This study investigates the psychological, social and economic costs of tinnitus to affected individuals. A conceptual framework for tinnitus is presented which includes the possible causes of tinnitus, the perception of severity of tinnitus, mediators or agents that can change the perception of tinnitus, tinnitus treatments, and the social and economic effects of tinnitus. Three main factors were studied: 1) whether tinnitus costs can be predicted from perceived severity and other characteristics of tinnitus, 2) whether a scale can be developed to provide information about the subjective measurement of tinnitus severity, and 3) how many people have severe tinnitus. Information from tinnitus sufferers was collected through the use of a mail survey distributed to members of tinnitus self-help groups and to people seeking information about their tinnitus from the American Tinnitus Association. Group I comprised 171 self-help group members, and Group II comprised 84 new inquirers. Estimates of the cost of tinnitus were derived for the combined respondent groups. In testing the hypotheses it was found that tinnitus costs increased as the perception of severity increased, and that the variables age, sex, psychological problems, income and general health are related to tinnitus costs. A three item scale for rating the perception of tinnitus severity was developed. Reliability testing indicated that the scale would provide data usable in research but that it would not be a strong enough indicator to be used alone as a decision criterion. The scale, when used in conjunction with medical, audiological, and dental evaluations can contribute to the definition of severity. Using the available data about tinnitus prevalence this study presented an estimate of more than 5% of civilian and non-institutionalized Americans suffering from severe tinnitus in 1985, and more than 20% experiencing milder tinnitus. Information for obtaining this estimate was derived from U. S. census reports, National Health Interviews, Hearing and Ear Examination Findings, census studies from Great Britain, and smaller studies.

Formål: Undersøke hvordan tinnitusrammede opplever å være plaget av tinnitus. I forlengelsen av denne hovedproblemstillingen undersøkes om de ulike behandlingsmetodene som er brukt av informantene er like effektive, og hva de oppgir som grunn til at de ikke har blitt behandlet. Til sist undersøkes sammenhengen i informantgruppen mellom tinnitusplage og redusert sosial-, fysisk- og mental yteevne. Metode: Det ble gjennomført en kvantitativ undersøkelse bestående av 757 tinnitusplagede. Informantene var enten medlemmer i Hørselshemmedes landsforbund (HLF) som hadde registrert seg med tinnitus, eller deltakere på kurs eller behandling ved ulike offentlige eller private behandlingsinstitusjoner. Undersøkelsen har et deskriptivt og ikke – eksperimentelt design. Surveyen er inspirert av det helserelaterte spørreskjemaet Short Form Health Survey 36 versjon 1.0 (SF 36 v 1.0) og tilpasset denne undersøkelsen. Spørreskjemaet bestod både i en elektronisk og manuell form. Resultater: Analysene viser at de tinnitusrammede informantene er noe mer sykemeldt enn landsgjennomsnittet. Nær halvparten av de respondentene som plages med tinnitus hele tiden, har problemer med å gjennomføre arbeid eller andre daglige gjøremål, og det er signifikant forskjell mellom de som plages daglig og de som plages hele tiden i forhold til om de har problemer med å gjennomføre arbeid eller andre gjøremål. Resultatene tyder også på at det er signifikant forskjell mellom de som plages daglig og de som plages hele tiden i forhold til hvordan de tror helsen vil utvikle seg. Resultatene viser at det er vesentlig for å oppnå effekt av behandlingen at tinntiusrammede benytter Tinnitus habitueringsterapi (THT). Analysene tyder på at informasjonen om behandling av tinnitus er mangelfull både i forhold til tinnitusrammede og i forhold til helsepersonell, noe som er foruroligende med henblikk på at tinnitusrammede har rett til prioritert helsehjelp. Det er ikke signifikant forskjell mellom de som plages daglig og de som plages hele tiden med hensyn til fysisk funksjonsevne og mental helse, derimot er det signifikant forskjell mellom plagegrad og sosial yteevne, noe som tyder på at det er sammenheng mellom hvor mye man plages av tinnitus og muligheten for sosial omgang.

