Change of tinnitus perception after cochlear implantation according to Skarzynski Tinnitus Scale (STS) questionnaire.

Objectives: Tinnitus is defined as a sounds heard in one or both ears or in head, without any external acoustic factors. These noises can occur permanently or intermittently, causing a great deal of troubles in everyday human life. According to literature, most of patients report lower tinnitus distress after cochlear implantation, compared to the preoperative period. Skaryski Tinnitus Scale (STS) questionnaire, constructed of 15 questions, takes into account the impact of tinnitus on both the psychological (emotional, cognitive) and functional domains and the patient's ability to cope with tinnitus-related distress. Aim: The aim of the study was to check if there is a change of tinnitus perception after cochlear implantation according to Skarżyński Tinnitus Scale (STS) questionnaire. Material: The object of these study are patients undergoing their first cochlear implantation (none of the ears were previously operated) from February 2018. Methods: To assess the change in the occurrence of tinnitus, the Skarżyński Tinnitus Scale (STS) questionnaire was used. All of the patients were asked to fill in the questionnaire three times: preoperatively, one month after implantation and five months after implantation. As a whole, the STS has excellent reliability (ICC=0.94) and good internal consistency (α=0.91). The results of EFA and content analysis of wording of the items justified the three-factorial structure. The convergent validity was proven by a significant positive correlation with THI, TFI and THS Subscale A scores. Results: The analysis of the STS questionnaire results shows that in the preoperative period almost half (49%) of the respondents suffer from tinnitus, which has a significant impact on their quality of life. These patients obtained a high or very high result. After implantation (one month after activating the speech processor), the percentage of patients suffering from severe tinnitus (high or very high result) decreased to 29%, and within 5 months after the activation of the sound processor to 27%. Reduction of the demandingness of tinnitus in patients with hearing loss qualified for cochlear implantation had a significant impact on their quality of life and everyday functioning in society. Conclusions: Statistical analysis shows that STS is a brief but robust tool well-suited to clinical practice. A feature of STS is that it takes into account the impact of tinnitus on the patient's psychological (emotional, cognitive) and functional domains as well as their ability to cope with tinnitus-related distress. According to literature, the number of patients with tinnitus problem may increase in the future. Tinnitus is the cause of concentration disorders, increased tension and anxiety or depression and as a consequence, they can lead to withdrawal from professional and social life. Thereupon, it seems that the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus might be a significant challenge for the health care system, especially in countries, were live expectancy increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]