Article

Tinnitus is the perception of sound that does not have an acoustic source in the
environment. Ascertaining the presence of tinnitus in individuals who claim
tinnitus for compensation purposes is very difficult and increasingly becoming a
problem. This study examined the potential to observe differences in loudness and
pitch matches between individuals who experience tinnitus versus those who do
not. This study follows a previous pilot study we completed that included 12
subjects with and 12 subjects without tinnitus. The current study included 36
subjects with and 36 without tinnitus. Results of this study revealed no
significant differences between groups with regard to decibel sensation level
(SL) loudness matches and within-session loudness-match reliability.
Between-group differences revealed that the tinnitus subjects had (1) greater
decibel sound pressure level loudness matches, (2) better between-session
loudness-match reliability, (3) better pitch-match reliability, and (4) higher
frequency pitch matches. These findings support the data from our pilot study
with the exception that decibel SL loudness matches were greater for the tinnitus
subjects in the pilot study. Tinnitus loudness and pitch matching may have some
value in an overall battery of tests for evaluating tinnitus claims.

Langue : ANGLAIS