Tinnitus and  Cochlear Functions in Hearing Impaired and Normal Hearing Individuals

Mehmet CAN; Betul Cicek Cinar; Munir Demir Bajin

doi:10.58600/eurjther.20232902-1603.y

Authors

Mehmet CAN Department of Audiology, Hacettepe University, Health Science Faculty, Ankara, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5979-0439
Betul Cicek Cinar Department of Audiology, Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University, Vocational School of Health Services, Karaman, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6570-9876
Munir Demir Bajin Department of Otolaryngology, Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1088-4367

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58600/eurjther.20232902-1603.y

Keywords:

Tinnitus, TEN Test, Dead Region, Hair Cells

Abstract

Background: In order to determine the pathophysiology of tinnitus and deciding on treatment, the function of peripheral hearing organs is very important.

Objective: To evaluate the cochlear functions in tinnitus patients with or without hearing-loss(HL).

Methods: Participants with tinnitus were divided into two groups; 16 participants with accompanying HL were included in the first study group (SG-I), and 15 participants without HL were included in the second group (SG-II). 21 normal-hearing subjects without tinnitus included as control group(CG). Tinnitus discomfort levels was determined with Tinnitus Handicap Inventory(THI). Besides pure-tone audiometry, Otoacoustic Emissions, to evaluate cochlear functions and to decide dead regions (DR), Threshold Equalizing Noise-(TEN) was used.

Results: The threshold-shift was observed with TEN in subjects in SG-I and these levels were statistically different from SG-II and CG. There were both threshold-shift and DR in SG-II according to TEN. TEOAEs did not differ between SG-II and CG. The DPOAE results for SG-II showed significant decreases in emission amplitudes at 6 & 8 kHz.

Conclusion: While Tinnitus patients with HL can be evaluated with conventional tests, evaluating patients with normal hearing tinnitus with additional tests such as OAE and TEN allows us to get more precise results on the functions of peripheral hearing organs.

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