The impact of tinnitus distress on cognition.

Tinnitus is the chronic perception of a phantom sound with different levels of related distress. Past research has elucidated interactions of tinnitus distress with audiological, affective and further clinical variables. The influence of tinnitus distress on cognition is underinvestigated. Our study aims at investigating specific influences of tinnitus distress and further associated predictors on cognition in a cohort of n = 146 out-ward clinical tinnitus patients. Age, educational level, hearing loss, Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) score, tinnitus duration, speech in noise (SIN), stress, anxiety and depression, and psychological well-being were included as predictors of a machine learning regression approach (elastic net) in three models with scores of a multiple choice vocabulary test (MWT-B), or two trail-making tests (TMT-A and TMT-B), as dependent variables. TQ scores predicted lower MWT-B scores and higher TMT-B test completion time. Stress, emotional, and psychological variables were not found to be relevant predictors in all models with the exception of small positive influences of SIN and depression on TMT-B. Effect sizes were small to medium for all models and predictors. Results are indicative of specific influence of tinnitus distress on cognitive performance, especially on general or crystallized intelligence and executive functions. More research is needed at the delicate intersection of tinnitus distress and cognitive skills needed in daily functioning.

Intermittent tinnitus-an empirical description.

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is often classified into acute or chronic persistent forms. However, epidemiologic studies have shown that intermittent tinnitus (IT), which does not clearly belong to either category, is the most common form. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to further characterize IT empirically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an exploratory cross-sectional interview study among 320 subjects with tinnitus. Sociodemographic and tinnitus characteristics, concomitant complaints, perceived triggers, and help-seeking behavior were assessed. Subjects were classified into continuous (CT), IT, or single-episode tinnitus (SET) if they had experienced tinnitus "continuously," "temporarily time and again," or "only once but for several days," respectively, during the past 12 months. RESULTS: Of the sample, 62% reported IT, 23% SET, and 16% CT. Mean time since onset was 36 (CT), 28 (IT), and 19 months (SET), respectively. Most subjects with IT experienced episodes lasting a few days, whereas in 25%, episodes lasted 1-4 weeks. Mean duration was 1.6 weeks. The frequency of IT episodes ranged from every few days to half-yearly; mean frequency was every 7 weeks. Leading triggers were occupational and private stress. Asthenia, depression, social isolation, psychiatric disorders, and inner ear disorders were more prevalent among CT than IT subjects. Help-seeking behavior was comparable between CT and IT. CONCLUSION: IT is associated with emotional reactions and situational impairment severe enough to trigger multiple treatment attempts, but usually does not result in severe impairment. Inner ear disorders and psychological changes are less frequent than in CT; therefore, treatment response and prognosis might be better. We suggest classification of tinnitus into acute single-episode (<3 months), intermittent, or chronic persistent (>3 months) forms.

ICD-10 Symptom Rating questionnaire for assessment of psychological comorbidities in patients with chronic tinnitus.

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus frequently occurs alongside psychological comorbidities whose assessment is important for treatment planning and -success. The selection of suitable questionnaires is thus crucial. The present study aims to investigate the ICD-10 Symptom Rating (ISR) to this regard. METHODS: The current study investigated tinnitus burden and psychological comorbidities in a sample of N = 311 patients with chronic tinnitus. All participants completed an intensive 7­day multimodal tinnitus-specific therapy. Tinnitus burden was measured using the German version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ). Psychological comorbidities were measured using the ISR (total score, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, somatoform disorder, and eating disorder), the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ; total score, tension, worries, joy, and demands), and the General Depression Scale (Allgemeine Depressionsskala, ADS). RESULTS: Sixty-five percent of participants suffered from psychological comorbidities. Treatment response comprised improvements in the TQ, ISQ, PSQ and ADS. At baseline, tinnitus-burden correlated with the ISR-total, ISR-obsessive-compulsive disorder and PSQ-tension scores. Post treatment, the-now reduced-tinnitus burden was additionally predicted by ISR-depressive and eating disorder scores. CONCLUSION: The ISR is a useful tool for measuring psychological comorbidities in patients with chronic tinnitus as well as short-term treatment response. Therapeutic approaches for chronic tinnitus should address stress-related tension, depressive symptomatology and coping strategies such as maladaptive eating behaviours.

