Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Psychophysiological Stress Assessment Using Biofeedback
Published on: July 31, 2009
Tinnitus: The Sound of Stress?
Patricia Ciminelli1,2, Sergio Machado1,3, Manoela Palmeira1
1Laboratory of Panic & Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rua Venceslau Bras, 71 CIPE. Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Background:
Emotional stress is frequently associated with otologic symptoms as tinnitus and dizziness. Stress can contribute to the beginning or worsening of tinnitus.
Objective:
The objective of the study is to evaluate the presence of stress symptoms in patients with chronic, subjective tinnitus, and correlate its presence to annoyance associated with tinnitus.
Methods:
This is a cross-sectional study. One hundred and eighty patients with chronic, subjective tinnitus were included. Patients answered the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) to evaluate the impact of tinnitus in the quality of life and answered the Lipp's inventory symptoms of stress for adults (ISSL). The data obtained was organized using Excel® 2010, mean values, linear regression and p-value were calculated.
Results:
Of the 180 patients included in the study, 117 (65%) had stress symptoms, 52 of the 117 (44%) were in the resistance phase and 23 of the 117 (20%) in the exhaustion phase, the remaining was in the alert phase. There was a clear progressive increase in stress as THI raised, with more impact of tinnitus in quality of life.
Conclusion:
The presence of stress symptoms, measured by ISSL was observed in most of our patients with chronic subjective tinnitus, specially in the resistance and exhaustion phases and it is directly associated with tinnitus annoyance.
Related Concept Videos
Soundness of Cement
Heart Sounds
Auscultation is the process of listening to these internal body sounds using a stethoscope. The heart produces four types of sounds, but only two—S1 and S2—can usually be heard with a stethoscope.
S1, also known as the "lub" sound, is caused by the closure of atrioventricular (A-V)...
Korotkoff Sounds
During blood pressure assessment, inflating the cuff 30 millimeters of mercury above the patient's systolic blood pressure...
Sound Waves
Sound waves are longitudinal in most fluids because fluids cannot sustain any lateral pressure. In solids, however, shear forces help in propagating the disturbance in the lateral direction as well....
Sound Intensity
Speed of Sound in Gases

