Newman C W, Wharton J A, Shivapuja B G, Jacobson G P
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 48202.
Audiology. 1994 Jan-Feb;33(1):47-60. doi: 10.3109/00206099409072954.
Tinnitus is often a disturbing symptom which affects 6-20% of the population. Relationships among tinnitus pitch and loudness judgments, audiometric speech understanding measures and self-perceived handicap were evaluated in a sample of subjects with tinnitus and hearing loss (THL). Data obtained from the THL sample on the audiometric speech measures were compared to the performance of an age-matched hearing loss only (HL) group. Both groups had normal hearing through 1 kHz with a sloping configuration of < or = 20 dB/octave between 2-12 kHz. The THL subjects performed more poorly on the low predictability items of the Speech Perception in Noise Test, suggesting that tinnitus may interfere with the perception of speech signals having reduced linguistic redundancy. The THL subjects rated their tinnitus as annoying at relatively low sensation levels using the pitch-match frequency as the reference tone. Further, significant relationships were found between loudness judgment measures and self-rated annoyance. No predictable relationships were observed between the audiometric speech measures and perceived handicap using the Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire. These findings support the use of self-report measures in tinnitus patients in that audiometric speech tests alone may be insufficient in describing an individual's reaction to his/her communication breakdowns.
耳鸣是一种常见的令人困扰的症状，影响着6%至20%的人群。在一组耳鸣伴听力损失（THL）的受试者样本中，评估了耳鸣音高和响度判断、听力言语理解测量以及自我感知障碍之间的关系。将从THL样本中获得的听力言语测量数据与年龄匹配的单纯听力损失（HL）组的表现进行了比较。两组在1kHz以下听力正常，在2至12kHz之间呈斜率≤20dB/倍频程的下降型。THL受试者在噪声环境下言语感知测试的低可预测性项目上表现更差，这表明耳鸣可能会干扰对语言冗余度降低的言语信号的感知。以音高匹配频率作为参考音，THL受试者在相对较低的感觉水平下就将其耳鸣评为烦人。此外，响度判断测量与自我评定的烦扰之间存在显著关系。使用耳鸣障碍问卷，未观察到听力言语测量与感知障碍之间存在可预测的关系。这些发现支持在耳鸣患者中使用自我报告测量方法，因为仅听力言语测试可能不足以描述个体对其沟通障碍的反应。
