Electrophysiological indices of selective auditory attention in subjects with and without tinnitus

The present investigation was conducted in an attempt to determine whether selective auditory attention abilities differed between normal subjects and subjects with bothersome tinnitus. Subjects were 37 adults with tinnitus and high-frequency hearing loss (not affecting thresholds at 500 and 1000 Hz) and 15 subjects who were audiometrically and otologically normal. Results suggested that an electrophysiological index of early selective auditory attention (i.e., the negative difference wave, Nd) was of greater magnitude in tinnitus patients. Also, the cortical NI component occurred significantly later in the presence of selective attention in tinnitus subjects only. Results of this investigation may support the view that early selective auditory attention in subjects with bothersome tinnitus differs from that of normal subjects.