Tinnitus and Anxiety: More than Meets the Ear

Abstract

Tinnitus is an abnormal perception of sound that cannot be attributed to an external source. In most cases, tinnitus is caused by insults to the peripheral auditory system. Tinnitus also displays strong links with negative emotional states such as anxiety. However, the relations of tinnitus with anxiety are still debated. Of particular interest is the question whether the occurrence of tinnitus is, at least partially, consecutive to high level of anxiety, or whether tinnitus is anxiogenic. This review aims to summarize recent knowledge on the fascinating topic of interactions of tinnitus with anxiety. Furthermore, using tinnitus as an example, this review tries to nurture the more inclusive debate on the relation between perception, emotion and memory in human pathologies.

The association between tinnitus and mental health in a general population sample: Results from the HUNT Study

“…Guitton [48] hypothesized that tinnitus leads to an increased level of anxiety but also that anxiety decreases tolerance to tinnitus, which in turn may lead to a "vicious circle." According to Guitton [48], the effect of decreased tolerance could include the situation where tinnitus would not have been perceived at all had it not been for the increased levels of anxiety.…”

Tinnitus-provoking salicylate treatment triggers social impairments in mice

“…However, salicylate treatment may still constitute a putative stressor. Furthermore, tinnitus itself can generate anxiety [4]. Thus, the behavioral modifications observed in experimental animals may have an anxiety component, as complex alterations of social behavior in human tinnitus sufferers may be linked to an increase in anxiety levels [4].…”

“…Furthermore, tinnitus itself can generate anxiety [4]. Thus, the behavioral modifications observed in experimental animals may have an anxiety component, as complex alterations of social behavior in human tinnitus sufferers may be linked to an increase in anxiety levels [4]. However, the alterations of social behavior observed in experimental animals cannot be solely due to an increase in anxiety levels.…”

“…Tinnitus-the perception of sound in silence-chronically affects around 10% of the adult population and represents a major problem of public health in Western countries [1][2][3][4]. Tinnitus may strongly alter the quality of life of patients and can be a major cause of psychological suffering and social isolation for some patients [3,5,6].…”

“…However, it is unknown whether the social impairments observed in tinnitus sufferers are a consequence of tinnitus or the expression of a pre-required psychological condition [4]. In order to answer this question, we investigated whether the occurrence of tinnitus can produce social impairments in an animal model of salicylate-induced tinnitus.…”