Executive functioning in people with and without tinnitus
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigation of executive functioning in adults with and without tinnitus
IRAS ID
262476
Contact name
Derek J Hoare
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
Tinnitus is the experience of sounds in the ear or head without an external cause, and is experienced by at least 1 in 10 people. For many people, tinnitus is a mild annoyance, but a significant proportion find it very bothersome. Bothersome tinnitus is linked to anxiety, depression, and problems sleeping. Another common complaint is difficulty concentrating, paying attention or thinking clearly. The ability to concentrate depends on the thinking skills involved in planning, organising and completing tasks.
Thinking skills can be studied with computer-based tasks that measure specific thought processes. There is evidence from previous research projects that people who have tinnitus perform these tasks slower and make more mistakes than people who do not have tinnitus. There is also evidence for a link between tinnitus and some specific thinking skills called executive functions. Executive functions control memory and attention, which are used for complicated thoughts and performing complicated tasks.
The purpose of this research project is to investigate which specific thinking skills are poorer in people with tinnitus, and whether people with bothersome tinnitus have poorer thinking skills than those with non-bothersome tinnitus.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0269
Date of REC Opinion
26 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion