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Audiological Assessment for Tinnitus

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Textbook of Tinnitus

Abstract

Comprehensive clinical assessment of tinnitus is foundation for getting a wholistic understanding about patients’ tinnitus and planning a good management. Considering hearing loss is most commonly associated with tinnitus, hearing assessment should be integral part of tinnitus assessment battery. Along with comprehensive audiological assessment, it is also significant for the patient to undergo ENT evaluation to assess the presence and extent of medical involvement, and if needed, additional referrals should be arranged. This chapter focuses on the audiological assessment battery recommended for patients with tinnitus, such as detailed case history, otoscopy, pure tone audiometry, high-frequency audiometry, loudness discomfort level, speech audiometry, psychoacoustic measurement of tinnitus (pitch, loudness, minimum masking, residual inhibition) tympanometry and acoustic reflex testing, otoacoustic emissions, auditory brainstem response audiometry, and research assessments. Towards the end of this chapter, we have outlined a case study to supplement the clinical understanding.

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Abbreviations

2AFC:

Two alternative forced choice

ABR:

Auditory brainstem response

BOLD:

Blood oxygen level dependent

CGI:

Clinical global impression

dB:

Decibel

DPOAE:

Distortion product otoacoustic emission

EEG:

Electroencephalography

fMRI:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

HFA:

High-frequency audiometry

KHz:

KiloHertz

LDL:

Loudness discomfort level

MML:

Minimum masking level

OAE:

Otoacoustic emission

PI:

Performance intensity.

PTA:

Puretone audiometry

RI:

Residual inhibition

SRT:

Speech recognition threshold

TDCS:

Transcranial direct current stimulation

TEOAE:

Transient-evoked otoacoustic emission

TFI:

Tinnitus Functional Index

THI:

Tinnitus Handicap Inventory

TMJ:

Temporomandibular joint

TQ:

Tinnitus Questionnaire

TRQ:

Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire

TSCHQ:

Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire

TSI:

Tinnitus Severity Index

TSNS:

Tinnitus Severity Numeric Scale

VAS:

Visual Analogue Scale

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Correspondence to Giriraj S. Shekhawat .

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Shekhawat, G.S., Sparrow, K., Callahan, L. (2024). Audiological Assessment for Tinnitus. In: Schlee, W., Langguth, B., De Ridder, D., Vanneste, S., Kleinjung, T., Møller, A.R. (eds) Textbook of Tinnitus. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35647-6_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35647-6_29

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