Hébert S - This is the first study reporting excellent test-retest reliability of tinnitus pitch and concomitantly determined loudness at the individual level with the use of the patient-centered tinnitus likeness rating (TLR) approach. In this case series, the researcher evaluated the individual test-retest reliability of the 2-alternative forced-choice (2-AFC), with a single final frequency (and corresponding loudness), and the TLR, with the participant exposed to the entire audible frequency spectrum, from which 3 dominant frequencies and corresponding loudness were extracted. Using the several dominant frequencies extracted from the patient-centered TLR, superior test-retest concordance can be displayed at the individual level. Results of this study suggested that the accuracy of the assessment and also clinicians’ appreciation was greatly improved with the TLR method without affecting patients’ satisfaction or time spent in the clinic.

Methods

• From January 6 through March 17, 2017, participants with tinnitus had testing twice with both methods at a 1-month interval by experienced clinicians.
• In this analysis, each clinician tested each patient only once at visit 1 or 2 in a university audiology training setting with standardized equipment and was blind to previous assessment.
• Through advertisements (community and clinics) and word of mouth (volunteer sample), study participants with bilateral or unilateral chronic tinnitus for longer than 6 months, in good health, without total deafness in either ear, and without cerumen in the ear canal were recruited.
• The audiologists were likewise participants in the planned comparison between TLR and 2-AFC in the test-retest measures.
• Main outcomes and measures analyzed were test-retest concordance with 95% CIs for each method, calculated as the proportion of participants with the same final frequency between the 2 visits (2-AFC) or with at least 1 concordant dominant frequency (TLR) as well as loudness differences of no greater than 10 dB.

Results

• According to the findings obtained, the study sample involved 31 participants (55% men; mean [SD] age, 50.7 [13.7] years).
• Twenty-six of 31 participants had at least 1 concordant dominant frequency between the 2 visits (proportion, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.66-0.95) for TLR.
• Seven of 31 participants had a concordant final tinnitus pitch in either ear (proportion, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.10-0.41) for 2-AFC.
• Data reported that loudness reliability followed the same pattern, with more concordant loudness levels in the TLR (proportion, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.52-0.88) than in the 2-AFC (proportion, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.05-0.85).
• Findings revealed that mean time taken to complete the tests was less than 15 minutes, and general appreciation by participants with tinnitus and audiologists were overall similar for both.