title: The impact of tinnitus on cognitive performance in normal-hearing individuals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate whether the previously reported differences in cognitive performance as assessed using a Stroop paradigm between individuals with and without tinnitus is present in normal-hearing individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed audiometric evaluation, a visual Stroop test, as well as the Swedish version of the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) questionnaire. In addition individuals with tinnitus participated in a short interview regarding tinnitus characteristics as well as a follow up data collection of the tinnitus questionnaire (TQ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty individuals participated in this study. Twenty had tinnitus (tinnitus group) and 20 had not (control group). The groups were age- and sex-matched and all participants had normal hearing thresholds (20 dB HL or better).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences in terms of cognitive performances were found between individuals with tinnitus compared to individuals without tinnitus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In contrast to previous studies of hearing-impaired subjects with tinnitus, the results of the present found no signs of cognitive interference in normal-hearing subjects with tinnitus when assessed using intensive short duration tasks.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Logopedics , Phoniatrics, and Audiology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Waechter
authors.affiliation: a Department of Logopedics , Phoniatrics, and Audiology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: K Jonas
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Brännström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057190:Stroop Test; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Stroop; Tinnitus; cognitive performance; normal hearing