OBJECTIVES: In individuals with normal hearing, tinnitus may be the initial manifestation of cochleovestibular lesions. Tinnitus is a multifactorial symptom arising from complex interactions within the auditory pathway and related neural networks....
Consider adding otolith function testing (e.g., cVEMP/oVEMP) to the assessment battery for normal-hearing tinnitus patients, as subclinical cochleovestibular dysfunction may be present before measurable hearing loss develops.
This study reframes tinnitus in normal-hearing individuals not as an isolated phenomenon but potentially as an early marker of broader cochleovestibular pathology, expanding the audiological workup rationale.
- 01Normal-hearing tinnitus patients showed measurable otolithic (inner ear balance organ) dysfunction compared to controls.
- 02Findings suggest tinnitus may signal early cochleovestibular lesions even before audiometric thresholds are affected.
- 03Otolith function was assessed using vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing.
- 04Results support a broader inner ear involvement hypothesis for tinnitus pathophysiology.
- 05Clinical implication: routine vestibular screening may be warranted in the normal-hearing tinnitus population.
Normal-hearing individuals with tinnitus exhibit otolithic dysfunction.
studypartially supportedTinnitus may be an early sign of cochleovestibular lesions in normal-hearing individuals.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42260616
- DOI
- 10.1097/AUD.0000000000001853.
- Journal
- Ear and Hearing
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 3
- Population
- Normal-hearing individuals with tinnitus
- Intervention
- Otolith function assessment (VEMP testing)
- Comparator
- Normal-hearing individuals without tinnitus
Primary outcomes
Otolithic dysfunction prevalence (cVEMP/oVEMP responses); Correlation between tinnitus and cochleovestibular pathology markers