Mielczarek

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In our clinic invasive transtympanal promontory positive DC stimulations were first used, with a success rate of 42%. However, non-invasive hydrotransmissive negative DC stimulations are now favoured, with improvement being obtained in 37.8% directly after the treatment, and 51.3% in a follow up one month after treatment. The further improvement after one month may be due to neuroplastic changes at central level as a result of altered peripheral input. The aim of the study was to determine how a single electrical stimulation of the ear influences cortical activity, and whether changes observed in tinnitus after electrical stimulation are associated with any changes in cortical activity recorded in EEG.The study included 12 tinnitus patients(F–6, M-6 divided into two groups. Group I comprised six patients with unilateral tinnitus - unilateral, ipsilateral ES was performed. Group II comprised six patients with bilateral tinnitus - bilateral ES was performed.Electrical stimulation was performed using a custom-made apparatus.The active, silver probe – was immersed inside the external ear canal filled with saline. The passive electrode was placed on the forehead. The stimulating frequency was 250Hz, the intensity ranged from 0.14 to 1.08 mA. The voltage was kept constant at 3V. The duration of stimulation was four minutes. The EEG recording (Deymed QEST 32 was performed before and after electrical stimulation. We assessed the intensity of tinnitus on the visual analogue scale (1-10. Results.In both groups an improvement in VAS was observed– in group I - in five ears (83.3%, in group II - in seven ears (58.3%. In Group I,a significant increase in the upper and lower limits of the alpha frequency range was observed in the left central temporal and left frontal regions following electrical stimulation. These changes, however, were not correlated with improvement in tinnitus. No significant changes were observed in the beta and theta bands and in

  1. Functional and structural aspects of tinnitus-related enhancement and suppression of auditory cortex activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diesch, Eugen; Andermann, Martin; Flor, Herta; Rupp, Andre

    2010-05-01

    The steady-state auditory evoked magnetic field was recorded in tinnitus patients and controls, both either musicians or non-musicians, all of them with high-frequency hearing loss. Stimuli were AM-tones with two modulation frequencies and three carrier frequencies matching the "audiometric edge", i.e. the frequency above which hearing loss increases more rapidly, the tinnitus frequency or the frequency 1 1/2 octaves above the audiometric edge in controls, and a frequency 1 1/2 octaves below the audiometric edge. Stimuli equated in carrier frequency, but differing in modulation frequency, were simultaneously presented to the two ears. The modulation frequency-specific components of the dual steady-state response were recovered by bandpass filtering. In both hemispheres, the source amplitude of the response was larger for contralateral than ipsilateral input. In non-musicians with tinnitus, this laterality effect was enhanced in the hemisphere contralateral and reduced in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the tinnitus ear, especially for the tinnitus frequency. The hemisphere-by-input laterality dominance effect was smaller in musicians than in non-musicians. In both patient groups, source amplitude change over time, i.e. amplitude slope, was increasing with tonal frequency for contralateral input and decreasing for ipsilateral input. However, slope was smaller for musicians than non-musicians. In patients, source amplitude was negatively correlated with the MRI-determined volume of the medial partition of Heschl's gyrus. Tinnitus patients show an altered excitatory-inhibitory balance reflecting the downregulation of inhibition and resulting in a steeper dominance hierarchy among simultaneous processes in auditory cortex. Direction and extent of this alteration are modulated by musicality and auditory cortex volume. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Emotional states as mediators between tinnitus loudness and tinnitus distress in daily life: Results from the “TrackYourTinnitus” application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Probst, Thomas; Pryss, Rüdiger; Langguth, Berthold; Schlee, Winfried

    2016-01-01

    The psychological process how tinnitus loudness leads to tinnitus distress remains unclear. This cross-sectional study investigated the mediating role of the emotional state “stress level” and of the two components of the emotional state “arousal” and “valence” with N = 658 users of the “TrackYourTinnitus” smartphone application. Stress mediated the relationship between tinnitus loudness and tinnitus distress in a simple mediation model and even in a multiple mediation model when arousal and valence were held constant. Arousal mediated the loudness-distress relationship when holding valence constant, but not anymore when controlling for valence as well as for stress. Valence functioned as a mediator when controlling for arousal and even when holding arousal and stress constant. The direct effect of tinnitus loudness on tinnitus distress remained significant in all models. This study demonstrates that emotional states affect the process how tinnitus loudness leads to tinnitus distress. We thereby could show that the mediating influence of emotional valence is at least equally strong as the influence of stress. Implications of the findings for future research, assessment, and clinical management of tinnitus are discussed. PMID:26853815

  3. Monosialotetrahexosylganglioside Inhibits the Expression of p-CREB and NR2B in the Auditory Cortex in Rats with Salicylate-Induced Tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Rui-Biao; Lou, Wei-Hua

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) on the expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 2B (NR2B) and phosphorylated (p)-cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in the auditory cortex of rats with tinnitus. Tinnitus-like behavior in rats was tested with the gap prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle paradigm. We then investigated the NR2B mRNA and protein and p-CREB protein levels in the auditory cortex of tinnitus rats compared with normal rats. Rats treated for 4 days with salicylate exhibited tinnitus. NR2B mRNA and protein and p-CREB protein levels were upregulated in these animals, with expression returning to normal levels 14 days after cessation of treatment; baseline levels of NR2B and p-CREB were also restored by GM1 administration. These data suggest that chronic salicylate administration induces tinnitus via upregulation of p-CREB and NR2B expression, and that GM1 can potentially be used to treat tinnitus.

  4. Does tinnitus distress depend on age of onset?

    OpenAIRE

    Schlee, Winfried; Kleinjung, Tobias; Hiller, Wolfgang; Goebel, Gerhard; Kolassa, Iris; Langguth, Berthold

    2011-01-01

    Objectives: Tinnitus is the perception of a sound in the absence of any physical source of it. About 5–15% of the population report hearing such a tinnitus and about 1–2% suffer from their tinnitus leading to anxiety, sleep disorders or depression. It is currently not completely understood why some people feel distressed by their tinnitus, while others don’t. Several studiesindicate that the amount of tinnitus distress is associated with many factors including comorbid anxiety, comorbid depre...

  5. Association of tinnitus and hearing loss in otological disorders: a decade-long epidemiological study in a South Indian population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Santoshi Kumari Manche

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Tinnitus is a common disorder that occurs frequently across all strata of population and has an important health concern. Tinnitus is often associated with different forms of hearing loss of varying severity. Objective: The present study aimed to identify the association of tinnitus with hearing loss in various otological disorders of a South Indian population. Methods: A total of 3255 subjects referred to the MAA ENT Hospital, Hyderabad, from 2004 to 2014, affected with various otological diseases have been included in the present cross-sectional study. Diagnosis of the diseases was confirmed by an ear, nose, and throat (ENT specialist using detailed medical and clinical examination. Statistical analysis was performed using the χ 2 test and binary logistic regression. Results: Tinnitus was observed in 29.3% (956 of the total study subjects that showed an increased prevalence in greater than 40 years of age. There was a significant increase in risk of tinnitus with middle (OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.02-3.16 and inner (OR = 3.00, 95% CI = 1.65-5.45 inner ear diseases. It was noted that 96.9% (n = 927 of the tinnitus subjects was associated with hearing loss. Otitis media (60.9%, presbycusis (16.6% and otosclerosis (14.3% are the very common otological disorders leading to tinnitus. Tinnitus was significantly associated with higher degree of hearing loss in chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM subjects. Conclusion: The present study could identify the most prevalent otological risk factors leading to development of tinnitus with hearing loss in a South Indian population.

  6. Cognitive-behavioral treatments for tinnitus: a review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cima, Rilana F F; Andersson, Gerhard; Schmidt, Caroline J; Henry, James A

    2014-01-01

    Tinnitus can be defined as the perception of an auditory sensation, perceivable without the presence of an external sound. The aim of this article is to systematically review the peer-reviewed literature on treatment approaches for tinnitus based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and to provide a historical overview of developments within these approaches. Experimental studies, (randomized) trials, follow-up assessments, and reviews assessing educational, counseling, psychological, and CBT treatment approaches were identified as a result of an electronic database metasearch. A total of 31 (of the initial 75 studies) were included in the review. Results confirm that CBT treatment for tinnitus management is the most evidence-based treatment option so far. Though studied protocols are diverse and are usually a combination of different treatment elements, and tinnitus diagnostics and outcome assessments vary over investigations, a common ground of therapeutic elements was established, and evidence was found to be robust enough to guide clinical practice. Treatment strategy might best be CBT-based, moving toward a more multidisciplinary approach. There is room for the involvement of different disciplines, using a stepped-care approach. This may provide brief and effective treatment for a larger group of tinnitus patients, and additional treatment steps can be provided for those suffering on a more severe level. American Academy of Audiology.

