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Stress Reactivity in Chronic Tinnitus.
Linda T Betz1, Andreas Mühlberger2, Berthold Langguth1
1University of Regensburg, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Regensburg, Germany.
Scientific Reports
|January 31, 2017
Summary
Chronic tinnitus patients show a disconnect between their psychological and physiological stress responses. Their heart rate reactivity to stress is blunted, and subjective stress doesn't align with physical stress markers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Tinnitus is often linked to stress, impacting both patients and clinical models.
- Understanding the interplay between stress and tinnitus is crucial for treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate physiological and psychological stress reactivity in chronic subjective tinnitus.
- To compare stress responses between tinnitus patients and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- 19 patients with chronic subjective tinnitus and 19 healthy controls participated.
- Physiological (heart rate, heart rate variability) and subjective stress measures were taken during resting and stress tasks (mental arithmetic, tinnitus concentration).
Main Results:
- Tinnitus patients exhibited decreased and blunted heart rate response to mental arithmetic stress compared to controls.
- Subjective stress and tinnitus awareness increased post-stress in tinnitus patients, but perceived stress during the task was similar.
- Heart rate, heart rate variability, and subjective strain were uncorrelated in tinnitus patients, unlike in controls.
Conclusions:
- Chronic tinnitus may involve a de-synchronization between physiological and psychological stress reactivity.
- This dissociation could offer new insights into tinnitus pathophysiology and stress management strategies.
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