Multisensory environmental sensitivity in patients with chronic tinnitus.

Danioth, Laura; Brotschi, Gladys; Croy, Ilona; Friedrich, Hergen; Caversaccio, Marco; Negoias, Simona Nicoleta (2020). Multisensory environmental sensitivity in patients with chronic tinnitus. Journal of psychosomatic research, 135(110155), p. 110155. Elsevier 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110155

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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.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Head Organs and Neurology (DKNS) > Clinic of Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders (ENT)

UniBE Contributor:

Brotschi, Gladys, Caversaccio, Marco, Negoias, Simona Nicoleta

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

0022-3999

Publisher:

Elsevier

Language:

English

Submitter:

Stefan Weder

Date Deposited:

14 Jan 2021 12:02

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 15:43

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110155

PubMed ID:

32534321

Additional Information:

Gladys Brotschi ist ebenfalls Erstautorin (shared first authorship)

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Environmental chemosensitivity Olfaction Smell Tinnitus Trigeminal

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/150357

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/150357

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