  7. Sucesso no tratamento do zumbido com terapia em grupo Group therapy for patients with tinnitus at the University of Brasilia Medical School

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    Lisiane Holdefer

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Embora os tratamentos em grupos para o zumbido sejam uma área bem documentada na literatura internacional, até onde sabemos nunca foram realizados no Brasil. Este estudo apresenta uma experiência bem-sucedida de um tratamento em grupo para zumbido baseado na terapia de retreinamento do zumbido aliada com as técnicas cognitivo-comportamentais. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar pacientes com zumbido antes e depois do tratamento em grupo estruturado baseado da terapia de retreinamento do zumbido e na terapia cognitivo comportamental. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Estudo coorte prospectivo: 27 sujeitos aplicaram-se para a pesquisa. Responderam ao inventário do Handicap do Zumbido (THI e à escala da Ansiedade e Depressão Hospitalar (HAD,antes e depois do tratamento. Foram realizadas 6 sessões estruturadas segundo os princípios da terapia de retreinamento do zumbido associada com técnicas cognitivo-comportamentais. RESULTADOS: 27 pacientes iniciaram e 19 terminaram o tratamento (8 excluídos. 47,4% homens, média das idades 47.6. O resultado do THI antes e depois do tratamento foi respectivamente: funcionais, 29 e 14; emocional, 24 e 10; e catastrófico, 12 e 5; a escala HAD: ansiedade, 12 e 9 e depressão, 10 e 6. CONCLUSÃO: O tratamento descrito é efetivo na melhora do zumbido.Although group therapy for tinnitus is a well documented field in the international literature, as far as we know it has never been held in Brazil. This study represents a successful experience of a group therapy for tinnitus based on the tinnitus retraining therapy associated with behavioral cognitive techniques. The goal of the present study is to assess patients with tinnitus before and after the group therapy based on the tinnitus retraining therapy and the behavioral cognitive therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective cohort study: 27 subjects signed in for the study, and answered the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI and the Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale (HAD

  8. History of the Tinnitus Research Consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snow, James B

    2016-04-01

    This article describes the creation and accomplishments of the Tinnitus Research Consortium (TRC), founded and supported through philanthropy and intended to enrich the field of tinnitus research. Bringing together a group of distinguished auditory researchers, most of whom were not involved in tinnitus research, over the fifteen years of its life it developed novel research approaches and recruited a number of new investigators into the field. The purpose of this special issue is to highlight some of the significant accomplishments of the investigators supported by the TRC. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Tinnitus". Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Characteristics of tinnitus in adolescents and association with psychoemotional factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, So Young; Jeon, Yung Jin; Lee, Jun-Young; Kim, Young Ho

    2017-09-01

    The characteristics and underlying mechanisms of tinnitus remain more elusive in the pediatric population than in adults. We investigated the prevalence of tinnitus, its characteristics, and associated factors, with a focus on psychoemotional problems in adolescents. Cross-sectional study METHODS: In total, 962 adolescents were surveyed for tinnitus and possibly related otologic and socioeconomic factors. The participants completed a visual analog scale (VAS) pertaining to various aspects of tinnitus, as well as the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), State Anxiety Inventory for Children, Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (TAIC), Internet Addiction Test, Conners' Abbreviated Parent Rating Scale, and a learning disability score. Characteristics of tinnitus were analyzed, and psychoemotional and other factors were compared between tinnitus and nontinnitus groups. Approximately one-third of subjects reported experiencing tinnitus. A family history of tinnitus, subjective hearing loss, dizziness, and CDI and TAIC abnormalities were significantly associated with tinnitus. In the tinnitus-always group, tinnitus showed significant relationships with subjective hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and VAS, CDI, and TAIC scores. The results suggest that about one-third of adolescents experience tinnitus, which may be related to psychoemotional factors. In particular, anxiety and depression may be important factors to consider in managing tinnitus in adolescents. Further study of tinnitus in adolescents, including efforts toward diagnosis and management, is needed to determine whether there is a causal relationship with anxiety and depression, and the extent to which adverse outcomes may be associated with these psychoemotional factors. 4 Laryngoscope, 127:2113-2119, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  10. Tinnitus

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... the day, or to fall asleep at night. Wearable sound generators are small electronic devices that fit ... may be available at drugstores and on the Internet as an alternative remedy for tinnitus, but none ...

  11. A State-of-the-Art Review: Personalization of Tinnitus Sound Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Searchfield, Grant D; Durai, Mithila; Linford, Tania

    2017-01-01

    Background: There are several established, and an increasing number of putative, therapies using sound to treat tinnitus. There appear to be few guidelines for sound therapy selection and application. Aim: To review current approaches to personalizing sound therapy for tinnitus. Methods: A "state-of-the-art" review (Grant and Booth, 2009) was undertaken to answer the question: how do current sound-based therapies for tinnitus adjust for tinnitus heterogeneity? Scopus, Google Scholar, Embase and PubMed were searched for the 10-year period 2006-2016. The search strategy used the following key words: "tinnitus" AND "sound" AND "therapy" AND "guidelines" OR "personalized" OR "customized" OR "individual" OR "questionnaire" OR "selection." The results of the review were cataloged and organized into themes. Results: In total 165 articles were reviewed in full, 83 contained sufficient details to contribute to answering the study question. The key themes identified were hearing compensation, pitched-match therapy, maskability, reaction to sound and psychosocial factors. Although many therapies mentioned customization, few could be classified as being personalized. Several psychoacoustic and questionnaire-based methods for assisting treatment selection were identified. Conclusions: Assessment methods are available to assist clinicians to personalize sound-therapy and empower patients to be active in therapy decision-making. Most current therapies are modified using only one characteristic of the individual and/or their tinnitus.

  12. How to Choose Between Measures of Tinnitus Loudness for Clinical Research? A Report on the Reliability and Validity of an Investigator-Administered Test and a Patient-Reported Measure Using Baseline Data Collected in a Phase IIa Drug Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Deborah A; Mehta, Rajnikant L; Fackrell, Kathryn

    2017-09-18

    Loudness is a major auditory dimension of tinnitus and is used to diagnose severity, counsel patients, or as a measure of clinical efficacy in audiological research. There is no standard test for tinnitus loudness, but matching and rating methods are popular. This article provides important new knowledge about the reliability and validity of an audiologist-administered tinnitus loudness matching test and a patient-reported tinnitus loudness rating. Retrospective analysis of loudness data for 91 participants with stable subjective tinnitus enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a novel drug for tinnitus. There were two baseline assessments (screening, Day 1) and a posttreatment assessment (Day 28). About 66%-70% of the variability from screening to Day 1 was attributable to the true score. But measurement error, indicated by the smallest detectable change, was high for both tinnitus loudness matching (20 dB) and tinnitus loudness rating (3.5 units). Only loudness rating captured a sensation that was meaningful to people who lived with the experience of tinnitus. The tinnitus loudness rating performed better against acceptability criteria for reliability and validity than did the tinnitus loudness matching test administered by an audiologist. But the rating question is still limited because it is a single-item instrument and is probably able to detect only large changes (at least 3.5 points).

  13. A Series of Case Studies of Tinnitus Suppression With Mixed Background Stimuli in a Cochlear Implant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keiner, A. J.; Walker, Kurt; Deshpande, Aniruddha K.; Witt, Shelley; Killian, Matthijs; Ji, Helena; Patrick, Jim; Dillier, Norbert; van Dijk, Pim; Lai, Wai Kong; Hansen, Marlan R.; Gantz, Bruce

    2015-01-01

    Purpose Background sounds provided by a wearable sound playback device were mixed with the acoustical input picked up by a cochlear implant speech processor in an attempt to suppress tinnitus. Method First, patients were allowed to listen to several sounds and to select up to 4 sounds that they thought might be effective. These stimuli were programmed to loop continuously in the wearable playback device. Second, subjects were instructed to use 1 background sound each day on the wearable device, and they sequenced the selected background sounds during a 28-day trial. Patients were instructed to go to a website at the end of each day and rate the loudness and annoyance of the tinnitus as well as the acceptability of the background sound. Patients completed the Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire (Tyler, Stocking, Secor, & Slattery, 2014) at the beginning of the trial. Results Results indicated that background sounds were very effective at suppressing tinnitus. There was considerable variability in sounds preferred by the subjects. Conclusion The study shows that a background sound mixed with the microphone input can be effective for suppressing tinnitus during daily use of the sound processor in selected cochlear implant users. PMID:26001407

  14. Biomarkers of Presbycusis and Tinnitus in a Portuguese Older Population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haúla F. Haider

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Presbycusis or age-related hearing loss (ARHL is a ubiquitous health problem. It is estimated that it will affect up to 1.5 billion people by 2025. In addition, tinnitus occurs in a large majority of cases with presbycusis. Glutamate metabotropic receptor 7 (GRM7 and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2 are some of the genetic markers for presbycusis.Objectives: To explore patterns of hearing loss and the role of GRM7 and NAT2 as possible markers of presbycusis and tinnitus in a Portuguese population sample.Materials and Methods: Tonal and speech audiometry, tinnitus assessment, clinical interview, and DNA samples were obtained from patients aged from 55 to 75 with or without tinnitus. GRM7 analysis was performed by qPCR. Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in NAT2 was performed by PCR amplification followed by Sanger sequencing or by qPCR.Results: We screened samples from 78 individuals (33 men and 45 women. T allele at GRM7 gene was the most observed (60.3% T/T and 33.3% A/T. Individuals with a T/T genotype have a higher risk for ARHL and 33% lower risk for tinnitus, compared to individuals with A/A and A/T genotype, respectively. Being a slow acetylator (53% was the most common NAT2 phenotype, more common in men (55.8%. Intermediate acetylator was the second most common phenotype (35.9% also more frequent in men (82.6%. Noise exposed individuals and individuals with ‘high frequency’ hearing loss seem to have a higher risk for tinnitus. Our data suggests that allele AT of GRM7 can have a statistically significant influence toward the severity of tinnitus.Conclusion: For each increasing year of age the chance of HL increases by 9%. The risk for ARHL was not significantly associated with GRM7 neither NAT2. However, we cannot conclude from our data whether the presence of T allele at GRM7 increases the odds for ARHL or whether the A allele has a protective effect. Genotype A/T at GRM7 could potentially be considered a

  15. Biomarkers of Presbycusis and Tinnitus in a Portuguese Older Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haider, Haúla F; Flook, Marisa; Aparicio, Mariana; Ribeiro, Diogo; Antunes, Marilia; Szczepek, Agnieszka J; Hoare, Derek J; Fialho, Graça; Paço, João C; Caria, Helena

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Presbycusis or age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a ubiquitous health problem. It is estimated that it will affect up to 1.5 billion people by 2025. In addition, tinnitus occurs in a large majority of cases with presbycusis. Glutamate metabotropic receptor 7 ( GRM7 ) and N -acetyltransferase 2 ( NAT2 ) are some of the genetic markers for presbycusis. Objectives: To explore patterns of hearing loss and the role of GRM7 and NAT2 as possible markers of presbycusis and tinnitus in a Portuguese population sample. Materials and Methods: Tonal and speech audiometry, tinnitus assessment, clinical interview, and DNA samples were obtained from patients aged from 55 to 75 with or without tinnitus. GRM7 analysis was performed by qPCR. Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NAT2 was performed by PCR amplification followed by Sanger sequencing or by qPCR. Results: We screened samples from 78 individuals (33 men and 45 women). T allele at GRM7 gene was the most observed (60.3% T/T and 33.3% A/T). Individuals with a T/T genotype have a higher risk for ARHL and 33% lower risk for tinnitus, compared to individuals with A/A and A/T genotype, respectively. Being a slow acetylator (53%) was the most common NAT2 phenotype, more common in men (55.8%). Intermediate acetylator was the second most common phenotype (35.9%) also more frequent in men (82.6%). Noise exposed individuals and individuals with 'high frequency' hearing loss seem to have a higher risk for tinnitus. Our data suggests that allele AT of GRM7 c an have a statistically significant influence toward the severity of tinnitus. Conclusion: For each increasing year of age the chance of HL increases by 9%. The risk for ARHL was not significantly associated with GRM7 neither NAT2 . However, we cannot conclude from our data whether the presence of T allele at GRM7 increases the odds for ARHL or whether the A allele has a protective effect. Genotype A/T at GRM7 could potentially be considered a

  16. Behavioral measures of tinnitus in laboratory animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Jeremy G

    2007-01-01

    The fact that so little is currently known about the pathophysiology of tinnitus is no doubt partly due to the relatively slow development of an animal model. Not until the work of Jastreboff et al. (1988a, b) did tinnitus researchers have at their disposal a method of determining whether their animals experienced tinnitus. Since then, a variety of additional animal models have been developed. Each of these models will be summarized in this chapter. It is becoming increasingly clear that in order to study tinnitus effectively, researchers need some verification that a drug, noise exposure or other manipulation is causing tinnitus in their animals. As this review will highlight, researchers now have a variety of behavioral options available to them.

  17. The psychometric properties of the Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire in a Dutch-speaking population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanneste, S; To, W T; De Ridder, D

    2011-02-01

    The aim of the study is to translate and validate the tinnitus handicap questionnaire (THQ) for a Dutch-speaking population. The factor structure of the questionnaire, the reliability and the validity is determined. Furthermore, a statistical comparison with the original English version of the tinnitus handicap questionnaire is performed. We assessed 101 patients at the Tinnitus Research Initiative clinic of Antwerp University Hospital. Twenty-seven Dutch items from the tinnitus handicap questionnaire by Kuk et al. [(1990), Ear Hear11:434-45.] were obtained by the process of translation and back translation. The factor structure, internal consistency, was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item correlations were used to confirm reliability. The construct validity was confirmed with a visual analogue scale for loudness and distress, awareness, annoyance, the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), the mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Profile of Mood State (POMS), ensuring that this new instrument measures the tinnitus handicap. This study demonstrates that the Dutch version of the tinnitus handicap questionnaire is a reliable (Cronbach's alpha coefficient α = 0.93) and valid measure of self-perceived tinnitus-related distress [with visual analogue scale for loudness (r = 0.39) and distress (r =0.45), awareness (r = 0.39), annoyance (r = 0.57), the Tinnitus Questionnaire (r = 0.82), the mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire (r = 0.79), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (r = 0.62) and the Beck Depression Inventory (r = 0.32)]. The psychometric properties are in line with previous findings on the English version with regard to reliability and validity. However, the items in the subscales differ from the English version. While the English version has three subscales, our version has only two subscales. Yet, the English version reports that for the three factors, there is a low

  18. Large-scale inverse and forward modeling of adaptive resonance in the tinnitus decompensation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low, Yin Fen; Trenado, Carlos; Delb, Wolfgang; D'Amelio, Roberto; Falkai, Peter; Strauss, Daniel J

    2006-01-01

    Neural correlates of psychophysiological tinnitus models in humans may be used for their neurophysiological validation as well as for their refinement and improvement to better understand the pathogenesis of the tinnitus decompensation and to develop new therapeutic approaches. In this paper we make use of neural correlates of top-down projections, particularly, a recently introduced synchronization stability measure, together with a multiscale evoked response potential (ERP) model in order to study and evaluate the tinnitus decompensation by using a hybrid inverse-forward mathematical methodology. The neural synchronization stability, which according to the underlying model is linked to the focus of attention on the tinnitus signal, follows the experimental and inverse way and allows to discriminate between a group of compensated and decompensated tinnitus patients. The multiscale ERP model, which works in the forward direction, is used to consolidate hypotheses which are derived from the experiments for a known neural source dynamics related to attention. It is concluded that both methodologies agree and support each other in the description of the discriminatory character of the neural correlate proposed, but also help to fill the gap between the top-down adaptive resonance theory and the Jastreboff model of tinnitus.

  19. Acupuncture in the treatment of tinnitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Fenye; Han, Xiuli; Li, Yunfeng; Yu, Shudong

    2016-02-01

    This study aimed at a systematic review and meta-analysis of all available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using acupuncture to treat tinnitus. Five electronic databases, in both English and Chinese, were searched. All studies in our review and meta-analysis included parallel RCTs of tinnitus patients which compared subjects receiving acupuncture (or its other forms, such as electroacupuncture) to subjects receiving no treatment, sham treatment, drugs or basic medical therapy. Data from the articles were validated and extracted using a predefined data extraction form. Nearly all of Chinese studies reported positive results, while most of English studies reported negative results. Analysis of the combined data found that the acupuncture treatments seemed to provide some advantages over conventional therapies for tinnitus. It had difference in acupuncture points and sessions between Chinese studies and English studies. Methodological flaws were also found in many of the RCTs, especially in Chinese studies. The results of this review suggest that acupuncture therapy may offer subjective benefit to some tinnitus patients. Acupuncture points and sessions used in Chinese studies may be more appropriate, whereas these studies have many methodological flaws and risk bias, which prevents us making a definitive conclusion.

  20. Behandlung des chronischen Tinnitus mit repetitiver transkranieller Magnetstimulation

    OpenAIRE

    Kleinjung, T

    2012-01-01

    Tinnitus ist eine Funktionsstörung des Hörsystems, die von verschiedenen Strukturen und Ebenen ausgehen kann. Tinnitus geht mit neuroplastischen Veränderungen im zentralen auditorischen System einher. Existenz eines „Tinnitus-Netzwerkes“.

  1. Cholinergic Hypofunction in Presbycusis-Related Tinnitus With Cognitive Function Impairment: Emerging Hypotheses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruan, Qingwei; Yu, Zhuowei; Zhang, Weibin; Ruan, Jian; Liu, Chunhui; Zhang, Ruxin

    2018-01-01

    Presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) is a potential risk factor for tinnitus and cognitive deterioration, which result in poor life quality. Presbycusis-related tinnitus with cognitive impairment is a common phenotype in the elderly population. In these individuals, the central auditory system shows similar pathophysiological alterations as those observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD), including cholinergic hypofunction, epileptiform-like network synchronization, chronic inflammation, and reduced GABAergic inhibition and neural plasticity. Observations from experimental rodent models indicate that recovery of cholinergic function can improve memory and other cognitive functions via acetylcholine-mediated GABAergic inhibition enhancement, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)-mediated anti-inflammation, glial activation inhibition and neurovascular protection. The loss of cholinergic innervation of various brain structures may provide a common link between tinnitus seen in presbycusis-related tinnitus and age-related cognitive impairment. We hypothesize a key component of the condition is the withdrawal of cholinergic input to a subtype of GABAergic inhibitory interneuron, neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurogliaform cells. Cholinergic denervation might not only cause the degeneration of NPY neurogliaform cells, but may also result in decreased AChR activation in GABAergic inhibitory interneurons. This, in turn, would lead to reduced GABA release and inhibitory regulation of neural networks. Reduced nAChR-mediated anti-inflammation due to the loss of nicotinic innervation might lead to the transformation of glial cells and release of inflammatory mediators, lowering the buffering of extracellular potassium and glutamate metabolism. Further research will provide evidence for the recovery of cholinergic function with the use of cholinergic input enhancement alone or in combination with other rehabilitative interventions to reestablish inhibitory regulation mechanisms of

  2. Clinical effect of intratympanic dexamethasone injection in acute unilateral tinnitus: A prospective, placebo-controlled, multicenter study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyun-Jin; Kim, Min-Beom; Yoo, Shin-Young; Park, Shi Nae; Nam, Eui-Cheol; Moon, In Seok; Lee, Ho-Ki

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of intratympanic dexamethasone injection (ITDI) in acute tinnitus of presumed cochlear origin. A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, multicenter study. Between August 2013 and December 2015, 54 patients with unilateral tinnitus were enrolled at four different centers. Patients were assigned either to an ITDI (n = 27) or an intratympanic normal saline injection (ITNI; n = 27) group through block randomization. Intratympanic injections were administered four times over 2 weeks. At 4 weeks after initial injection, we analyzed the improvement rates of tinnitus using the tinnitus handicap Inventory (THI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) for loudness, awareness, and annoyance. We defined improvement as the reduction of more than 7 points or of more than 20% in the final THI score compared to the initial THI score. The initial mean hearing thresholds and VAS and THI scores of the two groups did not differ significantly. At 4 weeks after initial injection, the mean VAS and THI scores of both groups had significantly reduced. However, the improvement rate did not differ significantly between the groups (ITDI, 51.9%; ITNI, 59.3%). The results indicate that ITDI might not be more effective than ITNI for the treatment of acute unilateral tinnitus. Therefore, ITDI should not be considered as the main treatment for patients presenting with acute tinnitus as the primary symptom. 1b. Laryngoscope, 128:184-188, 2018. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  3. Electroacupuncture for Tinnitus: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yang; Zhong, Juan; Jiang, Luyun; Liu, Ying; Chen, Qing; Xie, Yan; Zhang, Qinxiu

