Further investigation of subjective expression in tinnitus--relationship between subjective expression with onomatopoeias and pitch of tinnitus simulated by pure tones and band noise

The standardized tinnitus test proposed by Tinnitus Study Group in 1984 presented 30 onomatopoeias and their corresponding frequency areas of pure tones and band noise of pure tone audiometer as an indicator to evaluate the pitch and the nature of tinnitus. In order to re-investigate the adequacy of these 30 onomatopoeias, we analysed the relationship between subjective expression with onomatopoeias and pitch of tinnitus simulated by pure tones and band noise of pure tone audiometer. The subject matter were 263 tinnitus ears without hearing loss or associated with cochlear deafness. The results obtained were as follows; 1) A total of 41 onomatopoeias was used for the subjective expression of tinnitus. However, among these 41 onomatopoeias, only 17 (41.5%) had been presented in the standardized tinnitus test in 1984. 2) Six onomatopoeias had not been presented in the standardized tinnitus test in 1984 although their frequency in use was more than 2% in this study. 3) As far as the relationship between onomatopoeias and their corresponding frequency areas of pure tones and band noise was concerned, discrepancies between the results obtained in this study and the proposals by the standardized tinnitus test in 1984 were found in 11 onomatopoeias out of 17 (64.7%). Based upon these results, we concluded that onomatopoeias as an indicator to evaluate the pitch and the nature of tinnitus should be re-investigated.