The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory Total Score: What Really Counts? Experience on a Sample of 1156 Patients

Overview

Journal Audiol Res

Publisher MDPI

Date 2025 Jan 23

PMID 39846557

Authors

Roberto Teggi

Iacopo Cangiano

Marco Familiari

Vittorio Gioffre

Alessandro Nobile

Omar Gatti

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Tinnitus is a frequent symptom, and is present in 10-15% of people who suffer from chronic tinnitus, defined as heard every day for at least 6 months. Among these, 1-2% develop a strong emotive reaction, anxiety, and depression, leading to poor quality of life.

Objectives: to evaluate the comorbidities in tinnitus sufferers.

Methods: In our retrospective study, we collected data on 1156 subjects with tinnitus present for at least 3 months, including age, audiometric exam, THI questionnaire, vascular disorders, fluctuations, causal factors, lifetime psychiatric disorders, and the presence of migraine. A linear regression model was used to assess the independent role of these variables on the THI total score representing tinnitus annoyance. A lifetime history of psychiatric disorders and migraine were predictive for the development of a disabling tinnitus.

Results: Among comorbidities a history of previous psychiatric disorders was predictive for developing tinnitus. Moreover, no correlation has been found between hearing level and THI total score.

Conclusions: Our data are not inconsistent with the hypothesis that psychological disorders and a particular personality trait may be the main causal factors for tinnitus annoyance.

References

Belli H, Belli S, Oktay M, Ural C . Psychopathological dimensions of tinnitus and psychopharmacologic approaches in its treatment. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2012; 34(3):282-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2011.12.006. View

Durai M, Searchfield G . Anxiety and depression, personality traits relevant to tinnitus: A scoping review. Int J Audiol. 2016; 55(11):605-15. DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2016.1198966. View

Newman C, Jacobson G, Spitzer J . Development of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1996; 122(2):143-8. DOI: 10.1001/archotol.1996.01890140029007. View

Andersen A, Bienvenu O . Personality and psychopathology. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2011; 23(3):234-47. DOI: 10.3109/09540261.2011.588692. View

Luxon L . Tinnitus: its causes, diagnosis, and treatment. BMJ. 1993; 306(6891):1490-1. PMC: 1677927. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.306.6891.1490. View

Henry , Wilson . The Psychological Management of Tinnitus: Comparison of a Combined Cognitive Educational Program, Education Alone and a Waiting-List Control. Int Tinnitus J. 1996; 2:9-20. View

Houdayer E, Teggi R, Velikova S, Gonzalez-Rosa J, Bussi M, Comi G . Involvement of cortico-subcortical circuits in normoacousic chronic tinnitus: A source localization EEG study. Clin Neurophysiol. 2015; 126(12):2356-65. DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.01.027. View

Langguth B, Kleinjung T, Fischer B, Hajak G, Eichhammer P, Sand P . Tinnitus severity, depression, and the big five personality traits. Prog Brain Res. 2007; 166:221-5. DOI: 10.1016/S0079-6123(07)66020-8. View

Tan C, Lecluyse W, McFerran D, Meddis R . Tinnitus and patterns of hearing loss. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2013; 14(2):275-82. PMC: 3660910. DOI: 10.1007/s10162-013-0371-6. View

10.

Waechter S . Association between hearing status and tinnitus distress. Acta Otolaryngol. 2021; 141(4):381-385. DOI: 10.1080/00016489.2021.1876919. View

11.

Karimi L, Wijeratne T, Crewther S, Evans A, Ebaid D, Khalil H . The Migraine-Anxiety Comorbidity Among Migraineurs: A Systematic Review. Front Neurol. 2021; 11:613372. PMC: 7848023. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.613372. View

12.

Newman C, Sandridge S, Jacobson G . Psychometric adequacy of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) for evaluating treatment outcome. J Am Acad Audiol. 1998; 9(2):153-60. View

13.

Scott B, Lindberg P, Melin L, Lyttkens L . Predictors of tinnitus discomfort, adaptation and subjective loudness. Br J Audiol. 1990; 24(1):51-62. DOI: 10.3109/03005369009077842. View

14.

Hamed S, Attiah F, Fawzy M, Azzam M . Evaluation of chronic idiopathic tinnitus and its psychosocial triggers. World J Clin Cases. 2023; 11(14):3211-3223. PMC: 10237132. DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i14.3211. View

15.

Cima R, Mazurek B, Haider H, Kikidis D, Lapira A, Norena A . A multidisciplinary European guideline for tinnitus: diagnostics, assessment, and treatment. HNO. 2019; 67(Suppl 1):10-42. DOI: 10.1007/s00106-019-0633-7. View

16.

Meric C, Gartner M, Collet L . Psychopathological profile of tinnitus sufferers: evidence concerning the relationship between tinnitus features and impact on life. Audiol Neurootol. 1998; 3(4):240-52. DOI: 10.1159/000013796. View

17.

Lockwood A, Salvi R, Burkard R, Galantowicz P, Coad M, Wack D . Neuroanatomy of tinnitus. Scand Audiol Suppl. 2000; 51:47-52. View

18.

Widiger T, Oltmanns J . Neuroticism is a fundamental domain of personality with enormous public health implications. World Psychiatry. 2017; 16(2):144-145. PMC: 5428182. DOI: 10.1002/wps.20411. View

19.

Bartels H, Middel B, Pedersen S, Staal M, Albers F . The distressed (Type D) personality is independently associated with tinnitus: a case-control study. Psychosomatics. 2010; 51(1):29-38. DOI: 10.1176/appi.psy.51.1.29. View

20.

McCombe A, Baguley D, Coles R, McKenna L, McKinney C . Guidelines for the grading of tinnitus severity: the results of a working group commissioned by the British Association of Otolaryngologists, Head and Neck Surgeons, 1999. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 2001; 26(5):388-93. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2273.2001.00490.x. View