title: A preliminary investigation of potential cognitive performance decrements in non-help-seeking tinnitus sufferers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate the possible impact of tinnitus on the performance of challenging cognitive tasks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed the hospital anxiety and depression scale and completed two cognitive tasks: the Vienna determination task and a variant of the Stroop paradigm. In addition, tinnitus sufferers completed the subjective tinnitus severity scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three tinnitus sufferers and 33 controls took part in the study (n = 66).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tinnitus sufferers were no more depressed nor anxious than controls, but they performed less well on both cognitive tasks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Possible causes and implications of these performance decrements are discussed, with particular attention given to the possibility that subjective distress is an important moderating factor in tinnitus sufferers.
authors.affiliation: * Department of Psychology, Leeds Trinity University , Leeds , UK.
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Iain J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Coyne
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Clough
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001288:Attention; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D057190:Stroop Test; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*