    2016-01-01

    Background Treatment effects of electroacupuncture for patients with subjective tinnitus has yet to be clarified. Objectives To assess the effect of electroacupuncutre for alleviating the symptoms of subjective tinnitus. Methods Extensive literature searches were carried out in three English and four Chinese databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang Chinese Digital Periodical and Conference Database, VIP, and ChiCTR).The date of the most recent search was 1 June 2014. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs were included. The titles, abstracts, and keywords of all records were reviewed by two authors independently. The data were collected and extracted by three authors. The risk of bias in the trials was assessed in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook, version 5.1.0. (http://www.handbook.cochrane.org). Eighty-nine studies were retrieved. After discarding 84 articles, five studies with 322 participants were identified. Assessment of the methodological quality of the studies identified weaknesses in all five studies. All studies were judged as having a high risk of selection and performance bias. The attrition bias was high in four studies. Incompleteness bias was low in all studies. Reporting bias was unclear in all studies. Because of the limited number of trials included and the various types of interventions and outcomes, we were unable to conduct pooled analyses. Conclusions Due to the poor methodological quality of the primary studies and the small sample sizes, no convincing evidence that electroacupuncture is beneficial for treating tinnitus could be found. There is an urgent need for more high-quality trials with large sample sizes for the investigation of electroacupuncture treatment for tinnitus. PMID:26938213

  4. The Effectiveness of Hypnotherapy in Treating Depression, Anxiety and Sleep Disturbance Caused by Subjective Tinnitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyed Mahmoud Mirzamani

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Patients with tinnitus encounter many problems, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, increased sensitivity to sound, and negativity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of hypnotherapy on the depression, anxiety, and insomnia caused by tinnitus. Materials and Methods: This study was a pilot research with a pretest-posttest and control design. The statistical population included individuals who suffered from tinnitus and its associated symptoms. Twenty patients with tinnitus were selected through available sampling. The subjects were divided randomly into two experimental and control groups. Both groups completed the Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in both pretest and post-test phases. Only the experimental group received 10 sessions of hypnotherapy. In this study, independent and dependent t-tests were used to obtain the data.Results: The two groups were similar in terms of tinnitus severity and age range. The results of independent and dependent t-tests at p=0.05 level in all three variables of depression, anxiety, and insomnia showed a significant difference between the scores of pretest and post-test as well as the post-test scores of control and experimental groups.Conclusion: The results indicated the effectiveness and usefulness of hypnotherapy in the reduction and treatment of the depression, anxiety, and insomnia caused by tinnitus in the experimental group.

  5. Tinnitus-provoking salicylate treatment triggers social impairments in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guitton, Matthieu J

    2009-09-01

    Tinnitus (perception of sound in silence) strongly affects the quality of life of sufferers. Tinnitus sufferers and their relatives frequently complain about major social impairments. However, it is not known whether this impairment directly results from the occurrence of tinnitus or is the indirect expression of a preexisting psychological vulnerability. Using the well-characterized animal model of salicylate-induced tinnitus, we investigate in mice whether the occurrence of tinnitus can trigger social impairments. Experiments were performed on 32 male Balb/C mice. Tinnitus was induced in mice using salicylate treatment. Social behavior was assessed in experimental and control animals using social interaction paradigm. Interaction time, number of social events, and number of nonsocial events were assessed in all animals. We demonstrate for the first time that treatment known to induce tinnitus triggers complex social impairments in mice. While salicylate-treated animals present a massive decrease in their overall social interactions compared to control untreated animals, they also display a paradoxal increase in the number of conspecific followings. Tinnitus can thus trigger a complex set of modifications of behavior, which will not only find their expression at the individual level, but also at the social level. Our results suggest that tinnitus can directly be a cause of psychosocial impairment in human and have strong implications for the clinical management of tinnitus sufferers.

  6. A feasibility study of predictable and unpredictable surf-like sounds for tinnitus therapy using personal music players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durai, Mithila; Kobayashi, Kei; Searchfield, Grant D

    2018-05-28

    To evaluate the feasibility of predictable or unpredictable amplitude-modulated sounds for tinnitus therapy. The study consisted of two parts. (1) An adaptation experiment. Loudness level matches and rating scales (10-point) for loudness and distress were obtained at a silent baseline and at the end of three counterbalanced 30-min exposures (silence, predictable and unpredictable). (2) A qualitative 2-week sound therapy feasibility trial. Participants took home a personal music player (PMP). Part 1: 23 individuals with chronic tinnitus and part 2: seven individuals randomly selected from Part 1. Self-reported tinnitus loudness and annoyance were significantly lower than baseline ratings after acute unpredictable sound exposure. Tinnitus annoyance ratings were also significantly lower than the baseline but the effect was small. The feasibility trial identified that participant preferences for sounds varied. Three participants did not obtain any benefit from either sound. Three participants preferred unpredictable compared to predictable sounds. Some participants had difficulty using the PMP, the average self-report hours of use were low (less <1 h/day). Unpredictable surf-like sounds played using a PMP is a feasible tinnitus treatment. Further work is required to improve the acceptance of the sound and ease of PMP use.

  7. TINNITUS WHAT AND WHERE: AN ECOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grant Donald Searchfield

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Tinnitus is an interaction of the environment, cognition and plasticity. The connection between the individual with tinnitus and their world seldom receives attention in neurophysiological research. As well as changes in cell excitability, an individual’s culture and beliefs, work and social environs may all influence how tinnitus is perceived. In this review an ecological framework for current neurophysiological evidence is considered. The model defines tinnitus as the perception of an auditory object in the absence of an acoustic event. It is hypothesized that following deafferentation: adaptive feature extraction, schema and semantic object formation processes lead to tinnitus in a manner predicted by Adaptation Level Theory (1, 2. Evidence from physiological studies are compared to the tenants of the proposed ecological model. The consideration of diverse events within an ecological context may unite seemingly disparate neurophysiological models.

  8. Role of hearing AIDS in tinnitus intervention: a scoping review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shekhawat, Giriraj Singh; Searchfield, Grant D; Stinear, Cathy M

    2013-09-01

    Tinnitus can have a devastating impact on the quality of life of the sufferer. Although the mechanisms underpinning tinnitus remain uncertain, hearing loss is often associated with its onset, and hearing aids are among the most commonly used tools for its management. To conduct a scoping review to explore the role of hearing aids in tinnitus management. Scoping review based on the six-stage framework of Arksey and O'Malley (2005). Relevant studies were identified using various databases (Scopus, Google Scholar, SpringerLink, and PubMed) and hand searching of journals and a reference list of articles. Out of 277 shortlisted articles, 29 studies (18 research studies and 11 reviews) were chosen for charting of data based on their abstracts. Tinnitus assessment measures used in studies were recorded along with changes in their scores. Measures used in studies included the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (THQ), Tinnitus Severity Index (TSI), Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ), German version of Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and visual analogue scale (VAS) of tinnitus intensity. Where possible Cohen's d effect size statistic was calculated. Although the quality of evidence for hearing aids' effect on tinnitus is not strong, the weight of evidence (17 research studies for, 1 against) suggests merit in using hearing aids for tinnitus management. The majority of studies reviewed support the use of hearing aids for tinnitus management. Clinicians should feel reassured that some evidence shows support for the use of hearing aids for treating tinnitus, but there is still a need for stronger methodology and randomized control trials. American Academy of Audiology.

  9. The role of attention in the tinnitus decompensation: reinforcement of a large-scale neural decompensation measure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low, Yin Fen; Trenado, Carlos; Delb, Wolfgang; Corona-Strauss, Farah I; Strauss, Daniel J

    2007-01-01

    Large-scale neural correlates of the tinnitus decompensation have been identified by using wavelet phase stability criteria of single sweep sequences of auditory late responses (ALRs). The suggested measure provided an objective quantification of the tinnitus decompensation and allowed for a reliable discrimination between a group of compensated and decompensated tinnitus patients. By interpreting our results with an oscillatory tinnitus model, our synchronization stability measure of ALRs can be linked to the focus of attention on the tinnitus signal. In the following study, we examined in detail the correlates of this attentional mechanism in healthy subjects. The results support our previous findings of the phase synchronization stability measure that reflected neural correlates of the fixation of attention to the tinnitus signal. In this case, enabling the differentiation between the attended and unattended conditions. It is concluded that the wavelet phase synchronization stability of ALRs single sweeps can be used as objective tinnitus decompensation measure and can be interpreted in the framework of the Jastreboff tinnitus model and adaptive resonance theory. Our studies confirm that the synchronization stability in ALR sequences is linked to attention. This measure is not only able to serve as objective quantification of the tinnitus decompensation, but also can be applied in all online and real time neurofeedback therapeutic approach where a direct stimulus locked attention monitoring is compulsory as if it based on a single sweeps processing.

