Abstract
Objective
In patients with unilateral tinnitus with normal hearing, several studies have compared
the ipsilateral and contralateral ears; however, few studies have investigated its
relationship with the duration of tinnitus. We compared the auditory brainstem response
and otoacoustic emission parameters between ipsilateral and contralateral ears in
adults with unilateral tinnitus and normal hearing.
Methods
This retrospective review included 84 patients with unilateral tinnitus and normal
hearing who underwent auditory brainstem response and otoacoustic emission; they were
categorized according to the duration of tinnitus. The latencies and amplitudes of
waves I, III, and V, and V/I ratio of both ears in auditory brainstem response, and
the results of distortion-product otoacoustic emission and transient evoked otoacoustic
emission were examined. The auditory brainstem response parameters, distortion-product
otoacoustic emission parameters, and transient evoked otoacoustic emission parameters
between the ipsilateral and contralateral ears along the duration of tinnitus were
analyzed. Moreover, the failure rates of both distortion-product otoacoustic emission
and transient evoked otoacoustic emission between the ears along with the duration
and the effects of the variables on the amplitude and latency of each wave were examined.
Results
In this study, laterality seemed to have an effect on wave I latency in the multiple
linear regression analysis. The distortion-product otoacoustic emission failure rate
of the ipsilateral ear was higher than that of the contralateral ear in all patients.
However, there was no remarkable difference between the ears in the distortion-product
otoacoustic emission and transient evoked otoacoustic emission parameters throughout
the duration.
Conclusion
We found that outer hair cells and the distal portion of the cochlear nerve are possible
pathologic lesions in tinnitus with normal hearing and cochlear synaptopathy could
be suspected. Further studies, including those on inner hair cells and higher central
cortex, are needed.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 08, 2022
Accepted:
November 28,
2022
Received:
October 3,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 Japanese Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Inc. Published by Elsevier B.V.
