Tinnitus is a 'phantom auditory perception' defined as the experience of sound in the absence of any appropriate external stimulus. The sounds perceived may appear very intense, and commonly are experienced as hissing, buzzing, whistling and sizzling, though many other experiences are reported. Epidemiological studies suggest that about 1-3 per cent of the adult population have severe chronic tinnitus, in the sense that it causes disruption of everyday activities, mood, and often disturbed sleep patterns. However, tinnitus is far more common in the general population with more than 10 per cent experiencing persistent spontaneous tinnitus. Tinnitus: A Multidisciplinary Approach provides a broad and detailed account of the recent developments in tinnitus research and clinical management. It represents a collaborative effort to summarize what is new, but also to provide an evidence-based summary of the available literature.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements. Foreword. Preface. Chapter 1. Introduction. Chapter 2. Prevalence and natural history. Chapter 3. Mechanism. Chapter 4. Medical models of tinnitus. Chapter 5. Psychological and neurophysiololical models of tinnitus. Chapter 6. How tinnitus is perceived and measured. Chapter 7. Objective correlates of tinnitus. Chapter 8. Self-report and interview measures of tinnitus severity and impact. Chapter 9. Consequences and moderating factors. Chapter 10. Hyperacusis. Chapter 11. Traditional treatments. Chapter 12. Tinnitus retraining therapy. Chapter 13. A cognitive behavioural treatment programme. Chapter 14. Complementary medicine approaches to tinnitus. Chapter 15. A multidisciplinary synthesis. Reference. Index.