  10. Paraflocculus plays a role in salicylate-induced tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Yali; Liu, Junxiu; Jiang, Qin; Duan, Qingchuan; Mao, Lanqun; Ma, Furong

    2017-09-01

    Tinnitus impairs quality of life of about 1-2% of the whole population. In most severe situation, tinnitus may cause social isolation, depression and suicide. Drug treatments for tinnitus are generally ineffective, and the mechanisms of tinnitus are still undetermined. Accumulating evidence suggests that tinnitus is related to changes of widespread brain networks. Recent studies propose that paraflocculus (PFL), which is indirectly connected to various cortical regions, may be a gating zone of tinnitus. So we examined the electrophysiological changes and neurotransmitter alterations of the PFL in a rat model of sodium salicylate (SS)-induced tinnitus. We found that spontaneous firing rate (SFR) of the putative excitatory interneurons of the PFL was significantly increased. The level of glutamic acid, which is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, was also dramatically increased in the PFL after SS treatment. These results confirmed the hyperactivity of PFL in the rats with SS-treatment, which might be due to the increased glutamic acid. Then we examined the SFR of the auditory cortex (AC), the center for auditory perception, before and after electrical stimulation of the PFL. 71.4% (105/147) of the recorded neurons showed a response to the stimulation of the PFL. The result demonstrated that stimulation of the PFL could modulate the activity of the AC. Our study suggests a role of PFL in SS-induced tinnitus and AC as a potential target of PFL in the process of tinnitus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Functional imaging of unilateral tinnitus using fMRI

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lanting, C. P.; De Kleine, E.; Van Dijk, P.; Bartels, H.

    2008-01-01

    Conclusions. This article shows that the inferior colliculus plays a key role in unilateral subjective tinnitus. Objectives. The major aim of this study was to determine tinnitus-related neural activity in the central auditory system of unilateral tinnitus subjects and compare this to control

  12. Cholinergic Hypofunction in Presbycusis-Related Tinnitus With Cognitive Function Impairment: Emerging Hypotheses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qingwei Ruan

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Presbycusis (age-related hearing loss is a potential risk factor for tinnitus and cognitive deterioration, which result in poor life quality. Presbycusis-related tinnitus with cognitive impairment is a common phenotype in the elderly population. In these individuals, the central auditory system shows similar pathophysiological alterations as those observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD, including cholinergic hypofunction, epileptiform-like network synchronization, chronic inflammation, and reduced GABAergic inhibition and neural plasticity. Observations from experimental rodent models indicate that recovery of cholinergic function can improve memory and other cognitive functions via acetylcholine-mediated GABAergic inhibition enhancement, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR-mediated anti-inflammation, glial activation inhibition and neurovascular protection. The loss of cholinergic innervation of various brain structures may provide a common link between tinnitus seen in presbycusis-related tinnitus and age-related cognitive impairment. We hypothesize a key component of the condition is the withdrawal of cholinergic input to a subtype of GABAergic inhibitory interneuron, neuropeptide Y (NPY neurogliaform cells. Cholinergic denervation might not only cause the degeneration of NPY neurogliaform cells, but may also result in decreased AChR activation in GABAergic inhibitory interneurons. This, in turn, would lead to reduced GABA release and inhibitory regulation of neural networks. Reduced nAChR-mediated anti-inflammation due to the loss of nicotinic innervation might lead to the transformation of glial cells and release of inflammatory mediators, lowering the buffering of extracellular potassium and glutamate metabolism. Further research will provide evidence for the recovery of cholinergic function with the use of cholinergic input enhancement alone or in combination with other rehabilitative interventions to reestablish inhibitory regulation

  13. An animal model of tinnitus: a decade of development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastreboff, P J; Sasaki, C T

    1994-01-01

    Although tinnitus affects approximately 9 million people in the United States, a cure remains elusive and the mechanisms of its origin are speculative. The crucial obstacle in tinnitus research has been the lack of an animal model. Over the last decade we have been creating such a model by combining a variety of methodologies, including a behavioral component, to allow for the detection of tinnitus perception. Initially, 2-deoxyglucose had been used to map changes in the metabolic activity after unilateral destruction of the cochlea. It has been found that the initial decrease of the metabolic rate in the auditory nuclei recovered to preoperative values, which could be attributable to the development of tinnitus. The spontaneous activity of single units recorded from the inferior colliculus before and after salicylate administration revealed an increase of discharges, which might reflect the presence of salicylate-induced tinnitus. Recent data have confirmed, and further elaborated this observation, including the discovery of abnormal, epileptic-like, neuronal activity. Finally, the authors have developed a behavioral model of tinnitus, tested it extensively, and used it to measure tinnitus pitch and loudness. The model is presently used for investigating the hypotheses for the mechanisms of tinnitus.

  14. Characteristics of the tinnitus and hyperacusis in normal hearing individuals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daila Urnau1,

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The tinnitus has become a common otological complaint. Another complaint is found in bearers of the tinnitus is the hyperacusis. Objective: Analyze the characteristics of tinnitus and hyperacusis in normal hearing individuals with associated complaints of tinnitus and hyperacusis. Method: 25 normal hearing individuals who complained of hyperacusis and tinnitus were surveyed in this form of cross-sectional study. They were questioned about the location and type of the tinnitus. The evaluation of the tinnitus was made using the Brazilian Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and acuphenometry. A questionnaire was made about the hyperacusis covering aspects such as: sounds considered uncomfortable, sensations in the presence of such sounds, and difficulty understanding speech in noise. Results: Of the 25 individuals, 64% were women and 36% men. Regarding tinnitus, 84% referred to bilateral location and 80% high pitch. The most common degree found was light (44%. The women presented tinnitus degree statistically superior to those of men. The strong intensity sounds and the reactions of irritation, anxiety and the need to move away from the sound were the most mentioned. From the analyzed individuals, 68% referred to difficulty understanding speech in noise and 12% reported using hearing protection. The most found frequencies at the acuphenometry were 6 and 8 KHz. Conclusion: Normal hearing individuals who complain of tinnitus and hyperacusis present mainly high pitch tinnitus, located bilaterally and light degree. The sounds considered uncomfortable were the high intensity ones and the most cited reaction to sound was irritation. The difficulty to understand speech in noise was reported by most of the individuals.

  15. Psychological Therapy for People with Tinnitus: A Scoping Review of Treatment Components

    OpenAIRE

    Thompson, Dean M.; Hall, Deborah A.; Walker, Dawn-Marie; Hoare, Derek J.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Tinnitus is associated with depression and anxiety disor- ders, severely and adversely affecting the quality of life and functional health status for some people. With the dearth of clinical psychologists embedded in audiology services and the cessation of training for hearing therapists in the UK, it is left to audiologists to meet the psychological needs of many patients with tinnitus. However, there is no universally standardized training or manualized intervention specifically...

  16. The natural history of subjective tinnitus in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of no-intervention periods in controlled trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, John S; McFerran, Don J; Hall, Deborah A; Hoare, Derek J

    2018-01-01

    Tinnitus is a prevalent condition, but little has been published regarding the natural history of the condition. One technique for evaluating the long-term progression of the disease is to examine what happens to participants in the no-intervention control arm of a clinical trial. The aim of this study was to examine no-intervention or waiting-list data reported in trials, in which participants on the active arm received any form of tinnitus intervention. CINAHL, PsychINFO, EMBASE, ASSIA, PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, EBSCO Host, and Cochrane. Inclusion criteria followed the PICOS principles: Participants, adults with tinnitus; Intervention, none; Control, any intervention for alleviating tinnitus; Outcomes, a measure assessing tinnitus symptoms using a multi-item patient-reported tinnitus questionnaire. Secondary outcome measures included multi-item patient-reported questionnaires of mood and health-related quality of life and measures that quantified change in tinnitus loudness; Study design, randomized controlled trials or observational studies utilizing a no-intervention or waiting-list control group. Data were extracted and standardized mean difference was calculated for each study to enable meta-analysis. The evidence strongly favored a statistically significant decrease in the impact of tinnitus over time, though there was significant heterogeneity and clinical significance cannot be interpreted. Outcome data regarding secondary measures did not demonstrate any clinically significant change. Participants allocated to the no-intervention or waiting-list control arm of clinical trials for a tinnitus intervention show a small but significant improvement in self-reported measures of tinnitus with time; the clinical significance of this finding is unknown. There is, however, considerable variation across individuals. These findings support previous work and can cautiously be used when counseling patients. Laryngoscope, 128:217-227, 2018. © 2017 The

  17. What progress have we made with tinnitus? The Tonndorf Lecture 2005.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baguley, David M

    2006-12-01

    The field of tinnitus research is vibrant and active. Prospects for progress are high, but would be optimized by the growth of inter-disciplinary collaborations. Tinnitus remains a source of urgent scientific investigation, and truly effective treatments continue to be elusive. The Tonndorf Lecture of the International Tinnitus Seminars represents an opportunity to reflect upon progress to date regarding tinnitus, and the actions needed to further that progress in future. Progress regarding tinnitus mechanisms is reviewed, with particular regard to the conceptual distinction between ignition sites for tinnitus, and the physiological mechanisms that then promote the tinnitus through the central auditory pathway. The current status of both the Jastreboff neurophysiological model and the psychological model of tinnitus is reviewed. Some concerns regarding each model are raised, and the need for models that integrate the insights of both perspectives is identified as urgent. There are clear indications of progress in tinnitus, specifically regarding mechanisms, models and treatments. For knowledge to progress further, however, there is a pressing need for an inter-disciplinary approach to tinnitus, more involvement in teaching at a postgraduate level, and the development of experimental models of tinnitus that are both congruent with, and represent the complexity of, human experience of tinnitus.

