Polysomnographic Findings in Patients With Chronic Tinnitus

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Sleep Medicine
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Tinnitus is an auditory perception without external stimuli, negatively affecting quality of life, concentration, and emotional stability.
• Chronic tinnitus is associated with sleep disturbances, but its specific impact on sleep architecture requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare sleep architecture in individuals with and without chronic subjective tinnitus.
• To identify specific sleep stage alterations associated with tinnitus.

Main Methods:

• Observational, noninterventional, prospective study of 50 adults (25 with tinnitus, 25 controls).
• Sleep architecture assessed via polysomnography.
• Standardized questionnaires (Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory) and visual analog scales were used.

Main Results:

• The tinnitus group exhibited higher mean values in sleep stages 1 and 2 compared to controls.
• The tinnitus group showed lower mean values in stage 3 and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
• A statistically significant difference was observed in REM sleep (P = .031), indicating less time spent in REM sleep.

Conclusions:

• Patients with chronic subjective tinnitus demonstrate significant alterations in sleep architecture.
• Specifically, tinnitus is associated with increased REM sleep latency and reduced REM sleep duration.
• These findings highlight the impact of tinnitus on restorative sleep phases.