Hyperacusis after brain injury was studied as part of the NHS East of England Funded Clinical Academic Research Award held by Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Clare Keohane. I was delighted that this poster was presented this summer in Cyprus at the Neuropsychological Rehabilitation WFNR Special Interest Group

1. • To identify the prevalence of hyperacusis in a traumatic brain injury population
• To explore possible risk factors associated with the presence of hyperacusis following a TBI
• To identify the main symptoms of hyperacusis that present in TBI patients
AIMS
METHODOLOGY
Identifying the prevalence and nature of hyperacusis in a traumatic brain injury population
and its relationship to measures of anxiety and depression: An exploratory study.
Keohane Clare1; Bateman Andrew 2; Harrison Roger3;
1,2Oliver Zangwill Centre for Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, Ely, Cambridgeshire; 3University of Manchester, UK
• Mean score on HQ:14.5
• Prevalence 7.5%
• Suggested associations with
hyperacusis after TBI:
• Hearing problems
• Anxiety (strong association)
• Depression
• Inability to work
Pearson’s Test Results
RESULTS
Six top ‘symptoms’ of hyperacusis after TBI:
• Reduced concentration in noisy environments
• Stress and tiredness reducing ability to
concentrate in noise
• Certain sounds causing stress and irritation
• Less able to concentrate in noise at the end
of the day
• Listening to conversation in noise
• Reading in noise or loud environments
Correlation
coefficient (r)
95%CI
for r
2 sided p
Anxiety
score/score
on HQ
0.50 0.21-0.70 0.001
Depression
score/score
on HQ
0.35 0.04-0.6 0.02
• Cross sectional study over three month period
• 60 TBI participants recruited from three neurological services in Cambridgeshire
• 14 item Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ, Kalfa, et al, 2002) completed
• 39 participants also completed Hospital And Anxiety Scale (HADS)
• Descriptive statistical analysis
• Pearson’s tests to explore correlations
• Item analysis
• Supports previous studies to increase cut off score on HQ and develop standardised
assessment for clinical use.
• Supports theory that hyperacusis is associated with anxiety and depression in TBI.
• Identifies six symptoms that could be explored when identifying hyperacusis following TBI.
ozc_general
ITEM ANALYSIS
CONCLUSION
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
earmuffs
ignoring
readingin…
concentrating
listening
reduced…
streetnoise
socialnoise
goingout
avoidance
quiet…
stress/tired…
endofday
irritation
No
A Little
Quite a lot
A lot
www.ozc.nhs.uk