Background:
Tinnitus, hearing loss and mental fatigue are multidimensional. Tinnitus may
lead to a reduced health-related QoL affecting domains such as physical
functioning, vitality and mental health.
Aim: The purpose
of this study was to identify and determine the degree of mental fatigue in
patients with hearing loss and/or tinnitus participating in audiological
rehabilitation, and to examine the self-reported Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS) in
this patient group.
Methods: Patients
undergoing audiological rehabilitation at the Department of Audiology and
Neurotology, Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden, 2011-2017, who completed a
self-reported MFS questionnaire were investigated. Data on 76 consecutive
patients were analysed in this pilot study. Patients were also assessed with
the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Data from medical records, MFS and THI
were analysed with e.g. t-tests, chi-square tests, and correlation analysis.
Some potential limitations are that the present study had no control group, and
used retrospective data collected during clinical visits.
Results: The
study population had an age range of 38-65 years, and most had normal hearing
(37%) or mild-to-moderate hearing loss (46%). Only 17% had severe-to-profound
hearing loss. A total of 56.5% had tinnitus, of whom 39.5% scored ≥57 on the
THI, indicating severe tinnitus, whereas 43.5% reported no tinnitus. The MFS
scores, ranged 13-42.5 points, were divided into three severity levels for
analysis: 10.5-15 (mild), 15.5-20 (moderate) and ≥20.5 (severe symptoms). In
total, 67% of the patients had severe MFS scores ≥20.5. Importantly, most of
the participants (90%) with a THI score ≥57 belonged to that group. There were
17 patients with normal hearing with MFS scores ≥20.5. MFS scores ≥30 and THI
scores 78-100 were found in 11 patients. A significant positive correlation
between MFS and severe tinnitus was found.
Conclusions: The
study reveals that severe mental fatigue is more common in patients with severe
tinnitus than sole hearing loss.
Author(s)details:-
Satu Turunen-Taheri
Department of CLINTEC, Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases,
Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden and Department of Audiology
and Neurotology, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-118 95 Stockholm, Sweden
and Department of CLINTEC, Division of Audiology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141
85 Huddinge, Sweden.
Per-Inge Carlsson
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Central Hospital, Karlstad, Sweden and
Faculty of Medicine and Health, Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro,
Sweden.
Elisabeth Ternevall
Department of Audiology and Neurotology, Karolinska University Hospital,
SE-118 95 Stockholm, Sweden.
Sten Hellström
Department of CLINTEC, Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases,
Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden and Department of Audiology
and Neurotology, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-118 95 Stockholm, Sweden.
Please See the book
here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mria/v2/3544G
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