Evaluation Of Cochlear Efferent Function And Tinnitus Characteristics In Tinnitus Patients With Migraine: A Pilot Study
XXIII. World Congress of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, İstanbul, Türkiye, 9 - 13 Eylül 2026, ss.1001, (Özet Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
- Basıldığı Şehir: İstanbul
- Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1001
- Trakya Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
BACKGROUND & AIM Migraine and tinnitus frequently coexist; up to 45% of tinnitus patients are reported to suffer from migraine. Both conditions are thought to involve central hypersensitivity affecting the auditory and trigeminal pathways. We hypothesised that migrainerelated central modulation may alter cochlear efferent — medial olivocochlear (MOC) — function and tinnitus perception, such that migraine-associated tinnitus could constitute a distinct subgroup with its own characteristics. The aim was to determine whether tinnitus characteristics, tinnitus perception, and contralateral suppression differ between tinnitus patients with and without migraine. MATERIAL & METHODS This prospective, comparative pilot study was conducted at the Audiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University. Twenty-seven normal-hearing (0–26 dB) young adults aged 18–65 years with type A tympanograms were evaluated: 13 with migraine plus tinnitus (cases) and 14 with tinnitus only (controls). All participants underwent pure-tone audiometry, tinnitus matching (frequency, intensity, minimum masking level, residual inhibition), transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE), the transient contralateral suppression emission (CLSE) test, and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). The independent variable was the presence of migraine. Data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Ethics committee approval and written informed consent were obtained. RESULTS No significant differences were found between groups in tinnitus frequency, intensity, minimum masking level, or THI scores (all p>0.05). TEOAE responses appeared higher in the case group at all frequencies but the difference was not significant (p>0.05). CLSE signal responses were higher in the case group across all frequencies; this difference reached statistical significance at the right ear at 2 kHz (p=0.007) and at the left ear at 4 kHz (p=0.029), indicating reduced contralateral suppression in the migraine group. CONCLUSIONS Although tinnitus characteristics and handicap were comparable between groups, tinnitus patients with migraine showed reduced contralateral suppression at specific frequencies, suggesting altered MOC efferent function. Migraine-associated tinnitus may represent a distinct subgroup with central efferent involvement. As pilot findings, these results warrant confirmation in larger cohorts.