Professional research project (Au.D.)--University of South Florida, 2000. / Document formatted into pages; contains 52 pages. / Title from PDF of title page. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Tinnitus is defined as an auditory stimulus that is unrelated to external stimulation. There are many theories as to what causes tinnitus, therefore, there are many treatment options for tinnitus. This paper attempts to increase the audiologist's knowledge of the etiology, as well as, the most appropriate treatment for tinnitus. There are two types of tinnitus, objective and subjective. Subjective tinnitus is more common, although it is more difficult to treat than objective tinnitus. There are many theories as to what causes tinnitus. Several disorders that have tinnitus as a symptom, such as, Meniere's disease, acoustic neuroma, and dysfunction of serotonin levels, are discussed. Before treatment of tinnitus, the patient must undergo a medical and audiologic evaluation. Tests of tinnitus pitch, loudness, residual masking, and minimal masking are included. The implications of these tests on treatment are also discussed. There are many treatment options available for tinnitus, such as, electrical stimulation, medications, stress and psychological therapy, tinnitus maskers, and hearing aids. This paper focuses on mainly the treatments that are most feasible for an audiologist. In addition, included is an empirical study that was conducted to examine the effects of hearing aids and circuit type on tinnitus relief. To conclude, this paper will summarize the steps to follow in order to manage a patient that exhibits tinnitus. Although there are some treatments that seem to be more appropriate for an audiologist to utilize, (i.e., hearing aids, maskers, and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, none have been proven to be effective in every patient. Research is still needed in this area. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

No description available.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2008. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

<p>Sammanfattning</p><p>Tinnitus är idag ett folkhälsoproblem i Sverige som drabbar allt fler. Det finns i dagsläget inget definitivt botemedel men det finns behandlingsmetoder som syftar till att på olika sätt lindra tinnitus. En av dessa metoder är Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) som grundar sig i den neurofysiologiska modellen. TRT består av två delar; rådgivning och ljudterapi. I ljudterapin tillämpas vanligtvis en ljudstimulator som tillför ett bredbandigt brus på svag nivå i patientens öra.</p><p>Syftet</p><p>Syftet med uppsatsen är att redogöra för effekten av behandlingsmetoden Tinnitus Retraining Therapy.</p><p>Metod</p><p>Metoden har omfattat granskning av artiklar som sökts via Örebro Universitets databaser samt via relevanta referenslistor i arbeten, böcker och artiklar. Urvalet har innefattat tre steg. Första steget var att välja ut artiklar publicerade i vetenskapliga tidskrifter genom att granska artiklarnas titel. Andra steget var att granska de artiklar som valdes ut i steg ett genom att läsa deras sammanfattningssida för att se om innehållet var relevant för arbetets syfte. Tredje steget var att utförligt läsa de artiklar som valts ut i steg två.</p><p>Resultat och diskussion</p><p>Resultatet och diskussionen visar att det är svårt att säga huruvida TRT är effektivt. För detta skulle en mer omfattande liknande studie vara nödvändig.</p>

(AJ) Tinnitus is not seen as a separate disease, but in terms of symptoms accompanying various diseases. The emergence of tinnitus is involved in a variety of risk factors. Relationship between tinnitus and blood flow of the ear is described in a relation to impaired microcirculation, which plays a key role in the proper function of the inner ear and therefore we evaluated the relationship prothrombogenic factors for tinnitus. From the original group of 853 patients we excluded patients with organic cause problems. We excluded patients with hearing impairment, cardiovascular and other comorbidities and also patients taking ototoxic drugs or patients with laboratory abnormalities. Then we have a homogenous group of 40 patients without the evidence of an organic cause of tinnitus and without associated diseases and the effect of ototoxic medications. On this basis there has been created a control group matched by the age and sex. In our group as the main marker of protrombogenic state was used a level of 11- dehydrotromboxan B2. Patients with tinnitus have significantly higher values of 11- dehydrotromboxane-B2. The average concentration in tinnitus patients was 2.02±1.81 ng/ml compared to 1.32±1.33 ng/ml in the control group. At the same time we evaluated other coagulation parameters. We checked...

