Individuals with versus those without tinnitus have significantly lower scores on cognitive function tests, according to a study published online May 29 in Frontiers in Neurology.
Jianli Wu, from the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine in Harbin, China, and colleagues examined the relationship between tinnitus and cognitive impairment using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database.
Data were included for 684 participants who had undergone a total tinnitus survey and underwent a cognitive function test. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the Consortium for the Establishment of Alzheimer’s Disease Word Learning Xi Registry, the Dynamic Logistics Proficiency Test (AFT), and the Digit Sign Substitution Test (DSST).
The researchers found that compared with the healthy group, individuals with tinnitus had lower AFT and DSST scores, indicating reduced cognitive function. Tinnitus was significantly associated with a decrease in AFT and DSST scores after adjustment for other covariates.
“There was a significant correlation between tinnitus and impaired cognitive function, consistent with previous research, indicating an association between tinnitus and cognitive impairments,” the authors write.
More information:
Jianli Wu et al, Association between tinnitus and cognitive impairment: analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011:2014, Frontiers in Neurology (2025). DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1533821
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Tinnitus linked to impaired cognitive function (2025, June 22)
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