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Tinnitus and short-term serial recall in stable versus intermittent masking conditions |
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| Authors: | GERHARD ANDERSSON,LISA EDSJÖ ,VIKTOR KALDO, VENDELA WESTIN |
| Affiliation: | Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Sweden; Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping and Örebro Universities, Sweden; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Sweden |
| Abstract: | The relation between tinnitus and short-term memory performance in varying background sounds is not well understood. In the present study a sample of 18 persons with tinnitus completed a serial recall test in three conditions, silence, masking and intermittent masking. The performance of a matched control group without tinnitus was also investigated. Based on the literature on the "irrelevant sound effect" we expected that the tinnitus group would perform worse during intermittent masking and that they would score lower overall compared to the control group. Results revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups, nor any group interaction within sound conditions for the serial recall test. Groups did however differ regarding subjective measures of concentration problems, anxiety and depression. Results are discussed in relation to thought suppression and distraction from tinnitus. |
| Keywords: | Tinnitus working memory serial recall irrelevant sound tinnitus masking |