RESEARCH HUB

Research Hub is designed to share our research activities on tinnitus, hyperacusis and misophonia. Research Hub also shares relevant research projects from other institutions. The aim is to enhance scientific collaboration and encourage public engagement in research.

Relationship Between Night-to-Night Variations in Sleep Quality and Day-to-Day Fluctuations in Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, Mood, and Anxiety

October 2024

  We are doing a research study to understand how sleep quality affects people with tinnitus. Tinnitus is a condition where people perceive ringing or buzzing sounds in their ears or head in the absence of such sounds being present in the...
Hyperacusis & Misophonia in Children with Auditory Processing Disorders (APD)

June 2024

Research on Hyperacusis & Misophonia in Children with Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) won award at the British Society of Audiology conference 17-18 June 2024, Birmingham, UK.
Can CBT help you?

June 2024

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is at the core of our treatment approach at Hashir International Institute. Learn how CBT can help you reshape your relationship with tinnitus and/or sound (in the cases of hyperacusis and misophonia) and regain...
The difference of attention between youth with misophonia and youth with anxiety!

April 2024

Misophonia sufferers often report attention problems when certain sounds trigger are present. The researchers investigate what sets misophonia apart from other issues like anxiety in terms of its effect on attention.
Researchers compared the effect of neurostimulation and cognitive restructuring for misophonia management

February 2024

A recent study by scientists at Duke University looked into how misophonia, a strong reaction to certain sounds, is different from general difficulties in managing emotions.
Mimicry and Misophonia: Understanding the Link and Coping Mechanisms

October 2023

Ash and her colleagues from the University of Iowa and Newcastle have collaborated to piece together another missing puzzle related to misophonia. This study aimed to understand the relationship between misophonia and a behaviour known as mimicry....
The Puzzle of Misophonia: Exploring the Role of Control, Social Triggers, and Comorbid Conditions

October 2023

Banker and her colleagues in New York conducted a study, exploring if misophonia could be connected to the way people try to control their social interactions in situations they can’t control, and whether they have a stronger dislike for social...
Exploring Attention, Flexibility, and Imagery in Misophonia: Unraveling the Impact of Attention on Everyday Sound Aversion

September 2023

Researchers from Sussex University conducted a study to investigate why individuals with misophonia may pay excessive attention to misophonic sounds (e.g., lip smacking and chewing). They found that people with misophonia tend to exhibit heightened...
Exploring the “fingerprint” for how people with misophonia respond to sound

September 2023

Researchers in University of Sussex conducted a new study in which they tried to understand why certain sounds bother some people more than others. They’re using a special method called “phenomenological cartography” and technology...
Understanding Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms in Young People with Misophonia

August 2023

A new study by universities in the US, Iceland, and Sweden sheds light on another unknown aspect of misophonia. In this research study, the authors investigated psychological factors that contribute to the emotional and behavioral symptoms...
Researchers from Finland and Netherlands report about the relationship between noise sensitivity and depression

August 2023

New research has just been published as a collaboration of researchers in Finland and Netherlands on the effect of perceived occupational noise exposure on young people.
Unraveling the Puzzle: Did Age-Related Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Lead to Cognitive Impairment? Exploring the Pathways.

August 2023

A group of scientists from China and Italy teamed up to explore the relationships between age-related hearing loss (when hearing gets worse as you get older), tinnitus (that ringing sound in your ears), and problems with memory and thinking in older...
Understanding misophonic connections and traits

July 2023

How are sound sensitivities and clinical disorders connected? Is there an important relationship between visual triggers and misophonia? A recent study explores these questions and can help us to reach a better understanding of such complex...
Our PhD student from Turkey, Fatma Betul Kula, is conducting a research study on misophonia and hyperacusis. Take part by completing several short questionnaires!

May 2023

  Our PhD student from Turkey, Fatma Betul Kula, is conducting a research study on misophonia and hyperacusis. Take part by completing several short questionnaires!
A genome-wide study on misophonia

April 2023

Misophonia is a disorder that has gained more attention in recent years. It is marked by an intense emotional response to certain sounds, like chewing or breathing, that can cause a lot of distress and affect a person’s daily life. Although the...
A new study on Misophonia at King’s College London (KCL) looking for participants!

