A Delphi survey to determine a definition and description of hyperacusis by clinician consensus

Abstract

Objective: There is currently no singularly accepted definition of hyperacusis. The aim of this study was to determine a definition and description of hyperacusis by clinician consensus.Design: A three-round Delphi survey involving hearing healthcare professionals built towards clinical consensus on a definition of hyperacusis. Round 1 involved three open-ended questions about hyperacusis. Seventy-nine statements were generated on descriptions, impact, sounds, and potential features of hyperacusis. Agreement on the relevance of each statement to defining or describing hyperacusis was then measured in Rounds 2 and 3. General consensus was defined a priori as ≥70% agreement, or ≥90 for clinical decision making.Study Sample: Forty-five hearing healthcare professionals were recruited to take part in this study. Forty-one completed Round 1, 36 completed Round 2, and 33 completed Round 3.Results: Consensus was reached on 42/79 statements. From these a consensus definition includes "A reduced tolerance to sound(s) that are perceived as normal to the majority of the population or were perceived as normal to the person before their onset of hyperacusis". A consensus description of hyperacusis was also determined. Conclusions:This consensus definition of hyperacusis will help to determine the scope of clinical practice guidelines and influence needed research on hyperacusis.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Hyperacusis Impact Questionnaire (HIQ) and Sound Sensitivity Symptoms Questionnaire (SSSQ) Using a Clinical Population of Adult Patients with Tinnitus Alone or Combined with Hyperacusis

“…Hyperacusis can be defined as an intolerance of certain everyday sounds, which are perceived as too loud or uncomfortable and which cause significant distress and impairment in the individual's day-to-day activities. There are other definitions of hyperacusis but most of them are largely in agreement with the definition proposed here, with some differences in details (1,2). Based on the definition proposed here, hyperacusis may be diagnosed if: (1) the patient's sound intolerance is related to the level of certain everyday sounds; (2) the patient experiences significant distress as a result of their sound intolerance; (3) sound intolerance significantly affects their day-to-day activities; (4) the patient's sound intolerance is not better explained by another disorder (e.g., hearing loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, social phobia, or psychosis).…”

Hyperacusis: demographic, audiological, and clinical characteristics of patients at the ENT department

“…Patients that present themselves with hyperacusis without tinnitus complaints remain a minority, yet might be underdiagnosed. The recent definition of hyperacusis: "A reduced tolerance to sound(s) perceived as normal to the majority of the population or perceived as normal to the person before the onset of hyperacusis" [1] might support defining the group of patients we are investigating, leading to optimization of clinical guidelines for diagnosing hyperacusis and further treatment.…”

“…Hyperacusis is defined as a reduced tolerance to sound(s) perceived as normal to the majority of the population or perceived as normal to the person before the onset of hyperacusis [1]. It is a selfreported auditory symptom which is often associated with tinnitus (i.e.…”

“…were considered as hyperacusis patients in the analysis. However, hyperacusis can also exist without these aspects being present [1]. Moreover, the authors acknowledged that this question might be interpreted with relation to the tinnitus and therefore reflecting tinnitus burden.…”

Clinical Findings That Differentiate Co-Occurrence of Hyperacusis and Tinnitus from Tinnitus Alone

“… 1 In a recent Delphi survey, hyperacusis was defined as a reduced tolerance to sounds that are perceived as normal by the majority of the population or that were perceived as normal by the affected person before the onset of hyperacusis, where “normal” refers to sounds that are generally well tolerated. 2 The prevalence of hyperacusis is 0.2%–17.2% in the general population, and hearing loss, female sex, rare diseases, such as Williams syndrome, autism, occupation, such as musicians and teachers, low income, tinnitus, and physical or mental health difficulties have been reported as common risk factors. 3 4 The prevalence, natural history, risk factors, and pathophysiology of hyperacusis, the relationship between tinnitus and hyperacusis, and the development of an appropriate questionnaire for the diagnosis and treatment of hyperacusis have been regarded as significant issues.…”