Adaptation and the masking of tinnitus.
The effect of adaptation on the masking of tinnitus was investigated. Six patients with tinnitus performed two 5-min tracking tasks, each replicated six times. The first task examined the masking of tinnitus by tracking the intensity of a pure tone required to mask the tinnitus. The second task examined adaptation of a suprathreshold tone by tracking the intensity of a pure tone required for constant loudness. For 3 patients, the change required for constant loudness did not differ from the change required for constant maskability. For 3 patients, however, these two changes were different. Possible implications of these results for determining the locus of tinnitus and for the use of tinnitus maskers are discussed.
Penner
M J
MJ
University of Maryland.
Bilger
R C
RC
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010470:Perceptual Masking / Q000502:physiology*; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy