Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

A Low Cost Setup for Behavioral Audiometry in Rodents
Published on: October 16, 2012
Tinnitus severity, loudness, and depression
R L Folmer1, S E Griest, M B Meikle
1Oregon Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201-3098, USA.
Abstract:
Answers to questionnaires filled out by 436 patients who visited our tinnitus clinic were analyzed. Patients were asked to report the presence or absence of depression and to rate the loudness and severity of their tinnitus. Responses to questions about tinnitus loudness and severity from 121 patients who reported current depression were compared with responses from 285 patients who reported no history of depression. There was no significant difference in reported loudness of tinnitus between patients with and without depression. However, patients with current depression scored significantly higher than patients without depression on all 12 questions relating to tinnitus severity. We conclude that depression and tinnitus severity are linked in some patients. Treatment of depression with medications and psychotherapy is likely to reduce tinnitus severity for many of these patients.
Related Concept Videos
Hearing
Perception of Sound Waves
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same frequency...
Sound Intensity Level
The human ear can perceive an extensive range of sound intensity, necessitating the use of the logarithmic scale to define a physical quantity—the intensity level. It is a ratio of two intensities and hence a...
Depression: Overview
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia

