Listening Effort and Auditory Cognitive Abilities in Normal Hearing Individuals with Different Degrees of Tinnitus

Abstract

Background: Tinnitus is characterized by the conscious perception of a tonal and/or noise sound without a discernible external sound source. The continuous awareness of tinnitus negatively impacts the cognitive load of individuals with this condition. This, in turn, reduces the available resources for processing various tasks, leading to diminished performance, particularly in tasks with high cognitive loads, when compared to control subjects. In light of existing literature, tinnitus in normal hearing individuals can have an effect on their cognitive abilities like working memory and attention, and consequently it can impact the listening effort of the individual. Aim: The study aimed to explore the impact of tinnitus on listening effort, auditory working memory, and attention in normal-hearing individuals. In addition, the correlation of tinnitus severity with all the test outcomes were examined. Method: A total of 37 individuals in the age range of 18 to 40 years participated in the study. They were divided into two groups – the control group, and the clinical group which included normal hearing individuals having different degrees of tinnitus. After the preliminary audiological evaluation, the listening effort was assessed using a dual task paradigm, the working memory was assessed using auditory digit span tasks, and attention was measured using the Test for Attention in Listening (TAil). Results: The results revealed a significant difference in listening Effort, working memory and attention scores between the groups. There was no significant correlation between tinnitus severity and the other test measures. Conclusion: This study highlights the significant impact of tinnitus on listening effort, working memory and attention in normal hearing individuals. These results are supported by numerous studies that highlight the cognitive load imposed by tinnitus and its impact on cognitive functions necessary for everyday activities.