Tinnitus pitch does not always fall within the frequency range of hearing loss – a cross-sectional study on the mechanism of tinnitus production

Abstract

Background

Clinically, we find that tinnitus patients often have hearing loss. According to the most accepted mechanism of tinnitus, that is, the spontaneous discharge and abnormal synchronization of neurons after afferent reduction, tinnitus frequency is closely related to the frequency of hearing loss.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of tinnitus pitch with the frequency of hearing loss.

Materials and Methods

A total of 500 patients with unilateral or bilateral chronic tinnitus were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent pure tone audiometry (PTA) and tinnitus acoustic examination. Hearing loss levels and frequencies were recorded. The relationship between tinnitus pitch and hearing loss level and frequency was statistically analyzed.

Results

Our results showed that 96.6% of the 500 tinnitus patients had hearing loss. Statistical analysis showed that low frequency (LF) tinnitus was correlated with LF hearing loss, but moderate frequency & high frequency (MF&HF) tinnitus was not significantly associated with MF&HF hearing loss. The coincidence of tinnitus pitch with the highest hearing threshold correlated with the degree of hearing loss.

Conclusion and significance

The vast majority of patients with chronic subjective tinnitus had hearing loss, and the frequency of tinnitus correlated with the degree and frequency of hearing loss but not exactly fall within the frequency range of hearing loss.

Chinese Abstract

背景

临床上发现耳鸣患者常伴有听力损失。根据最为普遍接受的耳鸣机制, 即传入神经减少后神经元的自发放电和异常同步, 耳鸣频率与听力损失频率密切相关。

目的

本研究旨在探讨耳鸣音高与听力损失频率的相关性。

材料和方法

本研究共纳入500例单侧或双侧慢性耳鸣患者。所有患者均接受纯音测听(PTA)检查和耳鸣声学检查。记录听力损失程度和频率。统计分析耳鸣音高与听力损失程度和频率之间的关系。

结果

我们的研究结果显示, 500例耳鸣患者中有96.6％患有听力损失。统计分析显示, LF耳鸣与LF听力损失相关, 而MF&HF耳鸣与MF&HF听力损失无明显相关性, 耳鸣音高与最高听力阈值的吻合与听力损失程度相关。

结论与意义

绝大多数慢性主观性耳鸣患者都伴有听力损失, 耳鸣频率与听力损失程度及频率相关, 但并不完全在听力损失的频率范围内。

Keywords:

• Tinnitus pitch
• frequency
• hearing loss
• extended high frequency

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).