Which affective temperaments are most expressed in patients with chronic sub-jective tinnitus?

BACKGROUND

Although chronic subjective tinnitus is one of the most common symptoms, the background of its pathophysiological mechanism and etiology is not fully understood. No studies are exploring various affective temperaments in persons with chronic tinnitus.

METHODS

We included in this study 57 patients with tinnitus who filled out the Serbian 41-item version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Auto questionnaire (TEMPS-A) and a short sociodemographic questionnaire. Patients were assessed using audiometry (measuring the hearing threshold for frequencies of 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000, and 8,000 Hz) and tympanometry.

RESULTS

Our research showed that patients with chronic tinnitus predominantly had anxious affective temperament [anxious-cognitive (AnxC): 26.23 %, anxious-somatic (AnxS): 25.6 %). AnxS was dominant in people without hearing loss (46 %) and males (37.39 %). AnxC was dominant in people with a significant hearing loss and females (30.3 %). Both AnxS and AnxC temperaments correlated with hearing loss in the right ear more than in the left one.

CONCLUSION

Our study revealed that anxious temperaments (AnxC and AnxS) were predominant in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus. Affective temperaments could play a significant role in explaining this disorder's currently unclear pathophysiology of, but further research is needed. HIPPOKRATIA 2020, 24(2): 77-83.