Adaptation and Validation of the Turkish Version of the International Tinnitus Inventory.

Objective: Tinnitus is a common auditory symptom that negatively affects the quality of life of individuals. This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of a Turkish version of the International Tinnitus Inventory (Tr-ITI) for both clinical and research purposes. ITI is a short, easily applicable self-report inventory to measure perceived tinnitus. Methods: The Turkish translation of the ITI and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) were administered to 125 participants aged 19 to 76 with tinnitus complaints for over three months. A routine audiological evaluation was performed, and the psychoacoustic properties of tinnitus were determined. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to construct validity, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used for the reliability of internal consistency, and retests were administered to participants 15 days after the first measurement. Results: CFA and inter-item correlations confirmed the unifactorial model. Tr-ITI showed high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha =0.909). All fit index values showed a good fit. Correlations between the total scores of Tr-ITI and THI were moderate (r=-0.620) and between retest scores were very high (r=0.993). Conclusion: The Tr-ITI is a valid, reliable, and practical tool for determining tinnitus severity and tinnitus complaints.

Validity and reliability study of the Khalfa's hyperacusis questionnaire with using ULL in tinnitus patients.

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the validity and reliability of the Khalfa's hyperacusis questionnaire (HQ) in Turkish tinnitus patients with hyperacusis using uncomfortable loudness levels (ULLs) and to determine a cutoff score for tinnitus patients specifically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty subjects with a mean age ± SD of 45.27 ± 14.43 years ranging from 18 to 75 participated in the study. HQ and ULLs were used as measures of hyperacusis. The participants were divided into two groups due to ULLs ≤ 90 dB in one or both ears (Group 1) and 56 participants have ULLs > 90 dB (Group 2). RESULTS: The mean HQ score of the participants was 19.55 ± 7.18 points, Group 1 (n = 84) HQ mean score was 21.97 ± 7.08, and Group 2 (n = 56) 15.91 ± 5.56 points, and the cutoff point was found 16.50. Statistically significant differences were found between the groups in total HQ (p < 0.001), attention, social, and emotional subscales of HQ. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperacusis questionnaire using with ULLs is a precise tool for the steps of identifying, categorizing, and managing the hyperacusis in patients with tinnitus. However, the effect of the tinnitus on hyperacusis should be considered, because it causes additional problems.

Turkish Validity and Reliability Study of the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale.

OBJECTIVE: The Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ) is a self-report scale that evaluates hearing in complex daily life situations in the areas of hearing quality, speech perception, and spatial perception. It is also frequently used in the follow-up of hearing-impaired people, hearing aid and cochlear implant users. It is aimed to translate and adapt SSQ into Turkish, and to investigate its test-retest reliability, and construct validity and reliability, and further to present associations of SSQ scores with the pure tone averages (PTA). METHODS: The Turkish SSQ (Tr-SSQ) scale was administered on 114 adults including those with and without hearing loss. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess its reliability. The reliability coefficient of the scale was calculated by test-retest method. Associations of SSQ scores with PTAs in better and worse hearing ears (BHE and WHE) were evaluated. RESULTS: Tr-SSQ presented high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.984) and test-retest reliability (r=0.994). Tr-SSQ scores were lower in the subjects with hearing loss and correlated with PTAs. Age was found to be correlated with PTAs; regression analysis demonstrated that only WHE-PTA was extracted as explanatory variable for average Tr-SSQ, speech perception and spatial perception scores while both BHE-PTA and WHE-PTA were found to be predictors of hearing quality, but not age for any of Tr-SSQ scores. CONCLUSION: Tr-SSQ is a convenient tool for assessing the hearing abilities of individuals with hearing impaired.