[The ICD-10 Symptom Rating questionnaire for assessment of psychological comorbidities in chronic tinnitus patients]. / ICD-10-Symptom-Rating-Fragebogen zur Beurteilung psychischer Komorbiditäten bei Patienten mit chronischem Tinnitus.

BACKGROUND: Psychological comorbidities are frequent in tinnitus patients and their diagnosis is important for both interventions as well as treatment success. The selection of suitable questionnaires is thus crucial. The present study aimed to investigate the ICD-10 Symptom Rating (ISR) questionnaire for the diagnosis of psychological comorbidities. METHODS: The current study investigated tinnitus burden and psychological comorbidities in a sample of n = 311 patients with chronic tinnitus. All participants completed an intensive 7­day multimodal tinnitus-specific therapy. Tinnitus burden was measured using the German version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ). Psychological comorbidities were measured using the ISR (total score, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, somatoform disorder, and eating disorder), the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ; total score, tension, worries, joy, and demands), and the General Depression Scale (Allgemeine Depressionsskala, ADS). RESULTS: Psychological comorbidities were suffered by 65% of participants. Treatment response comprised improvements in TQ, ISR, PSQ, and ADS. At baseline, tinnitus burden correlated with the ISR total, ISR obsessive-compulsive disorder, and PSQ tension scores. Post-treatment, the now reduced tinnitus burden was also predicted by the ISR depressive and eating disorder scores. CONCLUSION: The ISR is a useful tool for measuring psychological comorbidities in patients with chronic tinnitus as well as for assessing short-term treatment response. Therapeutic approaches for chronic tinnitus should also consider stress-related tension, depressive symptomatology, and coping strategies such as maladaptive eating behaviors.

[Intermittent tinnitus-an empirical description. German version]. / Intermittierender Tinnitus ­ eine empirische Beschreibung.

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is often classified into acute or chronic persistent forms. However, epidemiologic studies have shown that intermittent tinnitus (IT), which does not clearly belong to either category, is the most common form. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to further characterize IT empirically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an exploratory cross-sectional interview study among 320 subjects with tinnitus. Sociodemographic and tinnitus characteristics, concomitant complaints, perceived triggers, and help-seeking behavior were assessed. Subjects were classified into continuous (CT), IT, or single-episode tinnitus (SET) if they had experienced tinnitus "continuously," "temporarily time and again," or "only once but for several days," respectively, during the past 12 months. RESULTS: Of the sample, 62% reported IT, 23% SET, and 16% CT. Mean time since onset was 36 (CT), 28 (IT), and 19 months (SET), respectively. Most subjects with IT experienced episodes lasting a few days, whereas in 25%, episodes lasted 1-4 weeks. Mean duration was 1.6 weeks. The frequency of IT episodes ranged from every few days to half-yearly; mean frequency was every 7 weeks. Leading triggers were occupational and private stress. Asthenia, depression, social isolation, psychiatric disorders, and inner ear disorders were more prevalent among CT than IT subjects. Help-seeking behavior was comparable between CT and IT. CONCLUSION: IT is associated with emotional reactions and situational impairment severe enough to trigger multiple treatment attempts, but usually does not result in severe impairment. Inner ear disorders and psychological changes are less frequent than in CT; therefore, treatment response and prognosis might be better. We suggest classification of tinnitus into acute single-episode (<3 months), intermittent, or chronic persistent (>3 months) forms.

[Tinnitus: psychosomatic aspects]. / Tinnitus: psychosomatische Aspekte.

Tinnitus is a common symptom of unclear origin that can be multifactorially caused and maintained. It is frequently, but not inevitably, associated with hearing loss. Emotional distress and maladaptive coping strategies - that are associated with or amplified by the tinnitus percept - pose key targets for psychological interventions. Once somatic contributors are identified and treated as applicable, psychological approaches comprise normalizing psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic interventions. Measures to improve hearing perception (e. g., hearing aids or cochlear implants) can also contribute to tinnitus habituation through direct (improvement of hearing perception) or indirect (improvement of emotional wellbeing or quality of life) effects.

