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Tinnitus as a source of internal noise
Journal of Speech and Hearing Research
|September 1, 1986
Summary
Tinnitus pitch and loudness perception can be highly variable. Research indicates that the perceived tinnitus region shows the steepest psychometric function slope, suggesting internal noise interference.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Psychoacoustics
Background:
- Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) often co-occurs with tinnitus.
- Tinnitus perception can be subjective and variable, complicating its study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the variability of tinnitus pitch and loudness matches.
- To examine the relationship between tinnitus perception and auditory function in the tinnitus frequency region.
Main Methods:
- Seven patients with SNHL and tinnitus underwent pitch and loudness matching for their tinnitus.
- Psychometric functions were measured for pure tones at, below, and above the tinnitus frequency region.
Main Results:
- Tinnitus pitch and loudness matches demonstrated significant variability among patients.
- The psychometric function slope was steepest in the presumed tinnitus region compared to adjacent frequencies.
Conclusions:
- The high variability in tinnitus matches suggests tinnitus is an unstable auditory signal.
- The altered psychometric function in the tinnitus region supports the hypothesis that tinnitus acts as internal noise, impacting auditory processing.