Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026

A Protocol for the Administration of Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Training
Published on: August 24, 2017
Exploring the Link Between Tinnitus and Loudness Intolerance
Agnes Yohannan1, Archana Gundmi1
1Department of Speech and Hearing, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India.
Introduction:
A ringing sensation in the ear is referred to as tinnitus. It is one of the common symptoms associated with hearing loss. It can be associated even with loudness-related conditions, such as hyperacusis.
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between tinnitus and hyperacusis in individuals with normal hearing and up-to-mild hearing loss, focusing on the manifestation of loudness intolerance.
Methods:
The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) was administered among 35 adults having primary complaints of tinnitus with normal hearing and up-to-mild hearing loss. Further, the Modified Khalfa Hyperacusis Questionnaire (M-HQ) was used to evaluate the hyperacusis severity among the same individuals. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to check the correlation between tinnitus and hyperacusis severity.
Results:
Of the 35 adults who reported tinnitus, 18 (51.4%) of them reported having hyperacusis. The outcome of Spearman's correlation indicated a moderate positive correlation between the THI and M-HQ scores r s = 0.401( p = 0.017).
Conclusion:
The results obtained suggest that tinnitus is associated with hyperacusis. With the subjective evaluation, it is clear that the change in the severity of tinnitus perception is interconnected with the perception of hyperacusis severity. But this relationship is not a completely overlapping one. Future research on the comorbid interplay of tinnitus severity and hyperacusis severity may shed further light on this link.
Related Concept Videos
Sound Intensity Level
The human ear can perceive an extensive range of sound intensity, necessitating the use of the logarithmic scale to define a physical quantity—the intensity level. It is a ratio of two intensities and hence a...
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
Sound Intensity
Hearing
Perception of Sound Waves
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same frequency...
Sound Waves: Interference

