Tinnitus - Hyperacusis and the Loudness Discomfort Level Test - A Preliminary Report

This paper is a preliminary report from the Tinnitus Center, HSCB-SUNY, of hyperacusis in a patient population who request consultation for tinnitus of the severe disabling type. Forty-two consecutive patients seen from January to August 1995 were reviewed for this preliminary report. There is a positive correlation between tinnitus and hyperacusis as well as a positive correlation between hyperacusis and the loudness discomfort level test (LDL). Hyperacusis is an increased sensitivity to sound that occurs with/without a hearing loss in individuals with tinnitus of the severe disabling type. The present method of assessment for hyperacusis includes pure tone audiometry, LDL's, Feldmann Masking Curves and the Metz test for recruitment. A classification system exists for hearing loss and a similar system is suggested for hyperacusis.