Tinnitus: A Treatable Disease

s of oral presentations Seventh International Conference on Tinnitus 18 PATIENTS WITH ASYMMETRIC HEARING LOSS/ SINGLE‐ SIDED DEAFNESS BENEFIT FROM CI REGARDING HEALTH‐RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, TINNITUS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL COMORBIDITY Olze H, Gräbel S, Battmer RD, Ernst A, Förster U, Mazurek B Department of Otolaryngology, Charité, Berlin, Germany Department of Otolaryngology, Unfallkrankenhaus, Berlin, Germany Tinnitus Center, Charité, Berlin, Germany Objectives: Recent studies have demonstrated significant improvement of speech perception in patients with asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) and single‐sided deafness (SSD) following CI. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if the AHL/SSD patients benefit from CI regarding health‐related quality of life, tinnitus and psychological comorbidity. Study design: Thirty‐one adult patients implanted with a CI for at least 6 months were included in this prospective study. We evaluated the quality of life, tinnitus impairment, perceived stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms and coping strategies using six validated questionnaires: the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ), the Tinnitus‐Questionnaire (TQ), the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ), and finally the General Depressions Scale (ADSL) and the General Anxiety Disorder‐ 7‐questionnaire (GAD‐7). In addition, speech perception tests for the implanted ear and in the binaural condition in quiet and noise (Freiburger monosyllables, HSM and OLSA sentences) were evaluated. Results: CI in AHL/SSD resulted in a statistically significant improvement of HRQoL. There was a significant decrease of tinnitus‐related distress in the AHL group. Furthermore, the number of patients with severe perceived stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms was reduced after CI. CI resulted in a significant improvement in all speech perception tests in quiet and noise. In addition, following CI, SSD patients benefited from the head‐shadow‐effect. Conclusions: Cochlear implantation positively influences the quality of life, induces habituation of tinnitus and lowers the stress perception and psychological comorbidity in AHL/SSD patients. ___________________ CHANGE OF TINNITUS SEVERITY OVER TIME AND TRIAL WITH LISTENING TO NOTCHED MUSIC Å Reimer, U Olsen, E Lello and K Kvarnerot Reimer ENT‐outpatient department, Höllviken, Sweden Objectives: The aims of the present studies were to examine whether perceived tinnitus severity changes over time, and which factors contribute to change. A second objective was to select patients for treatment with notched music. Material and Methods: A tinnitus severity questionnaire was completed by 480 patients visiting an ENT‐outpatient department between the years 2000 and 2008.The same questionnaire was in 2010 sent to 455 of the patients and 267 responded. The change of severity and relation to age, gender, hearing loss and etiologic diagnosis was examined. A second inquiry to the responders 267 responders got 158 answers. Relation of tinnitus severity to indicators of depression and anxiety (HADS) was studied and character of tinnitus was described. Notched music treatment has been offered patients with pure tonal tinnitus (1). Results: Tinnitus severity had decreased for the majority of patients on follow‐up assessment. In noise induced hearing loss tinnitus improved less than in unspecified sensorineural hearing loss. Pure tonal character of tinnitus is uncommon. Pitch of tinnitus is often difficult to assess. Preliminary treatment results with notched music are in a few patients promising Conclusion: Most patients experienced less severity of tinnitus with time, but exceptions were many. Severity of tinnitus in noise induced hearing was more frequently unchanged. Tonal tinnitus suitable for treatment by listening to notched music was not frequent, but the method is practiced in a few cases.