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Updated: Sep 2, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Tinnitus Burden Predicts Domain-Specific Quality of Life After Cochlear Implantation
Sophia Chehade1, Tamara Mijovic2, Joe Saliba3
1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Objective:
To evaluate the longitudinal association between tinnitus burden and domain-specific cochlear implant-related quality of life in adult cochlear implant recipients.
Study Design:
Retrospective chart review.
Setting:
Single academic tertiary-care center.
Patients:
One hundred eighty-one adult cochlear implant recipients (aged 19-91 y; mean 61.4±17.5).
Interventions:
Quality of life questionnaires.
Main Outcome Measures:
Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Cochlear Implant Quality of Life instruments (CIQOL-35 Profile and CIQOL-10 Global) were assessed preoperatively and at 6 and 12 months postoperatively.
Results:
Following implantation, tinnitus severity decreased and CI-specific quality of life improved across all CIQOL domains by 6 months and remained stable at 12 months. In adjusted linear mixed-effects models (n=128), greater persistent tinnitus burden was independently associated with poorer CI-specific quality of life across multiple domains, including Emotional, Social, Entertainment, Communication, Listening Effort, and Global Functioning. The strongest association was observed in the Emotional domain (β=-2.17 per 10-point increase in THI). These findings remained directionally consistent in sensitivity analyses adjusting for baseline clinical characteristics and postoperative speech performance.
Conclusions:
Cochlear implantation improves both tinnitus severity and cochlear implant-specific quality of life. However, persistent tinnitus burden remains independently associated with poorer patient-reported outcomes across multiple domains, particularly in emotional functioning.