Prof. Dr. Gerhard Goebel und Susanne Günther M. Sc., Prien am Chiemsee
Video 14 2017
“Hyperacusis as an added stress factor for chronic tinnitus sufferers, and software-assisted operationalisation of hyperacusis based on categorial loudness scaling”
Hyperacusis (HC), or decreased sound tolerance (DST), is a symptom that affects about 9 percent of the population, and is prevalent in 40 to 60 percent of tinnitus patients. Preliminary studies carried out in 2008 identified hyperacusis as an added stress factor for chronic tinnitus sufferers. We were also able to show that hyperacusis questionnaires and structured interviews (hyperacusis inventory) as well as free-field tests (e. g. categorial loudness scaling as used for the Würzburger Hörfeld, WHF) may have higher diagnostic sensitivity than loudness discomfort levels (LDL).
Methodology: At Schön Kliniken clinics, 246 in-patients were subjected to a structured, standardised clinical and psychoacoustic diagnostic assessment, including WHF and the mini-hyperacusis questionnaire, Mini-HQ9. Results: The WHF score as the slope of individual loudness functions shows high internal consistency. There is a medium correlation between the WHF score and the Mini-HQ9 (p < .01). Interpretation: The WHF and the hyperacusis inventory can serve to reliably classify DST based on the slope of individual loudness functions, and to differentiate patients suffering from hyperacusis from those who do not (cut off). Video area>>