Introduction Acoustic reflex (AR) is a valuable clinical test for hearing diagnosis. Parameters of AR such as its amplitude and threshold have been commonly reported in research. Acoustic reflex latency (ARL) has not been widely studied and more research is warranted to determine its basic properties and clinical usefulness. The present study aimed to determine the influences of stimulation mode and stimulus frequency on ARL. Methods In this study, 52 healthy young adults were enrolled (mean age = 23.2 ± 0.8 years, 61.8% were males). They underwent the standard AR testing and ARL values were computed. Both ipsilateral and contralateral recordings were made at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz frequencies. Results The ARL values obtained are consistent with the findings from the previous studies. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the ARL values were not statistically influenced by either stimulation mode (p = 0.061) or stimulus frequency (p = 0.598). Conclusion Among young adults, ARL does not appear to be influenced by stimulation mode and stimulus frequency. Further large scale research is warranted to support the present study’s findings. The preliminary normative data for ARL obtained in this study can serve as the reference for future research involving this particular population.

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This study presents the executive disruption model (EDM) of tinnitus distress and subsequently validates it statistically using two independent datasets (the Construction Dataset: n = 96 and the Validation Dataset: n = 200). The conceptual EDM was first operationalised as a structural causal model (construction phase). Then multiple regression was used to examine the effect of executive functioning on tinnitus-related distress (validation phase), adjusting for the additional contributions of hearing threshold and psychological distress. For both datasets, executive functioning negatively predicted tinnitus distress score by a similar amount (the Construction Dataset: β = −3.50, p = 0.13 and the Validation Dataset: β = −3.71, p = 0.02). Theoretical implications and applications of the EDM are subsequently discussed; these include the predictive nature of executive functioning in the development of distressing tinnitus, and the clinical utility of the EDM.

Tinnitus ("ringing noise in the ear") is prevalent among adults with ear diseases. Psychological symptoms have been reported in many patients with tinnitus and research in this aspect is much relevant. The aim of the present study was to determine the internal and external reliability of Malay version of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (BM DASS-21) in documenting psychological symptoms among patients with tinnitus. In this validation study, the BM DASS-21 was administered to 28 eligible Malay adults (14 males and 14 females) with main complaint of tinnitus, aged between 23 and 74 years (mean of 52.9 ± 12.8 years). After two weeks, they were instructed asked to fill in the questionnaire again. As revealed, the internal reliability of BM DASS-21 was found to be robust. Specifically, its Cronbach's alpha values were excellent for Depression subscale (α = 0.92) and Stress subscale (α = 0.87). A good alpha value was noted for Anxiety subscale (α = 0.79). All the three subscales were significantly inter-correlated with each other (r > 0.70, p < 0.05). The test-retest (external) reliability of BM DASS-21 was found to be excellent (intraclass correlation = 0.77-0.88).In conclusion, given its high reliability, the BM DASS-21 can be used conveniently to assess psychological symptoms among patients with the complaint of tinnitus. It may guide clinicians in understanding the patients' psychological state, so that proper management can take place. eISSN 1303-5150 www.neuroquantology.com NeuroQuantology |

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