Tinnitus is a common condition, characterized by the perception of ringing or noises in the head without an external source, that impacts numerous individuals worldwide, including those in Canada. The variability in tinnitus distress levels is thought to stem, at least in part, from diverse personality traits and the resulting emotional reactions to the condition. This study contributes to the growing body of research investigating the individuality of tinnitus sufferers and seeks to shed light on specific factors that contribute to their levels of associated distress. The investigation focused on two main factors: Desire for Control (an individual’s general inclination to assert control over life events) and Self-Efficacy for Tinnitus Management (confidence in effectively handling and managing tinnitus). The primary objective was to uncover any associations among these two factors and a patient's level of tinnitus distress. By understanding how these constructs interrelate, a deeper understanding of contributions to distress among those grappling with tinnitus can be gained. The significance of this research lies in its potential to enhance the support and interventions provided to tinnitus patients by healthcare professionals. An online survey collected responses from 130 Canadian adults regarding their health status and experiences with tinnitus. The study confirmed a robust correlation between the Self-Efficacy for Tinnitus Management Questionnaire (SETMQ) scores and the extent of distress experienced by individuals with tinnitus. The SETMQ, therefore, holds promise as a valuable instrument for identifying domains in which patients could benefit from additional support to alleviate their tinnitus-related distress. The study also revealed that there was no correlation between generalized desire for control and tinnitus-related distress. These results suggest the need for a new Desirability for Control scale similar in tinnitus-specificity to the SETMQ. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Tinnitus comes from the Latin verb “tinnire” which means “to ring”. It is often described as a persistent ringing in the ears that has no external source. Some, but not all, people find their tinnitus debilitating. This study examined whether people who strongly desire control but lack confidence in managing their tinnitus, experience higher stress because of it, compared to those with lower control needs or higher self-confidence. The results showed that having confidence in managing tinnitus is correlated with having lower distress, but there is no definite conclusion regarding the need for control. The results of this study suggest that a new method to measure the desire for control in a context specific to tinnitus is needed.