  18. Tinnitus and Sleep Difficulties After Cochlear Implantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pierzycki, Robert H; Edmondson-Jones, Mark; Dawes, Piers; Munro, Kevin J; Moore, David R; Kitterick, Pádraig T

    To estimate and compare the prevalence of and associations between tinnitus and sleep difficulties in a sample of UK adult cochlear implant users and those identified as potential candidates for cochlear implantation. The study was conducted using the UK Biobank resource, a population-based cohort of 40- to 69-year olds. Self-report data on hearing, tinnitus, sleep difficulties, and demographic variables were collected from cochlear implant users (n = 194) and individuals identified as potential candidates for cochlear implantation (n = 211). These "candidates" were selected based on (i) impaired hearing sensitivity, inferred from self-reported hearing aid use and (ii) impaired hearing function, inferred from an inability to report words accurately at negative signal to noise ratios on an unaided closed-set test of speech perception. Data on tinnitus (presence, persistence, and related distress) and on sleep difficulties were analyzed using logistic regression models controlling for gender, age, deprivation, and neuroticism. The prevalence of tinnitus was similar among implant users (50%) and candidates (52%; p = 0.39). However, implant users were less likely to report that their tinnitus was distressing at its worst (41%) compared with candidates (63%; p = 0.02). The logistic regression model suggested that this difference between the two groups could be explained by the fact that tinnitus was less persistent in implant users (46%) compared with candidates (72%; p reported difficulties with sleep were similar among implant users (75%) and candidates (82%; p = 0.28), but participants with tinnitus were more likely to report sleep difficulties than those without (p explanation is supported by the similar prevalence of sleep problems among implant users and potential candidates for cochlear implantation, despite differences between the groups in tinnitus persistence and related emotional distress. Cochlear implantation may therefore not be an appropriate intervention

  19. Expression of immediate-early genes in the dorsal cochlear nucleus in salicylate-induced tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Shou-Sen; Mei, Ling; Chen, Jian-Yong; Huang, Zhi-Wu; Wu, Hao

    2016-02-01

    Spontaneous neuronal activity in dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) may be involved in the physiological processes underlying salicylate-induced tinnitus. As a neuronal activity marker, immediate-early gene (IEG) expression, especially activity-dependent cytoskeletal protein (Arc/Arg3.1) and the early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1), appears to be highly correlated with sensory-evoked neuronal activity. However, their relationships with tinnitus induced by salicylate have rarely been reported in the DCN. In this study, we assessed the effect of acute and chronic salicylate treatment on the expression of N-methyl D-aspartate receptor subunit 2B (NR2B), Arg3.1, and Egr-1. We also observed ultrastructural alterations in the DCN synapses in an animal model of tinnitus. Levels of mRNA and protein expression of NR2B and Arg3.1 were increased in rats that were chronically administered salicylate (200 mg/kg, twice daily for 3, 7, or 14 days). These levels returned to baseline 14 days after cessation of treatment. However, no significant changes were observed in Egr-1 gene expression in any groups. Furthermore, rats subjected to long-term salicylate administration showed more presynaptic vesicles, thicker and longer postsynaptic densities, and increased synaptic interface curvature. Alterations of Arg3.1 and NR2B may be responsible for the changes in the synaptic ultrastructure. These changes confirm that salicylate can cause neural plasticity changes at the DCN level.

  20. Lifetime leisure music exposure associated with increased frequency of tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, David R; Zobay, Oliver; Mackinnon, Robert C; Whitmer, William M; Akeroyd, Michael A

    2017-04-01

    Tinnitus has been linked to noise exposure, a common form of which is listening to music as a leisure activity. The relationship between tinnitus and type and duration of music exposure is not well understood. We conducted an internet-based population study that asked participants questions about lifetime music exposure and hearing, and included a hearing test involving speech intelligibility in noise, the High Frequency Digit Triplets Test. 4950 people aged 17-75 years completed all questions and the hearing test. Results were analyzed using multinomial regression models. High exposure to leisure music, hearing difficulty, increasing age and workplace noise exposure were independently associated with increased tinnitus. Three forms of music exposure (pubs/clubs, concerts, personal music players) did not differ in their relationship to tinnitus. More males than females reported tinnitus. The objective measure of speech reception threshold had only a minimal relationship with tinnitus. Self-reported hearing difficulty was more strongly associated with tinnitus, but 76% of people reporting usual or constant tinnitus also reported little or no hearing difficulty. Overall, around 40% of participants of all ages reported never experiencing tinnitus, while 29% reported sometimes, usually or constantly experiencing tinnitus that lasted more than 5 min. Together, the results suggest that tinnitus is much more common than hearing loss, but that there is little association between the two, especially among the younger adults disproportionately sampled in this study. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Chronisch-dekompensierter Tinnitus: ein heterogenes Krankheitsbild mit Auswirkungen auf den Behandlungserfolg

    OpenAIRE

    Ivansic, D; Müller, B; Dobel, C; Guntinas-Lichius, O

    2017-01-01

    Einleitung: Bei etwa 5% der Patienten mit chronischem Tinnitus gehen die Ohrgeräusche mit erheblichem Leidensdruck, häufig auch mit psychiatrischen Störung einher. Da es aktuell keine wirksame Behandlung gibt, welche zu Beseitigung des chronischen Tinnitus führt, ist das Therapieziel die Reduktion der Tinnitus-Belastung. Methodik: Es wurden von 7/13 bis 12/14 308 Patienten mit chronischen Tinnitus tagesklinisch interdisziplinär behandelt. Die Tinnitus-Belastung wurde mit Tinnitus-Fragebogen...

  2. Patient-Reported Measures of Hearing Loss and Tinnitus in Pediatric Cancer and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stark, Daniel; Rosenberg, Abby R.; Johnston, Donna; Knight, Kristin; Caperon, Lizzie; Uleryk, Elizabeth; Frazier, A. Lindsay; Sung, Lillian

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: We identified studies that described use of any patient-reported outcome scale for hearing loss or tinnitus among children and adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. Method: In this systematic review, we performed electronic searches of OvidSP MEDLINE, EMBASE, and…

  3. The Prevalence of Fabry Disease in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in Turkey: The TURKFAB Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kultigin Turkmen

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: Fabry disease is a treatable cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD characterized by a genetic deficiency of α-galactosidase A. European Renal Best Practice (ERBP recommends screening for Fabry disease in CKD patients. However, this is based on expert opinion and there are no reports of the prevalence of Fabry disease in stage 1-5 CKD. Hence, we investigated the prevalence of Fabry disease in CKD patients not receiving renal replacement therapy. Methods: This prospective study assessed α-galactosidase activity in dried blood spots in 313 stage 1-5 CKD patients, 167 males, between ages of 18-70 years whose etiology of CKD was unknown and were not receiving renal replacement therapy. The diagnosis was confirmed by GLA gene mutation analysis. Results: Three (all males of 313 CKD patients (0.95% were diagnosed of Fabry disease, for a prevalence in males of 1.80%. Family screening identified 8 aditional Fabry patients with CKD. Of a total of 11 Fabry patients, 7 were male and started enzyme replacement therapy and 4 were female. The most frequent manifestations in male patients were fatigue (100%, tinnitus, vertigo, acroparesthesia, hypohidrosis, cornea verticillata and angiokeratoma (all 85%, heat intolerance (71%, and abdominal pain (57%. The most frequent manifestations in female patients were fatigue and cornea verticillata (50%, and tinnitus, vertigo and angiokeratoma (25%. Three patients had severe episodic abdominal pain attacks and proteinuria, and were misdiagnosed as familial Mediterranean fever. Conclusions: The prevalence of Fabry disease in selected CKD patients is in the range found among renal replacement therapy patients, but the disease is diagnosed at an earlier, treatable stage. These data support the ERBP recommendation to screen for Fabry disease in patients with CKD of unknown origin.

  4. Phantom auditory perception (tinnitus): mechanisms of generation and perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastreboff, P J

    1990-08-01

    Phantom auditory perception--tinnitus--is a symptom of many pathologies. Although there are a number of theories postulating certain mechanisms of its generation, none have been proven yet. This paper analyses the phenomenon of tinnitus from the point of view of general neurophysiology. Existing theories and their extrapolation are presented, together with some new potential mechanisms of tinnitus generation, encompassing the involvement of calcium and calcium channels in cochlear function, with implications for malfunction and aging of the auditory and vestibular systems. It is hypothesized that most tinnitus results from the perception of abnormal activity, defined as activity which cannot be induced by any combination of external sounds. Moreover, it is hypothesized that signal recognition and classification circuits, working on holographic or neuronal network-like representation, are involved in the perception of tinnitus and are subject to plastic modification. Furthermore, it is proposed that all levels of the nervous system, to varying degrees, are involved in tinnitus manifestation. These concepts are used to unravel the inexplicable, unique features of tinnitus and its masking. Some clinical implications of these theories are suggested.

  5. Hvordan kan mindfulness-basert behandling hjelpe for pasienter med tinnitus?

    OpenAIRE

    Valle, Linda

    2014-01-01

    Tinnitus is a common and severe disorder presenting big health issues for the many people affected. The fact that not all people are affected by their tinnitus, have been a puzzle for scientists. This has led to an expanded psychological view of tinnitus over time. Tinnitus as a functional disorder, is first of all a medical disorder, and treatment has been oriented from an audiological perspective. Studies and neurophysiology has shown tinnitus to be a transdiagnostic disorder, which mean th...

  6. Behavioral models of tinnitus and hyperacusis in animals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah H Hayes

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The phantom perception of tinnitus and reduced sound level tolerance associated with hyperacusis, have a high comorbidity and can be debilitating conditions for which there are no widely accepted treatments. One factor limiting the development of treatments for tinnitus and hyperacusis is the lack of reliable animal behavioral models of these disorders. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to highlight the current animal models of tinnitus and hyperacusis, and to detail the advantages and disadvantages of each paradigm. To date, this is the first review to include models of both tinnitus and hyperacusis.

