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Can Tinnitus Cause Speech-in-Noise Deficits?
Srividya Grama Bhagavan1, Valerie Ingalls1, Juan Antonio Raygoza Garay1,2
1Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Ear and Hearing
|May 20, 2026
Summary
Tinnitus and speech-in-noise deficits share a genetic basis but tinnitus does not cause hearing problems. Shared genetic factors influence brain regions involved in auditory processing and cognition.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Conflicting results exist regarding the link between tinnitus and speech-in-noise (SIN) perception.
- Observational studies are limited by confounders like age, hearing loss, and distress.
- This study uses combined observational and genetic approaches to clarify the tinnitus-SIN relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between tinnitus and SIN perception.
- To determine if tinnitus causally impacts SIN perception.
- To identify shared genetic underpinnings between tinnitus and SIN deficits.
Main Methods:
- 216 young adults (87 with tinnitus) with normal hearing thresholds participated.
- Speech perception assessed using SSQ12, QuickSIN, and Dichotic Digit Test.
- Latent causal variant analysis and genome-wide association studies were employed for genetic epidemiology.
Main Results:
- Tinnitus correlated with poorer SIN perception (lower SSQ12, worse Dichotic Digit Test).
- No causal link found between tinnitus and SIN deficits.
- Significant genetic correlations and shared brain tissue (e.g., frontal cortex, hippocampus) implicated synaptic functioning.
Conclusions:
- Tinnitus and SIN deficits are comorbid with a shared genetic basis.
- A common genetic architecture predisposes individuals to both conditions independently.
- Shared genetics likely impact synaptic function in brain regions crucial for audition, cognition, and emotion.
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