Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026

A Protocol for the Administration of Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Training
Published on: August 24, 2017
Tinnitus: Does it Lead to Impairments in Metacognitive Functions and the Theory of Mind Skills?
Elif Kaya Çelik1, Filiz Özsoy2, Büşra Yılmaz Ertürk3
1Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tokat, Türkiye.
Objective:
This study aimed to investigate theory of mind skills and metacognitive functions in patients with tinnitus compared to healthy controls.
Methods:
This prospective study included patients diagnosed with tinnitus at our otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery clinic and healthy controls matching their demographic characteristics. Patients diagnosed with tinnitus at our otolaryngology and head and neck surgery clinic, along with healthy controls matched for demographic characteristics, were included in the study. All participants completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), the metacognition questionnaire (MCQ-30), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). The relationship between the scales applied to the patient group regarding tinnitus was evaluated using Spearman's and Pearson's correlation tests.
Results:
A total of 90 individuals diagnosed with tinnitus and 70 healthy controls participated in the study. There was no statistically significant difference in BDI scores between the groups (p>0.05). However, in the MCQ-30, the cognitive awareness subscale and the total score were significantly higher in the tinnitus group (p=0.003 and p=0.041, respectively). Additionally, RMET performance was lower in tinnitus patients compared to healthy controls (p=0.002). Certain subscales of the MCQ-30 showed a moderate positive correlation with THI.
Conclusion:
Based on these findings, we suggest that evaluating tinnitus patients from a psychiatric perspective, providing psychosocial support, and assisting them in improving their communication skills could be beneficial.
More Related Videos
05:22Dissociation of the Confounding Influences of Expectancy and Integrative Difficulty Residing in Anomalous Sentences in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: May 9, 2019
06:11High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex to Enhance Metacognitive Sensitivity
Published on: September 26, 2025
Related Concept Videos
High-Level and Low-Level Awareness
Subconsciousness and No Awareness
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...
Language and Cognition
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
Interference and Decay
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
Introspection