  7. A Conditioned Behavioral Paradigm for Assessing Onset and Lasting Tinnitus in Rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pace, Edward; Luo, Hao; Bobian, Michael; Panekkad, Ajay; Zhang, Xueguo; Zhang, Huiming; Zhang, Jinsheng

    2016-01-01

    Numerous behavioral paradigms have been developed to assess tinnitus-like behavior in animals. Nevertheless, they are often limited by prolonged training requirements, as well as an inability to simultaneously assess onset and lasting tinnitus behavior, tinnitus pitch or duration, or tinnitus presence without grouping data from multiple animals or testing sessions. To enhance behavioral testing of tinnitus, we developed a conditioned licking suppression paradigm to determine the pitch(s) of both onset and lasting tinnitus-like behavior within individual animals. Rats learned to lick water during broadband or narrowband noises, and to suppress licking to avoid footshocks during silence. After noise exposure, rats significantly increased licking during silent trials, suggesting onset tinnitus-like behavior. Lasting tinnitus-behavior, however, was exhibited in about half of noise-exposed rats through 7 weeks post-exposure tested. Licking activity during narrowband sound trials remained unchanged following noise exposure, while ABR hearing thresholds fully recovered and were comparable between tinnitus(+) and tinnitus(-) rats. To assess another tinnitus inducer, rats were injected with sodium salicylate. They demonstrated high pitch tinnitus-like behavior, but later recovered by 5 days post-injection. Further control studies showed that 1): sham noise-exposed rats tested with footshock did not exhibit tinnitus-like behavior, and 2): noise-exposed or sham rats tested without footshocks showed no fundamental changes in behavior compared to those tested with shocks. Together, these results demonstrate that this paradigm can efficiently test the development of noise- and salicylate-induced tinnitus behavior. The ability to assess tinnitus individually, over time, and without averaging data enables us to realistically address tinnitus in a clinically relevant way. Thus, we believe that this optimized behavioral paradigm will facilitate investigations into the mechanisms of

  8. Blast-Induced Tinnitus and Elevated Central Auditory and Limbic Activity in Rats: A Manganese-Enhanced MRI and Behavioral Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouyang, Jessica; Pace, Edward; Lepczyk, Laura; Kaufman, Michael; Zhang, Jessica; Perrine, Shane A; Zhang, Jinsheng

    2017-07-07

    Blast-induced tinitus is the number one service-connected disability that currently affects military personnel and veterans. To elucidate its underlying mechanisms, we subjected 13 Sprague Dawley adult rats to unilateral 14 psi blast exposure to induce tinnitus and measured auditory and limbic brain activity using manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI). Tinnitus was evaluated with a gap detection acoustic startle reflex paradigm, while hearing status was assessed with prepulse inhibition (PPI) and auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). Both anxiety and cognitive functioning were assessed using elevated plus maze and Morris water maze, respectively. Five weeks after blast exposure, 8 of the 13 blasted rats exhibited chronic tinnitus. While acoustic PPI remained intact and ABR thresholds recovered, the ABR wave P1-N1 amplitude reduction persisted in all blast-exposed rats. No differences in spatial cognition were observed, but blasted rats as a whole exhibited increased anxiety. MEMRI data revealed a bilateral increase in activity along the auditory pathway and in certain limbic regions of rats with tinnitus compared to age-matched controls. Taken together, our data suggest that while blast-induced tinnitus may play a role in auditory and limbic hyperactivity, the non-auditory effects of blast and potential traumatic brain injury may also exert an effect.

  9. Neural plasticity expressed in central auditory structures with and without tinnitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larry E Roberts

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Sensory training therapies for tinnitus are based on the assumption that, notwithstanding neural changes related to tinnitus, auditory training can alter the response properties of neurons in auditory pathways. To address this question, we investigated whether brain changes induced by sensory training in tinnitus sufferers and measured by EEG are similar to those induced in age and hearing loss matched individuals without tinnitus trained on the same auditory task. Auditory training was given using a 5 kHz 40-Hz amplitude-modulated sound that was in the tinnitus frequency region of the tinnitus subjects and enabled extraction of the 40-Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR and P2 transient response known to localize to primary and nonprimary auditory cortex, respectively. P2 amplitude increased with training equally in participants with tinnitus and in control subjects, suggesting normal remodeling of nonprimary auditory regions in tinnitus. However, training-induced changes in the ASSR differed between the tinnitus and control groups. In controls ASSR phase advanced toward the stimulus waveform by about ten degrees over training, in agreement with previous results obtained in young normal hearing individuals. However, ASSR phase did not change significantly with training in the tinnitus group, although some participants showed phase shifts resembling controls. On the other hand, ASSR amplitude increased with training in the tinnitus group, whereas in controls this response (which is difficult to remodel in young normal hearing subjects did not change with training. These results suggest that neural changes related to tinnitus altered how neural plasticity was expressed in the region of primary but not nonprimary auditory cortex. Auditory training did not reduce tinnitus loudness although a small effect on the tinnitus spectrum was detected.

  10. Genetic susceptibility to bilateral tinnitus in a Swedish twin cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maas, Iris Lianne; Brüggemann, Petra; Requena, Teresa; Bulla, Jan; Edvall, Niklas K; Hjelmborg, Jacob V B; Szczepek, Agnieszka J; Canlon, Barbara; Mazurek, Birgit; Lopez-Escamez, Jose A; Cederroth, Christopher R

    2017-09-01

    Genetic contributions to tinnitus have been difficult to determine due to the heterogeneity of the condition and its broad etiology. Here, we evaluated the genetic and nongenetic influences on self-reported tinnitus from the Swedish Twin Registry (STR). Cross-sectional data from the STR was obtained. Casewise concordance rates (the risk of one twin being affected given that his/her twin partner has tinnitus) were compared for monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs (N = 10,464 concordant and discordant twin pairs) and heritability coefficients (the proportion of the total variance attributable to genetic factors) were calculated using biometrical model fitting procedures. Stratification of tinnitus cases into subtypes according to laterality (unilateral versus bilateral) revealed that heritability of bilateral tinnitus was 0.56; however, it was 0.27 for unilateral tinnitus. Heritability was greater in men (0.68) than in women (0.41). However, when female pairs younger than 40 years of age were selected, heritability of 0.62 was achieved with negligible effects of shared environment. Unlike unilateral tinnitus, bilateral tinnitus is influenced by genetic factors and might constitute a genetic subtype. Overall, our study provides the initial evidence for a tinnitus phenotype with a genetic influence.Genet Med advance online publication 23 March 2017.

  11. Validation of Online Versions of Tinnitus Questionnaires Translated into Swedish

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Karolina; Edvall, Niklas K.; Idrizbegovic, Esma; Huhn, Robert; Cima, Rilana; Persson, Viktor; Leineweber, Constanze; Westerlund, Hugo; Langguth, Berthold; Schlee, Winfried; Canlon, Barbara; Cederroth, Christopher R.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Due to the lack of objective measures for assessing tinnitus, its clinical evaluation largely relies on the use of questionnaires and psychoacoustic tests. A global assessment of tinnitus burden would largely benefit from holistic approaches that not only incorporate measures of tinnitus but also take into account associated fears, emotional aspects (stress, anxiety, and depression), and quality of life. In Sweden, only a few instruments are available for assessing tinnitus, and the existing tools lack validation. Therefore, we translated a set of questionnaires into Swedish and evaluated their reliability and validity in a group of tinnitus subjects. Methods: We translated the English versions of the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), the Fear of Tinnitus Questionnaire (FTQ), the Tinnitus Catastrophizing Scale (TCS), the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-30), and the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire (TSCHQ) into Swedish. These translations were delivered via the internet with the already existing Swedish versions of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQoL-BREF). Psychometric properties were evaluated by means of internal consistency [Cronbach's alpha (α)] and test–retest reliability across a 9-week interval [Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), Cohen's kappa] in order to establish construct as well as clinical validity using a sample of 260 subjects from a population-based cohort. Results: Internal consistency was acceptable for all questionnaires (α > 0.7) with the exception of the “social relationships” subscale of the WHOQoL-BREF. Test–retest reliability was generally acceptable (ICC > 0.70, Cohens kappa > 0.60) for the tinnitus-related questionnaires, except for the TFI “sense of control” subscale and 15 items of the TSCHQ. Spearmen rank correlations showed that

  12. Validation of online versions of tinnitus questionnaires translated into Swedish

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karolina Müller

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundDue to the lack of objective measures for assessing tinnitus, its clinical evaluation largely relies on the use of questionnaires and psychoacoustic tests. A global assessment of tinnitus burden would largely benefit from holistic approaches that not only incorporate measures of tinnitus but also take into account associated fears, emotional aspects (stress, anxiety, and depression, and quality of life. In Sweden, only a few instruments are available for assessing tinnitus, and the existing tools lack validation. Therefore, we translated a set of questionnaires into Swedish and evaluated their reliability and validity in a group of tinnitus subjects. MethodsWe translated the English versions of the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI, the Fear of Tinnitus Questionnaire (FTQ, the Tinnitus Catastrophizing Scale (TCS, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-30, and the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire (TSCHQ into Swedish. These translations were delivered via the internet with the already existing Swedish versions of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, the Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQoL-BREF. Psychometric properties were evaluated by means of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha α and test-retest reliability across a 9-week interval (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient ICC, Cohen’s kappa in order to establish construct as well as clinical validity using a sample of 260 subjects from a population-based cohort.ResultsInternal consistency was acceptable for all questionnaires (α >0.7 with the exception of the ‘social relationships’ subscale of the WHOQoL-BREF. Test-retest reliability was generally acceptable (ICC >.70, Cohens Kappa >.60 for the tinnitus-related questionnaires, except for the TFI ‘sense of control’ subscale and 15 items of the TSCHQ. Spearmen rank correlations showed that almost all

  13. Evidence of associations between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) serum levels and gene polymorphisms with tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coskunoglu, Aysun; Orenay-Boyacioglu, Seda; Deveci, Artuner; Bayam, Mustafa; Onur, Ece; Onan, Arzu; Cam, Fethi S

    2017-01-01

    Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene polymorphisms are associated with abnormalities in regulation of BDNF secretion. Studies also linked BDNF polymorphisms with changes in brainstem auditory-evoked response test results. Furthermore, BDNF levels are reduced in tinnitus, psychiatric disorders, depression, dysthymic disorder that may be associated with stress, conversion disorder, and suicide attempts due to crises of life. For this purpose, we investigated whether there is any role of BDNF changes in the pathophysiology of tinnitus. In this study, we examined the possible effects of BDNF variants in individuals diagnosed with tinnitus for more than 3 months. Fifty-two tinnitus subjects between the ages of 18 and 55, and 42 years healthy control subjects in the same age group, who were free of any otorhinolaryngology and systemic disease, were selected for examination. The intensity of tinnitus and depression was measured using the tinnitus handicap inventory, and the differential diagnosis of psychiatric diagnoses made using the Structured Clinical Interview for Fourth Edition of Mental Disorders. BDNF gene polymorphism was analyzed in the genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples extracted from the venous blood, and the serum levels of BDNF were measured. One-way analysis of variance and Chi-squared tests were applied. Serum BDNF level was found lower in the tinnitus patients than controls, and it appeared that there is no correlation between BDNF gene polymorphism and tinnitus. This study suggests neurotrophic factors such as BDNF may have a role in tinnitus etiology. Future studies with larger sample size may be required to further confirm our results.

