title: Changes over time of psychoacoustic outcome measurements are not a substitute for subjective outcome measurements in acute tinnitus.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess correlations between the changes over time of various tinnitus measurements. A longitudinal prospective study comparing two test moments was performed: before treatment and after 90 days. Tinnitus assessment consisted of psychoacoustic outcome measurements (minimal masking level and loudness matching at 1 kHz) and subjective outcome measurements (Tinnitus Impairment Questionnaire, Tinnitus Questionnaire and Numeric Rating Scale of loudness and annoyance). Additionally, the effect size was measured. 35 subjects were included in this study. The subjects had a permanent, non-pulsatile tinnitus acquired <3 months previously. Weak or no significant correlations were found between ∆psychoacoustic outcome measurements and ∆subjective outcome measurements. The effect size showed that subjective outcome measurements were the most responsive to measure change in tinnitus complaints. We can conclude that psychoacoustic outcome measurements of tinnitus cannot substitute subjective outcome measurements in patients with acute tinnitus. The authors recommend subjective outcome measurements as primary outcome measurements in a clinical setting. In research, however, it is meaningful to quantify tinnitus in both ways.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650, Edegem, Belgium, sarah.rabau@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rabau
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Andrea Kleine
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Punte
authors.forename: Brecht
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Waelkens
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gilles
authors.forename: Kristien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wouters
authors.forename: Sebastien Janssens
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: de Varebeke
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van de Heyning
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001299:Audiometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008144:Loudness Perception; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult