Does Tinnitus Annoyance Correlate to Auditory Brainsteam Responses?

Abstract

Objectives: 1) Compare electroneuronography (ENoG) values in patients with facial palsy using two different methods, the midline method that records compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) from the orbicularis oris muscle (the standard muscle for facial ENoG) and five electroneurogram recordings that records five CMAPs from five different facial muscles. 2) Reveal whether the ENoG value obtained with the midline method reflects entire facial nerve degeneration.Methods: Forty patients with facial palsy were enrolled. CMAPs were recorded using the midline method, in which the anode was placed on the mental protuberance and the cathode was placed on the philtrum. Additionally, five electroneurogram recordings were obtained by placing the anode on the skin of the parietal region and five cathodes on the skin over five facial muscles (frontalis, orbicularis oculi, nasalis, orbicularis oris, and depressor anguli oris muscles). ENoG values recorded using the two methods were compared. Results:The ENoG values of the five facial muscles did not differ from those obtained using the midline method. The total ENoG value calculated by summing five CMAPs from five facial muscles, which is considered to reflect total facial nerve degeneration, was not significantly different from that using midline methods; moreover, a strong positive correlation coefficient (r = 0.87) was found between them. Conclusions:The midline ENoG method that records CMAP from the orbicularis oris muscle reflects entire facial nerve degeneration. The ENoG value calculated from the orbicularis oris muscle might be suitable to evaluate the total prognosis of facial palsy.Objectives: Tinnitus is more common in patients with some degree of hearing loss, but may be present in approximately 10-20% of people with normal hearing. There is evidence of involvement of the central auditory nervous system and interrelation with various parts of the nervous system, which may be involved in the mechanism of central processing of auditory signals. We aimed to analyze the annoyance of tinnitus in patients without hearing loss and to correlate the findings with auditory brainsteam response (ABR). Methods:We selected 84 patients with tinnitus and 47 patients without tinnitus, with ages ranging from 18 to 48 years old and hearing threshold less than or equal to 25 dB at frequencies between 500 and 8000Hz. We conducted the evaluation of tinnitus annoyance with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and examination of ABR.Results: Among the 84 patients in the study group, we found 35.7% of abnormal tests in at least one of the seven parameters tested, however, only the difference in the interaural wave V latency in patients with unilateral tinnitus was significant difference between the study and control group. Most patients in the study group had mild or very mild tinnitus. The discomfort of tinnitus showed no correlation with the results of ABR results.