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DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1388756
Pitch and Loudness of Tinnitus in Elderly Subjects with Presbycusis
Introduction: Tinnitus is a symptom often associated with presbycusis.
Objective: To analyze the possible association between hearing loss in patients with presbycusis and tinnitus pitch and loudness.
Methods: Cross-sectional, prospective, and descriptive study, whose sample consisted of individuals with tinnitus and presbycusis, who attended the Tinnitus Clinic of the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre . To review, anamnesis, otoscopy, pure tone audiometry, and acuphenometry were performed to analyze the psychoacoustic characteristics of individuals with tinnitus.
Results: The sample consisted of 49 subjects with a mean age of 69.57 ± 6.53 years. Regarding gender, the study included 28 females (57.15%) and 21 males (42.85%) who had unilateral and bilateral tinnitus, therefore a sample of 80 ears. With regard to acuphenometry, tinnitus loudness was found more often at 0 dBA and the pitch was 6 kHz and 8 kHz. Regarding the analysis of the association between the frequency range of higher hearing threshold and tinnitus pitch, no statistical significance (p = 0.081) was observed. As for the association between the intensity of higher hearing threshold and loudness of tinnitus, there was no statistical significance (p = 0.115).
Conclusion: The study found no association between hearing loss in patients with presbycusis and tinnitus pitch and loudness.