Trauma Associated Tinnitus: Characteristics, Outlook

Interesting article published by the TRI in 2012. Data was taken from over 1,600 patients. They conclude that tinnitus associated from trauma--noise, head, or neck injury--tends to be more severe and may require different treatment protocols.

Article is worth the read!

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0045599#pone-0045599-t001

Trauma-Associated Tinnitus: Audiological, Demographic and Clinical Characteristics


Background

Tinnitus can result from different etiologies. Frequently, patients report the development of tinnitus after traumatic injuries. However, to which extent this specific etiologic factor plays a role for the phenomenology of tinnitus is still incompletely understood. Additionally, it remains a matter of debate whether the etiology of tinnitus constitutes a relevant criterion for defining tinnitus subtypes.
Objective

By investigating a worldwide sample of tinnitus patients derived from the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI) Database, we aimed to identify differences in demographic, clinical and audiological characteristics between tinnitus patients with and without preceding trauma.
Materials

A total of 1,604 patients were investigated. Assessment included demographic data, tinnitus related clinical data, audiological data, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, the Tinnitus Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, various numeric tinnitus rating scales, and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Scale (WHOQoL).
Results

Our data clearly indicate differences between tinnitus patients with and without trauma at tinnitus onset. Patients suffering from trauma-associated tinnitus suffer from a higher mental burden than tinnitus patients presenting with phantom perceptions based on other or unknown etiologic factors. This is especially the case for patients with whiplash and head trauma. Patients with posttraumatic noise-related tinnitus experience more frequently hyperacousis, were younger, had longer tinnitus duration, and were more frequently of male gender.
Conclusions

Trauma before tinnitus onset seems to represent a relevant criterion for subtypization of tinnitus. Patients with posttraumatic tinnitus may require specific diagnostic and therapeutic management. A more systematic and – at best - standardized assessment for hearing related sequelae of trauma is needed for a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and for developing more tailored treatment approaches as well.

 

I think a lot of good will come from this database of tinnitus sufferers' experiences. I'm sure people are thinking "database??? We need a cure dammit!". I think the TRI working hard to standardize testing, establishing sub types of tinnitus all point to good indicators that they are taking finding a cure serious. There most likely will be multiple cures or treatments, as the causes as we have come to know all differ.

 

Yes, there may not be a "magic bullet" since tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease. The TRI's efforts also underscore the survey at Tinnitus Talk! TT's survey asks many of the same questions, plus more. All this information is necessary for research. For too long, tinnitus was just a disease of aging--which, unfortunately, is another underfunded area. With trauma associated tinnitus, however, it has begun to take a higher profile. Still a low profile, but higher than five years ago and still rising!

 

Really Jazz? I hadn't read that the TRI had mentioned TT when talking about their database. Do you have a link to that?

 

Sorry I was unclear, Hudson. Markku was correct. I meant that studies such as the TRI only reinforce the importance of TT's own study. The more total information available, the better.

 

Yes, you're correct. I probably shouldn't post late at night when I'm tired. But it would've been cool if Hudson had been right!!

 

head injury 1981! complete loss of hearing. i know about severe T. that's it.

 

Dan26 ,hi mate,have you ever been to a Cranial Osteopath,I broke my nose very badly needing an op,a week after the break T arrived. The cranial osteopath very cleverly worked out where I broke my nose ,the angle etc all by how and where my facial and head bones have seized up,which he Is now trying to unravel week by week ,a long process mind ,but ive known him a long time and have faith In what hes trying to do.

 

Are you the guy who had a motorcycle accident?