Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
05:31
Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
Published on: February 26, 2020
The Auditory-Visual Stroop Test to Assess Subjects with Tinnitus
Anna Carolina Marques Perrella de Barros1, Daniela Gil1, Flavia Alencar de Barros2
1Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil.
Brain Sciences
|June 26, 2026
Summary
This study adapted an Auditory-Visual Stroop test (AV-Stroop test) for tinnitus patients, finding it effective for assessing attentional and inhibitory control. The adapted test, especially with tinnitus-matched stimuli, shows promise for clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Audiology
Background:
- Tinnitus often co-occurs with cognitive deficits, particularly in executive functions like attention and inhibition.
- Existing cognitive tests may not fully capture the impact of tinnitus on these functions.
- An adapted Auditory-Visual Stroop test (AV-Stroop test) is needed to specifically evaluate cognitive performance in individuals with tinnitus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To adapt an Auditory-Visual Stroop test (AV-Stroop test) for individuals with tinnitus.
- To evaluate the correlation between the AV-Stroop test and the conventional Stroop test (C-Stroop test).
- To assess the influence of cognitive screening test performance on AV-Stroop test results.
- To apply the AV-Stroop test in participants with and without tinnitus.
Main Methods:
- The AV-Stroop test was adapted using white noise (WN), pure tone (PT), and narrow band (NB) auditory stimuli.
- The adapted AV-Stroop test, C-Stroop test, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) were administered to 45 participants.
- The AV-Stroop test was further applied to 70 participants, with and without tinnitus, including a tinnitus-specific stimulus track.
Main Results:
- The adapted AV-Stroop test demonstrated significant correlations with the C-Stroop test's performance metrics (task time and errors).
- Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) scores did not significantly correlate with AV-Stroop test performance.
- Participants with tinnitus exhibited poorer performance on the AV-Stroop test, requiring more time and making more errors, especially with tinnitus-matched stimuli.
Conclusions:
- The AV-Stroop test is a viable and user-friendly tool for assessing attentional and inhibitory control in tinnitus populations.
- Auditory stimuli spectrally matched to tinnitus perception enhance the evaluation of top-down executive control.
- The AV-Stroop test offers a promising avenue for understanding cognitive impacts of tinnitus.