  14. Psychological Therapy for People with Tinnitus: A Scoping Review of Treatment Components.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Dean M; Hall, Deborah A; Walker, Dawn-Marie; Hoare, Derek J

    Tinnitus is associated with depression and anxiety disorders, severely and adversely affecting the quality of life and functional health status for some people. With the dearth of clinical psychologists embedded in audiology services and the cessation of training for hearing therapists in the UK, it is left to audiologists to meet the psychological needs of many patients with tinnitus. However, there is no universally standardized training or manualized intervention specifically for audiologists across the whole UK public healthcare system and similar systems elsewhere across the world. The primary aim of this scoping review was to catalog the components of psychological therapies for people with tinnitus, which have been used or tested by psychologists, so that they might inform the development of a standardized audiologist-delivered psychological intervention. Secondary aims of this article were to identify the types of psychological therapy for people with tinnitus, who were reported but not tested in any clinical trial, as well as the job roles of clinicians who delivered psychological therapy for people with tinnitus in the literature. The authors searched the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Trials Register; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; PubMed; EMBASE; CINAHL; LILACS; KoreaMed; IndMed; PakMediNet; CAB Abstracts; Web of Science; BIOSIS Previews; ISRCTN; ClinicalTrials.gov; IC-TRP; and Google Scholar. In addition, the authors searched the gray literature including conference abstracts, dissertations, and editorials. No records were excluded on the basis of controls used, outcomes reached, timing, setting, or study design (except for reviews-of the search results. Records were included in which a psychological therapy intervention was reported to address adults (≤18 years) tinnitus-related distress. No restrictive criteria were placed upon the term tinnitus. Records were excluded in which the intervention included biofeedback

  15. The use of fractal tones in tinnitus patient management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert W Sweetow

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A variety of noises have been employed for decades in an effort to facilitate habituation, mask, or suppress tinnitus. Many of these sounds have reportedly provided benefit, but success has not been universal. More recently, musical stimuli have been added as a sound therapy component. The potential advantages of using such stimuli, in particular fractal tones, in combination with amplification are discussed in this paper.

  16. Tinnitus en arbeid. Een onderzoek naar de invloed van stressoren op tinnitus en de mogelijkheid tot werken

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nienke Riemersma, [No Value

    2010-01-01

    Het al dan niet kunnen werken heeft te maken met stressoren die de tinnitus en/of de mogelijkheid tot werken negatief beïnvloeden. Welke stressoren van invloed zijn is in opdracht van de commissie Tinnitus en Hyperacusis van de Nederlandse Vereniging Voor Slechthorenden (NVVS) door de

  17. [Deep needling and shallow needling at three acupoints around ear for subjective tinnitus: a randomized controlled trial].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Tao; Ni, Jinxia; Zhu, Wenzeng

    2015-10-01

    To compare the effective differences between deep needling and shallow needling at three acupoints around ear for subjective tinnitus. Fifty patients with subjective tinnitus were randomized divided into a deep needling group and a shallow needling group, 25 cases in each group. Twenty-two patients in the deep needling group and 20 patients in the shallow needling group were brought into statistic in the end. In the two groups, the three acupoints around ear and distal acupoints were both selected. The acupoints of the affected side such as Yifeng (TE 17), Tinghui (GB 2), Ermen (TE 21), Zhigou (TE 6), Zhongzhu (TE 3) and Hegu (LI 4) were adopted. Yifeng (TE 17), Tinghui (GB 2) and Ermen (TE 21) were acupunctured 30-38 mm in the deep needling group and 15-20 mm in the shallow needling group. The other acupoints were conventionally acupunctured in the two groups. The needles were retained for 30 min,once a day and five times a week for all patients. The treatment was continuously for 4 weeks in the two groups. Tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) scores, tinnitus grades and visual analogue scale (VAS) for tinnitus sound levels were observed before and after treatment, and the effects of the two groups were compared. The total effective rate in the deep needling group was 59.1% (13/22), and it was better than 20.0% (4/20) in the shallow needling group (P deep needling, group, the THI score, tinnitus grade and the VAS score were improved than those before treatment (all P shallow needling group, the three above indices before and after treatment were not different in statistical significance (all P > 0.05). After treatment, all the three indices in the deep needling group were superior to those in the shallow needling group (all P shallow needling at the three acupoints.

  18. Effects of acoustical stimuli delivered through hearing aids on tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweetow, Robert W; Sabes, Jennifer Henderson

    2010-01-01

    The use of acoustic signals to mask, mix with, or ease the distress associated with tinnitus has been clinically employed for decades. It has been proposed that expanding acoustic options for tinnitus sufferers due to personal preferences is desirable. Fractal tones incorporate many useful characteristics of music while avoiding certain features that could be distracting to some individuals. To assess the effects on relaxation, tinnitus annoyance, tinnitus handicap, and tinnitus reaction from the use of a hearing aid that incorporates combinations of amplification, fractal tones, and white noise. Participants listened to experimental hearing aids containing several acoustic options and were asked to rate the signals in terms of their effect on relaxation and tinnitus annoyance. They subsequently wore the hearing aids for 6 mo and completed tinnitus handicap and reaction scales. Fourteen hearing-impaired adults with primary complaints of subjective tinnitus. Participants were tested wearing hearing aids containing several programs including amplification only, fractal tones only, and a combination of amplification, noise, and/or fractal tones. The fractal tones (now commercially available as the "Zen" feature) were generated by the Widex Mind hearing aid. Rating procedures were conducted in the laboratory, and tinnitus reaction and handicap were assessed during and following a 6 mo field trial. Data were collected at the initial visit, one week, 1 mo, 3 mo, and 6 mo. Nonparametric statistics included Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank, chi(2), and repeated-measures analyses of variance. Thirteen of 14 participants reported that their tinnitus annoyance, as measured by the Tinnitus Annoyance Scale, was reduced for at least one of the amplified conditions (with or without fractal tones or noise), relative to the unaided condition. Nine assigned a lower tinnitus annoyance rating when listening to fractal tones alone versus the amplification-alone condition. There was a

  19. Association between the extent of sigmoid sinus dehiscence and an occurrence of pulsatile tinnitus: a retrospective imaging study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, C.; Zhao, P.; Liu, Z.; Xu, W.; Lv, H.; Pang, S.; Wang, Z.

    2016-01-01

    Aim: To assess the extent of sigmoid sinus dehiscence (SSD) on high-resolution computed tomography venography (HRCTV) or high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images in pulsatile tinnitus (PT) and non-PT groups to determine whether there is an association between the extent of SSD and occurrence of PT. Materials and methods: Twenty-eight SSD patients with ipsilateral PT and 28 age- and gender-matched SSD patients without PT who underwent HRCTV or HRCT were enrolled in this study and categorised into two groups: “PT group” and “non-PT group”. The extent of SSD in each group was calculated and compared. Results: The largest transverse diameter and largest vertical diameter of SSD in the PT group were 6.21±1.7 and 6.15±2.19 mm, respectively. The largest transverse diameter and largest vertical diameter of SSD in the non-PT group were 3.06±1.38 and 2.51±1.03 mm, respectively. The extent of SSD was statistically different between the two groups (p<0.001; p<0.001). Conclusions: As a cause of PT, SSD can also occur in individuals without PT symptoms. Preliminary findings suggest that there may be a potential correlation between the extent of SSD and an occurrence of PT. - Highlights: • We compared the extent of sigmoid sinus dehiscence in pulsatile tinnitus and non-pulsatile tinnitus groups. • The sigmoid sinus dehiscence in the pulsatile tinnitus patients was larger than those in non-pulsatile tinnitus patients. • There may be a potential correlation between the extent of sigmoid sinus dehiscence and an occurrence of pulsatile tinnitus.

  20. Customized Versus Noncustomized Sound Therapy for Treatment of Tinnitus: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahboubi, Hossein; Haidar, Yarah M; Kiumehr, Saman; Ziai, Kasra; Djalilian, Hamid R

    2017-10-01

    To determine the effectiveness of a customized sound therapy and compare its effectiveness to that of masking with broadband noise. Subjects were randomized to receive either customized sound therapy or broadband noise for 2 hours per day for 3 months and then switched to the other treatment after a washout period. The outcome variables were tinnitus loudness (scored 0-10), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), minimum masking levels (MML), and residual inhibition (RI). Eighteen subjects completed the study. Mean age was 53 ± 11 years, and mean tinnitus duration was 118 ± 99 months. With customized sound therapy, mean loudness decreased from 6.4 ± 2.0 to 4.9 ± 1.9 ( P = .001), mean THI decreased from 42.8 ± 21.6 to 31.5 ± 20.3 ( P tinnitus patients, and the results may be superior to broadband noise.