Hearing every footstep: Noise sensitivity in individuals following traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Noise sensitivity is an important and under-researched symptom that can result from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the experiences of noise sensitivity of six individuals with TBI. The results revealed four major themes through which participants described a process of having to find information for themselves to understand what they were experiencing and their changed relationship with sounds. The participants also described feeling overwhelmed as they struggled to cope with the changes to their lives and being able to plan and take some control over their lives. The findings are of importance for both health professionals involved in rehabilitation and individuals recovering from TBI.

Keywords:

• Noise sensitivity
• Traumatic brain injury
• Post-concussive syndrome
• Rehabilitation

Acknowledgments

We thank the participants who generously shared their experiences with us. We also wish to thank Monique Veza at Brain Injury New Zealand for her support in recruiting the participants.