📢 Tinnitus severity linked to mood, sleep, and... personality

Published by Adrien,
Source: McGill University
Other Languages: FR, DE, ES, PT

A new study reveals that the severity of tinnitus may depend on mood, sleep quality, and even certain personality traits.

Tinnitus involves persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears and affects approximately 14% of adults worldwide. It is linked to hearing loss, and its effects vary from person to person.


To better understand its repercussions, a research team from McGill University developed a predictive model in collaboration with colleagues from the Institut Pasteur in Paris.

"Some people are not bothered at all by tinnitus, while for others, it represents a significant disability. This model helps predict which symptoms are likely to worsen and makes early intervention possible," explains Etienne Vachon-Presseau, lead author, a member of the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain at McGill University and an associate professor in the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences.

To conduct the study, published in Nature Communications, the team analyzed health and behavioral data from approximately 200,000 people using artificial intelligence models to identify trends.

By applying the model to another group of patients, the team confirmed that the main warning signs of severe tinnitus were frequent fatigue, difficulty sleeping through the night, a gloomy mood, and a high level of neuroticism.

Hearing loss was found to be the most significant predictor of the condition's onset, but the severity of tinnitus was more closely linked to psychological and behavioral traits. The scientists explained this finding by emphasizing that, much like pain, tinnitus is a subjective experience.

"The discomfort caused by this auditory sensation therefore depends on what is happening inside the body, but also on how the brain processes and reacts to this sensation, which is partly determined by personal factors," adds Professor Vachon-Presseau.
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