Table 1.
Consensus for patient assessment and outcome measurements (TRI workshop 2006)
| In each category recommendations are ordered according to their level of significance |
| A: Essential B: Highly recommended C: Might be of interest |
| Patient Assessment |
| Physical examination |
| A: Otologic examination by a specialist |
| A: Examination of the neck (range of motion, tenderness, muscle tension…) |
| B: Examination of the temporomandibular function |
| Audiologic assessment |
| A: Audiometry (pure tone threshold; up to 8 kHz) |
| B: Immitance audiometry |
| B: High-frequency audiometry (at least up to 12 kHz) |
| B: Otoacoustic emissions |
| B: Loudness discomfort level |
| C: Auditory evoked potentials |
| Psychophysic measures of tinnitus |
| B: Loudness match |
| B: Pitch match |
| B: Maskability (MML) |
| B: Residual inhibition |
| Case history |
| A majority of participants preferred a questionnaire to be filled in by the patient (with access to someone for clarification) rather than at a structured interview. This was not a consensus. It was agreed that as a first step towards consensus a list of those items common to most existing questionnaires should be made. A first attempt to extract such a list is attached. |
| Questionnaires |
| A: Validated questionnaire for the assessment of tinnitus severity, which at present can be THI, THQ, TRQ or TQ (it was agreed that in the future a better and more widely validated questionnaire was required) |
| B: Assessment of tinnitus severity by additional questionnaires, and especially by the THI because it is believed that THI is validated in most languages |
| C: Assessment of depressive symptoms (e.g. BDI) |
| C: Assessment of anxiety (e.g. STAI) |
| C: Assessment of quality of life (e.g. WHODAS II) |
| C: Assessment of insomnia (e.g. PSQI) |
| Outcome Measurements |
| A: Validated questionnaire for the assessment of tinnitus severity, which at present can be THI, THQ, TRQ or TQ (it was agreed that in the future a better and more widely validated questionnaire was required) |
| B: Assessment of tinnitus severity by additional questionnaires, and especially by the THI because it is believed that THI is validated in most languages |
| C: Assessment of depressive symptoms (e.g. BDI) |
| C: Assessment of anxiety (e.g. STAI) |
| C: Assessment of quality of life (e.g. WHODAS II) |
| C: Assessment of insomnia (e.g. PSQI) |
| C: Tinnitus loudness match |
| C: Maskability (MML) |
| C: Objective measurement of brain function (functional imaging, electrophysiology) |
| Abbreviations: KHz, Kilohertz; dB, Decibel; SL, Sensation level; MML, Minimal masking level; THI, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (Newman et al., 1998); THQ, Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (Kuk et al., 1990); TRQ, Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (Wilson et al., 1991); TQ, Tinnitus Questionnaire (Hallam et al., 1988); BDI, Beck Depression Inventory (Beck and Steer, 1984); STAI, State Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger et al., 1970); WHODAS, WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (McArdle et al., 2005); PSQI, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Buysse et al., 1989); |