No abstract

Background The World Health Organization reports that the number of tinnitus sufferers is increasing year on year. Given the common use of mobile devices and the availability of applications designed to support patients in tinnitus therapy and reduce tinnitus severity, patients seeking help are likely to try this form of support. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile application in tinnitus sound therapy, in this case ReSound Tinnitus Relief™. Methods The study involved 52 patients hospitalized for tinnitus. All participants used the free ReSound Tinnitus Relief application for 6 months. The application is based on sound therapy. Patients were advised to use the application for at least 30 min per day, the sounds should not completely mask the tinnitus, and they should be listened to via a loudspeaker. The effects of the therapy were evaluated by means of standardized questionnaires for tinnitus severity: the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and the Tinnitus Functional Index. Results The study showed a reduction in tinnitus severity as measured by both questionnaires. The general severity decreased after the first 3 months and again in the following 3 months of using the application. In both questionnaires the biggest changes were observed in the subscales of emotions. Conclusions Results obtained here from standardized questionnaires indicate that the tested application may contribute to tinnitus reduction. However, it is advisable to conduct further research on the applicability of such technology in medical practice.

Purpose In most cases, tinnitus co-exists with hearing loss, suggesting that poorer speech understanding is simply due to a lack of acoustic information reaching the central nervous system (CNS). However, it also happens that patients with tinnitus who have normal hearing also report problems with speech understanding, and it is possible to suppose that tinnitus is to blame for difficulties in perceptual processing of auditory information. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the auditory processing abilities of normally hearing subjects with and without tinnitus. Methods The study group comprised 97 adults, 54 of whom had normal hearing and chronic tinnitus (the study group) and 43 who had normal hearing and no tinnitus (the control group). The audiological assessment comprised pure-tone audiometry and high-frequency pure-tone audiometry, impedance audiometry, and distortion product oto-acoustic emission assessment. To evaluate possible auditory processing deficits, the Frequency Pattern Test (FPT), Duration Pattern Test (DPT), Dichotic Listening Test (DLT), and Gap Detection Threshold (GDT) tests were performed. Results The tinnitus subjects had significantly lower scores than the controls in the gap detection test (p < 0.01) and in the dichotic listening test (p < 0.001), but only for the right ear. The results for both groups were similar in the temporal ordering tests (FPT and DPT). Right-ear advantage (REA) was found for the controls, but not for the tinnitus subjects. Conclusion In normally hearing patients, the presence of tinnitus may be accompanied with auditory processing difficulties.

Objectives: The Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) is considered the gold standard in measuring tinnitus severity. The aim of the study was to establish reference values to improve the interpretability of TFI scores. Design: Results from 1114 patients with tinnitus were retrospectively analyzed. The participants were consecutive patients who attended our tertiary referral Ear, Nose, and Throat Center. The eligibility criteria were: at least 18 years old, persistent tinnitus, completed pure-tone audiometry, and answered all 25 items on the TFI. Hearing status (normal hearing vs. hearing impairment) was established according to the recommendation of the Bureau International d’Audiophonologie. Means (M) and SD on the TFI were the basis for grading tinnitus severity on four levels: low, lower moderate, upper moderate, and high. To gauge individual scores in clinical practice, percentiles are also proposed. Results: All 1114 patients (586 women and 528 men) were Caucasian and aged from 19 to 87 years (M = 50.96; SD = 13.10 years). Tinnitus duration ranged from 0.5 to 50 years (M = 7.17; SD = 7.71 years). There were 258 patients with normal hearing and 856 patients with hearing loss. A score of above 65 points on TFI was established as the cutoff point for diagnosing high tinnitus severity. A regression model associating tinnitus severity with gender, age, tinnitus duration, and hearing loss was statistically significant: F(4,1109) = 8.99; p < 0.001, but the effect was very small (R 2 adj = 0.028) and only gender and age were associated with TFI global score, while tinnitus severity was not related to tinnitus duration or hearing loss. Conclusions: The reference values proposed here support those reported previously by Meikle et al. They are empirically based and can be used as benchmarks in clinical practice and scientific research. They make it possible to assess tinnitus severity, evaluate individual scores, and categorize individuals with tinnitus. This allows researchers to set inclusion or exclusion criteria when assigning patients to specific groups during clinical trials involving tinnitus intervention strategies.

(1) Background: Decreased sound tolerance is a significant problem in tinnitus sufferers. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between tinnitus and decreased sound tolerance (hyperacusis and misophonia). (2) Methods: The study sample consisted of 74 patients with tinnitus and decreased sound tolerance. The procedure comprised patient interviews, pure tone audiometry, impedance audiometry, measurement of uncomfortable loudness levels, and administration of the Hyperacusis Questionnaire, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, and Visual Analogue Scales. (3) Results: The majority (69%) of the patients reported that noise aggravated their tinnitus. The correlation between tinnitus and hyperacusis was found to be statistically significant and positive: r = 0.44; p < 0.01. The higher the tinnitus severity, the greater the hyperacusis. There was no correlation between misophonia and hyperacusis (r = 0.18; p > 0.05), or between misophonia and tinnitus (r = 0.06; p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: For tinnitus patients the more significant problem was hyperacusis rather than misophonia. The diagnosis and treatment of decreased sound tolerance should take into account not only audiological, but also psychological problems of the patients.