Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026
09:23
A Low Cost Setup for Behavioral Audiometry in Rodents
Published on: October 16, 2012
The relationship between tinnitus pitch and hearing sensitivity.
Giriraj Singh Shekhawat1, Grant D Searchfield, Cathy M Stinear
1Section of Audiology, Department of Audiology, University Of Auckland, Tamaki Innovation Campus, Private Bag 92019, 1142, Auckland, New Zealand.
Summary
Tinnitus pitch is often linked to hearing loss, particularly at specific frequencies. This study found the strongest predictor of tinnitus pitch was the hearing threshold around 50 dBHL.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Tinnitus, the perception of sound without an external source, is commonly associated with hearing loss.
- The precise mechanisms and predictors of tinnitus pitch remain incompletely understood.
- Understanding tinnitus pitch can offer insights into underlying auditory system dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between tinnitus pitch and various audiological measures.
- To identify audiometric predictors of tinnitus pitch.
- To explore potential links between tinnitus pitch and the degree of hearing loss.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 192 participants with chronic tinnitus.
- Data collected from the University of Auckland Hearing and Tinnitus Clinic database (March 2008 - January 2011).
- Assessment included tinnitus pitch matching, audiometry (T50), minimum masking levels (MML), tinnitus loudness, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE).
Main Results:
- Seventy-six percent of participants had a tinnitus pitch of 8 kHz or higher.
- Tinnitus pitch was most frequently matched to frequencies with a hearing threshold of 40-60 dBHL (T50).
- A weak but significant positive correlation was observed between tinnitus pitch and T50 (r = 0.15, p < 0.05).
- No significant correlation was found between tinnitus pitch and DPOAEs, MML, audiometric edge, or worst threshold.
Conclusions:
- The frequency at approximately 50 dBHL hearing threshold was the strongest audiometric predictor of tinnitus pitch.
- This finding suggests a potential shift in the type of cochlear damage, possibly involving inner hair cells at these hearing loss levels.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the complex relationship between hearing loss and tinnitus pitch perception.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
01:31Hearing
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
01:01Perception of Sound Waves
The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies in the audible range. It may perceive sound waves with the same pressure but different frequencies as having different loudness. Moreover, the perception of sound waves depends on the health of an individual's ears, which decays with age. The health of one's ears may also be affected by regular exposure to loud noises.
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same frequency...
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same frequency...
01:13The Cochlea
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
00:53Sound Intensity Level
Humans perceive sound by hearing. The human ear helps sound waves reach the brain, which then interprets the waves and creates the perception of hearing. The loudness of the environment in which a person is located determines whether they can distinguish between different sound sources.
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...
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...
01:15Auditory Pathway
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...