[Molecular networks of hypoxia and neuronal apoptosis in the cochlea]. / Molekulare Netzwerke von Hypoxie und neuronaler Apoptose in der Cochlea.

BACKGROUND: In organotypic cultures, the modiolus (MOD) region of newborn rats shows a fourfold higher rate of cell death than the organ of Corti (OC). The differing vulnerability of OC and MOD cells is related to differential expression of numerous genes (DEG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Organotypic cultures of OC and MOD of 3-5-day-old rats were exposed to a normoxic or a hypoxic (pO2 10-20 mmHg; 5 h) atmosphere. Cell death rate and gene expression as detected by c­DNA microarray analysis were determined 24 h after the culture was created. Genes with modified expression (n = 60) were analyzed for biological processes according to the DAVID Gene Ontology Database (GO). Molecular networks were created using the STRING and ConsensusPathDB databases. RESULTS: The network of the GO annotations "hypoxia", "inflammation", and "mechanical stimulus" indicates the existence of two gene clusters: a cluster with pro-inflammatory genes (Ccl3, Cxcl2, Cxcr4, Ccl20) and a cluster with hypoxia-associated genes (e.g., c-Jun, Hif1a, and Vegfa). The network of the GO annotations "positive and negative regulation of neuron apoptotic process" suggests that the differential expression of c-Jun, Ngfr, and Casp3 is important for regulation of programmed cell death in neuronal cells of the OC and MOD. CONCLUSION: While c­JUN acts as an important modulator of the balance between cell death and survival, the associations of NGFR and CASP3 seem to be significant for the initiation of cell death. The evaluation and application of findings from biostatistical databases is important for understanding the function of individual genes and gene clusters in medically relevant biological processes.

[Long-term changes in multimodal intensive tinnitus therapy : A 5­year follow-up. German version]. / Langzeitveränderung bei multimodaler Tinnitustherapie : Eine 5­Jahres-Katamnese.

BACKGROUND: We present 5­year follow-up data for tinnitus-specific and comorbid depressive symptoms as well as stress-related outcome variables of an intensive multimodal 7­day tinnitus therapy. METHOD: Tinnitus burden (Tinnitus Questionnaire), stress (Perceived Stress Questionnaire), and depressive symptomatology (General Depression Scale) were measured at the 5­year follow-up after a multimodal intensive 7­day intervention. In all, 94 patients participated in the study. RESULTS: All outcome variables showed significant improvement at the end of the 7­day intensive treatment. These effects remained significant after 5 years. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study support the effectiveness of the 7­day multimodal intensive therapy for tinnitus. Posttreatment improvements were related to both tinnitus burden as well as stress and depressive symptoms and were maintained at the 5­year follow-up.

Erratum to: Long-term changes in multimodal intensive tinnitus therapy. A 5-year follow-up.

Erratum to:HNO 2018 66 (Suppl):S34-S38 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00106-017-0463-4 Figure 1 was published incorrectly in the online version of this paper. The correct Figure is reproduced below.

Long-term changes in multimodal intensive tinnitus therapy : A 5­year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: We present 5­year follow-up data for tinnitus-specific and comorbid depressive symptoms as well as stress-related outcome variables of an intensive multimodal 7­day tinnitus therapy. METHOD: Tinnitus burden (Tinnitus Questionnaire), stress (Perceived Stress Questionnaire), and depressive symptomatology (General Depression Scale) were measured at the 5­year follow-up after a multimodal intensive 7­day intervention. In all, 94 patients participated in the study. RESULTS: All outcome variables showed significant improvement at the end of the 7­day intensive treatment. These effects remained significant after 5 years. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study support the effectiveness of the 7­day multimodal intensive therapy for tinnitus. Posttreatment improvements were related to both tinnitus burden as well as stress and depressive symptoms and were maintained at the 5­year follow-up.

[On the interdisciplinary S3 guidelines for the treatment of chronic idiopathic tinnitus]. / Zur interdisziplinären S3-Leitlinie für die Therapie des chronisch-idiopathischen Tinnitus.

