Tinnitus and inhibitory control in adults with bilateral hearing loss: A Stroop study in hearing aid users

This cross-sectional study examined whether tinnitus was associated with verbal information-processing speed and inhibitory control in adults with bilateral hearing loss. It included 132 bilateral hearing aid users with moderately severe or severe hearing loss: 66 with tinnitus and 66 without tinnitus. Information-processing speed, selective attention, and inhibitory control were assessed using the Stroop Test TBAG (Temel Bilimler Araştırma Grubu) Form, and tinnitus-related handicap was evaluated using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. The Stroop assessor was blinded to tinnitus status and questionnaire scores. Rank-based analyses of covariance adjusted for hearing-loss duration and severity, with Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate correction within outcome families. After adjustment, the tinnitus group had higher mean ranks for completion times across five Stroop sections (all q ≤ .048). They made more self-corrections in Section 4 (q = .039) and more errors and self-corrections in the high-interference Section 5 (both q < .001). Stroop completion times were not significantly associated with Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores after adjustment for 20 comparisons (all q ≥ .505). These findings suggest that tinnitus is associated with longer Stroop completion times and additional difficulty with response inhibition and monitoring under high-interference conditions, whereas tinnitus-related handicap was not associated with performance.