Subjektiver Tinnitus ist eine akustische Phantomwahrnehmung, d.h. ohne das Vorhandensein einer externen oder internen Geräuschquelle. Diese oft sehr belastende Störung steht aktuellen Studien zufolge in einem Zusammenhang mit pathologisch gesteigerter Aktivität und Erregbarkeit zentral-nervöser auditorischer Strukturen. Derartige Hyperaktivitäten und –exzitabilitäten konnten bereits experimentell durch eine repetitive transkranielle Magnetstimulation (rTMS) reduziert werden. Die vorliegende randomisierte, Placebo-kontrollierte Studie ging zwei Fragestellungen nach. Erstens sollte geprüft werden, ob sich das Aktivierungsmuster auf akustische Stimulation im auditorischen Kortex bei Tinnituspatienten von dem gesunder Kontrollpersonen unterscheidet. Zweitens sollte untersucht werden, ob durch eine rTMS eine Tinnitussymptomatik verbessert werden kann und dies in Form einer reduzierten kortikalen Hyperaktivität auch mit der Nah-Infrarot Spektroskopie (NIRS) nachweisbar ist. In der Verum-Gruppe wurden an 10 aufeinanderfolgenden Werktagen täglich je 2000 Stimuli mit einer Frequenz von 1 Hz über dem linken auditorischen Kortex appliziert. Die Tinnitussymptomatik wurde mit dem Tinnitusfragebogen nach Göbel & Hiller (TFB), dem Tinnitus-Handicap-Inventory-Score (THI) und dem Tinnitus-Schweregrad-Fragebogen (TSG) erfasst. Die NIRS-Messungen erfolgten vor und direkt nach der letzten Stimulation mit zwei verschiedenen akustischen Paradigmen und einer motorischen Kontrollaufgabe. Es konnten deutliche Unterschiede bezüglich des Aktivierungsmusters auf akustische Stimulation im auditorischen Kortex zwischen den Tinnituspatienten und gesunden Kontrollpersonen gefunden werden. Die Tinnituspatienten zeigten signifikant stärkere Aktivierungen als die gesunden Kontrollpersonen. Diese Ergebnisse unterstützen die „Hyperexzitabilitätstheorie“ von Melcher et al. (2009). Ferner konnte, wie in der Studie von Melcher et al. (2009), kein Zusammenhang zwischen der Tinnituslateralisation und dem Aktivierungsmuster gefunden werden. Bezüglich der Effektivität der rTMS gegenüber einer Placebo-Stimulation ließ sich kein eindeutiger Therapieerfolg nachweisen. Es konnte zwar anhand von NIRS-Messungen gezeigt werden, dass die rTMS eine kortikale Hyperexzitabilität stärker reduzierte als die Placebo-Stimulation. Es ließ sich jedoch kein Zusammenhang zwischen der geringeren Hyperexzitabilität und einer verbesserten Tinnitussymptomatik finden. Da jedoch die Fallzahlen dieser Studie klein waren, sollten diese Ergebnisse mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden. Außerdem deuten die Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass die NIRS eine erfolgversprechende Methode für den objektiven Nachweis Tinnitus-assoziierter zentral-nervöser Veränderungen und möglicherweise auch von Therapieeffekten ist. Sie bietet zahlreiche Vorteile gegenüber anderen bildgebenden Methoden: sie ist einfach in der Handhabung, wiederholt anwendbar, risikoarm, preisgünstig und nicht invasiv. Um die NIRS jedoch als etablierte Nachweismethode in der Klinik einsetzen zu können, sollten weitere Studien mit größeren Fallzahlen generiert werden. Auch sollten optimierte, allgemeingültige akustische Stimulationsparadigmen gefunden werden, um die Ergebnisse künftiger Studien besser miteinander vergleichen zu können. / Subjective Tinnitus is an acoustic phantom perception, i.e. without an external or internal source. According to the latest studies this mostly distressing complex of symptoms is related to a pathologically enhanced activity and excitability in central structures of the auditory system which could have been reduced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in clinical trials. This randomized, placebo-controlled study followed two questions. Firstly, the activity of the auditory cortex after acoustic stimulation in patients with chronic tinnitus was compared with the activity measured in healthy volunteers. Secondly, the study tried to evaluate, if a tinnitus could be reduced by rTMS and if this effect could be shown as a reduced cortical activity using NIRS. In the verum group 2000 pulses with a frequency of 1Hz were daily applied over the left auditory cortex on 10 consecutive weekdays. The severity of tinnitus was categorized by questionaires, such as Tinnitus-Fragebogen nach Goebel & Hiller (TFB), Tinnitus-Handicap-Inventory-Score (THI) and Tinnitus-Schweregrad-Fragebogen (TSG). The NIRS measurements proceeded before and immediately after the last rTMS during the presentation of two different acoustic stimulation patterns and one motoric task. This study could show considerable differences comparing the activation of the auditory cortex after acoustic stimulation in patients with chronic tinnitus and healthy volunteers. The activation in patients with chronic tinnitus was significantly higher compared to the healthy volunteers. These results support the “Theory of Hyperexcitability” invented by Melcher et al. (2009). Additionally, like Melcher et al. (2009), this study could not show a dependence of the cortical activation on the tinnitus lateralisation. This study could not show a significant benefit of the rTMS compared to the placebo stimulation. Though the NIRS measurements showed a reduced cortical hyperexcitability after the verum stimulation, this effect could not be related to a reduced tinnitus. However, these results should be interpreted carefully as the numbers of treated patients was very little. Furthermore this studie’s results suggest that NIRS is a promising, objective proof procedure for tinnitus related changes in central auditory structures and potentially even for therapeutical effects. Its’ benefits are: simple handling, repeatability, low-risk, low running costs and non-invasiveness. In order to use NIRS as an established method in clinical settings more studies including numerous patients should be generated. Furthermore optimized, universally valid acoustic stimulation patterns should be created and broadly used to be able to compare the different studies’ results.

Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, may be a promising treatment option for tinnitus. The primary functions of this hormone are believed to be the initiation and maintenance of sleep because its secretions coincide with circadian rhythms. Some investigators have noted that melatonin may alleviate subjective symptoms of tinnitus. Moreover, melatonin may have properties protective against ototoxic drugs such as amikacin, gentamicin, or cancer therapeutic agents that are dose dependent. In vitro, melatonin has demonstrated antioxidative properties and it has been postulated that these antioxidative properties contribute to the alleviation of tinnitus. Melatonin levels used to obtain these findings in vitro, however, are at supraphysiologic levels; therefore, it is more likely that the benefits from taking supplemental melatonin occur from minimal antioxidative properties, sleep enhancement, or other potential methods of action that are not yet understood. Melatonin offers minimal risk of toxicity with modest daily doses such as 1 to 3 mg, aswell as a low cost and favorable adverse effect profile for older adults. In addition to potential benefits in the treatment of tinnitus, melatonin also may have beneficial neurogenerative properties. We recommend that melatonin be considered for use in patients with significant tinnitus.