Journal article
Multisensory environmental sensitivity in patients with chronic tinnitus.
- Danioth L Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, lnselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern CH-3010, Switzerland.
- Brotschi G Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, lnselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern CH-3010, Switzerland.
- Croy I Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden 01307, Germany.
- Friedrich H Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, lnselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern CH-3010, Switzerland; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Caversaccio MD Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, lnselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern CH-3010, Switzerland.
- Negoias S Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, lnselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern CH-3010, Switzerland; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Basel University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel CH-4051, Switzerland. Electronic address: simona.negoias@insel.ch.
- 2020-06-14
Published in:
- Journal of psychosomatic research. - 2020
English
OBJECTIVE
The study aimed at investigating the sensitivity to noise and chemosensory environmental stressors as well as the relation to perceived stress, depression and anxiety in subjects with chronic tinnitus as compared to subjects without tinnitus.
METHODS
We included 75 subjects with chronic tinnitus and 75 age and sex-matched subjects without tinnitus. Standardized questionnaires assessing the level of distress and impairment of quality of life caused by tinnitus, perceived level of stress, anxiety and depression, environmental noise and chemosensory sensitivity were used. A subgroup of 27 subjects with chronic tinnitus and 20 age-matched subjects without tinnitus underwent testing of olfactory function with the Sniffin' Sticks test and testing of intranasal trigeminal function using CO2 thresholds.
RESULTS
Our data confirmed the increased environmental noise sensitivity (NSS) in patients with tinnitus. Furthermore, we observed an increased environmental chemosensory sensitivity (CSS), but no difference in measured chemosensory function. Subjects with tinnitus showed also significant higher levels of perceived stress, anxiety and depression and those symptoms partially correlated to CSS and NSS. Predictors of both NSS and CSS results were the presence / absence of tinnitus and high anxiety levels while neither stress nor depression were found as predicting variables.
CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that chronic tinnitus is related to a multisensory environmental hypersensitivity. Anxiety seems to be a predictor of this environmental vulnerability.
The study aimed at investigating the sensitivity to noise and chemosensory environmental stressors as well as the relation to perceived stress, depression and anxiety in subjects with chronic tinnitus as compared to subjects without tinnitus.
METHODS
We included 75 subjects with chronic tinnitus and 75 age and sex-matched subjects without tinnitus. Standardized questionnaires assessing the level of distress and impairment of quality of life caused by tinnitus, perceived level of stress, anxiety and depression, environmental noise and chemosensory sensitivity were used. A subgroup of 27 subjects with chronic tinnitus and 20 age-matched subjects without tinnitus underwent testing of olfactory function with the Sniffin' Sticks test and testing of intranasal trigeminal function using CO2 thresholds.
RESULTS
Our data confirmed the increased environmental noise sensitivity (NSS) in patients with tinnitus. Furthermore, we observed an increased environmental chemosensory sensitivity (CSS), but no difference in measured chemosensory function. Subjects with tinnitus showed also significant higher levels of perceived stress, anxiety and depression and those symptoms partially correlated to CSS and NSS. Predictors of both NSS and CSS results were the presence / absence of tinnitus and high anxiety levels while neither stress nor depression were found as predicting variables.
CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that chronic tinnitus is related to a multisensory environmental hypersensitivity. Anxiety seems to be a predictor of this environmental vulnerability.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- closed
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110155
- PMID 32534321
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/185376
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