A cross-sectional questionnaire study of tinnitus awareness and impact in a population of adult cochlear implant users

Objectives: The primary aim was to identify the proportion of individuals within the adult cochlear implant population who are aware of tinnitus and those who report a negative impact from this perception, using a bespoke questionnaire designed to limit bias. A secondary aim was to use qualitative a...

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Main Authors: Gomersall, Philip A., Baguley, David, Carlyon, Robert P.
Format: Article
Published: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins 2018
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50914/
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author Gomersall, Philip A.
Baguley, David
Carlyon, Robert P.
author_facet Gomersall, Philip A.
Baguley, David
Carlyon, Robert P.
author_sort Gomersall, Philip A.
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Objectives: The primary aim was to identify the proportion of individuals within the adult cochlear implant population who are aware of tinnitus and those who report a negative impact from this perception, using a bespoke questionnaire designed to limit bias. A secondary aim was to use qualitative analysis of open-text responses to identify themes linked to tinnitus perception in this population. Design: A cross-sectional questionnaire study of a large clinical population who received an implant from Cambridge University Hospitals, United Kingdom. Results: Seventy-five percent of respondents reported tinnitus awareness. When impact scores for six areas of difficulty were ranked, 13% of individuals ranked tinnitus their primary concern and nearly a third ranked tinnitus in the top two positions. Tinnitus impact was not found to reduce with duration since implantation. The most common open-text responses were linked to a general improvement postimplantation and acute tinnitus alleviation specific to times when the device was in use. Conclusions: Tinnitus is a problem for a significant proportion of individuals with a cochlear implant. Clinicians, scientists, and cochlear implant manufacturers should be aware that management of tinnitus may be a greater priority for an implantee than difficulties linked to speech perception. Where a positive effect of implantation was reported, there was greater evidence for masking of tinnitus via the implant rather than reversal of maladaptive plasticity.
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spelling nottingham-509142020-05-04T19:41:42Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50914/ A cross-sectional questionnaire study of tinnitus awareness and impact in a population of adult cochlear implant users Gomersall, Philip A. Baguley, David Carlyon, Robert P. Objectives: The primary aim was to identify the proportion of individuals within the adult cochlear implant population who are aware of tinnitus and those who report a negative impact from this perception, using a bespoke questionnaire designed to limit bias. A secondary aim was to use qualitative analysis of open-text responses to identify themes linked to tinnitus perception in this population. Design: A cross-sectional questionnaire study of a large clinical population who received an implant from Cambridge University Hospitals, United Kingdom. Results: Seventy-five percent of respondents reported tinnitus awareness. When impact scores for six areas of difficulty were ranked, 13% of individuals ranked tinnitus their primary concern and nearly a third ranked tinnitus in the top two positions. Tinnitus impact was not found to reduce with duration since implantation. The most common open-text responses were linked to a general improvement postimplantation and acute tinnitus alleviation specific to times when the device was in use. Conclusions: Tinnitus is a problem for a significant proportion of individuals with a cochlear implant. Clinicians, scientists, and cochlear implant manufacturers should be aware that management of tinnitus may be a greater priority for an implantee than difficulties linked to speech perception. Where a positive effect of implantation was reported, there was greater evidence for masking of tinnitus via the implant rather than reversal of maladaptive plasticity. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins 2018-06-21 Article PeerReviewed Gomersall, Philip A., Baguley, David and Carlyon, Robert P. (2018) A cross-sectional questionnaire study of tinnitus awareness and impact in a population of adult cochlear implant users. Ear and Hearing . ISSN 1538-4667 https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000601 doi:10.1097/AUD.0000000000000601 doi:10.1097/AUD.0000000000000601
spellingShingle Gomersall, Philip A.
Baguley, David
Carlyon, Robert P.
A cross-sectional questionnaire study of tinnitus awareness and impact in a population of adult cochlear implant users
title A cross-sectional questionnaire study of tinnitus awareness and impact in a population of adult cochlear implant users
title_full A cross-sectional questionnaire study of tinnitus awareness and impact in a population of adult cochlear implant users
title_fullStr A cross-sectional questionnaire study of tinnitus awareness and impact in a population of adult cochlear implant users
title_full_unstemmed A cross-sectional questionnaire study of tinnitus awareness and impact in a population of adult cochlear implant users
title_short A cross-sectional questionnaire study of tinnitus awareness and impact in a population of adult cochlear implant users
title_sort cross-sectional questionnaire study of tinnitus awareness and impact in a population of adult cochlear implant users
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50914/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50914/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50914/