INTRODUCTION: Tinnitus is a frequent symptom, which, particularly in combination with comorbidities, can result in a severe disease-related burden. Chronic idiopathic tinnitus (CIT) is the most frequent type of tinnitus. A considerable number of treatment strategies are used to treat CIT-for many of which there is no evidence of efficacy. In order to enable scientific evidence-based treatment of CIT, German interdisciplinary S3 guidelines have recently been constructed for the first time. Here we present a short form of these S3 guidelines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The guidelines were constructed based on a meta-analysis of the treatment of chronic tinnitus performed by the authors. Additionally, a systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases. Furthermore, a systematic search for international guidelines was performed in Google, as well as in the Guidelines International Network and National Guideline Clearinghouse (USA) database. Evidence was classified according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine system. RESULTS: According to the guidelines, alongside counselling, manualized structured tinnitus-specific cognitive behavioral therapy (tCBT) with a validated treatment manual is available as evidence-based therapy. In addition, the guidelines recommend concurrent treatment of comorbidities, including drug-based treatment, where appropriate. Particularly important is treatment of anxiety and depression. Where a psychic or psychiatric comorbidity is suspected, further diagnosis and treatment should be performed by an appropriately qualified specialist (psychiatrist, neurologist, psychosomatic medicine consultant) or psychological psychotherapist. In cases accompanied by deafness or hearing loss bordering on deafness, cochlear implants may be indicated. CONCLUSION: No recommendations can be made for drug-based treatment of CIT, audiotherapy, transcranial magnetic or electrical stimulation, specific forms of acoustic stimulation or music therapy; or such recommendations must remain open due to the lack of available evidence. Polypragmatic tinnitus treatment with therapeutic strategies for which there is no evidence of efficacy from controlled studies is to be refused.

Stress and tinnitus.

Emotional stress is a constant companion of tinnitus patients, since this phantom sound can unfortunately be a very effective stressor. However, the mechanism of stress contribution to the onset or progression of tinnitus remains unknown. Here, we review the pathways induced by emotional stress and the outcome of their induction: corticosteroid-dependent changes in gene expression, epigenetic modulations, and impact of stress on neuronal plasticity and neurotransmission. Using clinical examples, we demonstrate the presence of emotional stress among tinnitus patients and we present methods to measure the degree of stress. The evidence causally linking emotional stress with tinnitus is still indirect-the main difficulty lies in the inaccessibility of human auditory tissues and the inability to directly measure tinnitus-induced psychological distress in animal models. However, we believe that translational research is the future way of filling this gap, finding the answers, and thereby improving both the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus patients.

The role of Interleukin-6, its -174 G>C polymorphism and C-reactive protein in idiopathic cardiac arrhythmias in children.

UNLABELLED: ABSTRACT Purpose: Knowledge about the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of arrhythmias in children is limited. Several studies have suggested a relationship between plasma IL-6 levels and/or the -174G>C IL-6 gene polymorphism and atrial fibrillation in adults. Our present study was performed to investigate whether serum IL-6, -174G>C IL-6 polymorphism and C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with arrhythmias of unknown origin in children. METHODS: The study included 126 children diagnosed with supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmia. Patients with congenital heart defects as well as arrhythmias of known origin were excluded from the study. The control group comprised 37 healthy children. The 24 hour Holter electrocardiography monitoring was performed. Serum IL-6, -174 GC IL-6 polymorphism and CRP concentrations were measured on admission. RESULTS: There were no differences in IL-6, CRP and -174 G>C IL-6 genotype distribution between the control and patient groups. No significant differences in IL-6, CRP and -174 G>C IL-6 genotypes were observed between children with supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmias. The severity of arrhythmias showed also no associations with IL-6, CRP or -174 G>C IL-6 genotypes. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that idiopathic cardiac arrhythmias of unknown origin in children are not associated with selected pro-inflammatory markers of infections i.e. elevated IL-6, CRP or -174 G>C IL-6 polymorphism. This new information can effectively reduce the total financial cost of unnecessary diagnosis and treatment of children affected by cardiac arrhythmias.