• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.221-225
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• 2016

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report clinical effects of korean medical treatment based on Bal Mong Ja on a patient with sudden sensory hearing loss. Methods : In this study, we used acupuncture based on Bal Mong Ja on a patient with sudden sensory hearing loss. We also carried out treatments like herbal medication and moxibustion therapy etc. The progress of symptoms were evaluated by THI(Tinnitus Handicap Index), DHI(Dizziness Handicap Inventory), VAS(Visual Analogue Scale) once a week. Results : After 7 weeks, there were significant improvements of auditory acuity and THI, DHI, VAS. Conclusions : Acupuncture based on Bal Mong Ja is effective for relieving symptoms of sudden sensory hearing loss with tinnitus and dizziness.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2015

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the psychiatric characteristics of outpatients with tinnitus. Methods A total of 88 subjects were included in this study. According to Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores, the subjects were classified into two group ; a mild tinnitus symptoms (mild-tinnitus) group and a severe tinnitus symptoms (severe-tinnitus) group. A questionnaire was used for an assessment of demographic characteristics, and the THI, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) about tinnitus, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) are applied for evaluation of other clinical psychiatric characteristics. Results Higher THI scores were positively correlated with tinnitus course, the number of accompanying symptoms, and the VAS. BDI total scores, BDI factors, and BAI total scores were significantly higher in the severe-tinnitus group than in the mild-tinnitus group. Also suicidal ideation, interpersonal problems, sleep problems, occupational impairment, and fatigue were significantly higher in the severe-tinnitus group than in the mild-tinnitus group. Conclusions Tinnitus is a common disorder of hearing which is associated frequently with psychiatric problems. This study suggests that psychiatric interventions should be taken into consideration in the treatment of patients suffering from tinnitus.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2019

Purpose: One of the suggested potential mechanisms of tinnitus is an alteration in perception in the neural auditory pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in laterality in functional connectivity between tinnitus patients and healthy controls using resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight chronic tinnitus subjects and 45 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Connectivity was investigated using independent component analysis, and the laterality index map was calculated based on auditory (AN) and dorsal attention (DAN), default mode (DMN), sensorimotor, salience (SalN), and visual networks (VNs). The laterality index (LI) of tinnitus subjects was compared with that of normal controls using region-of-interest (ROI) and voxel-based methods and a two-sample unpaired t-test. Pearson correlation was conducted to assess the associations between the LI in each network and clinical variables. Results: The AN and VN showed significant differences in LI between the two groups in ROI analysis (P < 0.05), and the tinnitus group had clusters with significantly decreased laterality of AN, SalN, and VN in voxel-based comparisons. The AN was positively correlated with tinnitus distress (tinnitus handicap inventory), and the SalN was negatively correlated with symptom duration (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that various functional networks related to psychological distress can be modified by tinnitus, and that this interrelation can present differently on the right and left sides, according to the dominance of the network.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.136-142
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• 2015

Objective : Subjective tinnitus is defined as an acoustic sensation perceived without any external source. Patients with tinnitus have often experienced psychological distress and low quality of life. However, the connection between psychiatric characteristics and tinnitus has not yet been established. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of psychiatric characteristics with tinnitus severity. Method : A total of 124 patients with tinnitus were included in the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were retrospectively collected in the otolaryngology clinic. The self-reported scales including the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index were used in this study. Results : The Pearson product moment correlation revealed significant correlations between tinnitus severity and psychiatric characteristics including depression (r=0.26, p<0.01), anxiety (r=0.38, p<0.01), anxiety sensitivity (r=0.27, p<0.01). After controlling for age, sex and awareness of tinnitus, tinnitus severity was positively correlated with anxiety (partial r=0.39, p<0.01) and anxiety sensitivity (partial r=0.28, p<0.01). These correlations remained significant in male but not in female patients. Conclusion : Results of the present study indicated that not only anxiety symptoms but also anxiety sensitivity could relate to tinnitus severity. Our findings have implications for the understanding of the psychiatric characteristics in patients with tinnitus.