April 2023

Our colleagues at King’s College London (KCL) are conducting a study on several psychometric scales and they need your help!
One out of 5 Brits suffer from Misophonia

March 2023

Misophonia is a disorder that has become a topic of increasing interest in recent years. It is characterized by a strong emotional reaction to specific sounds, such as chewing or breathing, which can cause significant distress and impact on a...
Understanding the Consequences of Support vs Reassurance in OCD

December 2022

This study is being carried out at the University of Oxford, the Oxford Institute of Clinical Psychology and Research. The aim is to find out more about how people experience seeking and receiving reassurance from others for OCD symptoms, and whether...
COVID and Tinnitus Survey

December 2022

Professor Fatima Husain from Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA is conducting research surveying the impact of COVID, long COVID and vaccination for COVID on adults with tinnitus. You are being...
Dr Aazh in collaboration with King’s College London design a new tinnitus questionnaire

September 2022

Dr Hashir Aazh and his collaborators from psychometrics and Measurement Lab, Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London and University of Cambridge’s...
Tinnitus Severity and COVID – 19 Lockdown

September 2022

The Journal of the American Academy of Audiology published the results of a new research by Dr Hashir Aazh and his collaborators about assessing whether the severity of tinnitus, as measured using ratings of tinnitus loudness, annoyance, and effect...
Audiological and Other Factors Predicting the Presence of Misophonia Symptoms

September 2022

Dr Hashir Aazh and his collaborators from the Royal Surrey County Hospital, University College of London, University of Cambridge and Florida Atlantic University published their new research on audiological and other factors predicting the presence...
Take part in our research on hyperacusis and misophonia

January 2022

Our PhD student from Istanbul, Turkey, is evaluating modern psychometric instruments for assessment of misophonia and hyperacusis at University of Surrey, Guildford.
Can an online course help parents with anxiety raise confident children?

January 2022

The Parenting with Anxiety project is testing a new online course to help parents who experience anxiety, and their children, so they can become more confident together.
Hearing Tinnitus in Dreams

January 2022

In their new paper published in the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, Dr Hashir Aazh and his collaborators studied the incidence of the perception of tinnitus in dreams among patients seeking help for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis.
Influence of ear canal occlusion and static pressure difference on bone conduction thresholds: implications for mechanisms of bone conduction

December 2021

The effect of air pressure change on bone conduction (BC) hearing thresholds in the occluded ear was investigated. The pump manometer system of an impedance bridge was used to change the air pressure in the ear canal of twenty-two normally hearing...
Dead regions in the cochlea at 4 kHz in elderly adults: relation to absolute threshold, steepness of audiogram, and pure-tone average

December 2021

The aims of this study were (1) to investigate the prevalence of dead regions (DRs) at 4 kHz in elderly people with hearing loss and (2) to determine the extent to which the presence/absence of a DR can be predicted from the absolute threshold, the...
Real ear measurement methods for open fit hearing aids: Modified pressure concurrent equalization (MPCE) versus modified pressure stored equalization (MPSE)

December 2021

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess differences between real ear insertion gains (REIG) measured with the modified pressure concurrent equalization (MPCE) and modified pressure stored equalization (MPSE) methods for open fittings in a...
The Accuracy of Matching Target Insertion Gains With Open-Fit Hearing Aids

December 2021

Purpose To assess the accuracy with which target insertion gains were matched for a single type of open-fit hearing aid, both on initial fitting and after adjustment. Method The hearing aids were fitted using the first-fit setting in the programming...
Hearing-aid use and its determinants in the UK National Health Service: A cross-sectional study at the Royal Surrey County Hospital

December 2021

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of and factors contributing to non-adherence to hearing-aid use in the UK National Health Service. Design: A cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey. Study sample: A...
Feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of motivational interviewing on hearing-aid use

December 2021

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the effect of motivational interviewing (MI) on hearing-aid use. Design: This was a pilot single-blind, randomized parallel-group...
Audiological Rehabilitation for Facilitating Hearing Aid Use: A Review

December 2021

Purpose: This article reviews and critically analyzes the design of studies on the effect of audiological rehabilitation (AR) programs on hearing aid (HA) outcomes, in order to guide future research. Research design: The design of this study was a...
Insights from the third international conference on hyperacusis: causes, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment

December 2021

Background: Hyperacusis is intolerance of certain everyday sounds that causes significant distress and impairment in social, occupational, recreational, and other day-to-day activities. Objective: The aim of this report is to summarize the key...
Patient-Centered Tinnitus Management Tool: A Clinical Audit

December 2021

Purpose To evaluate the impact of an educational poster describing treatment options available to patients experiencing tinnitus. Method A patient-centered tinnitus management tool (PCTMT) was developed in the form of an educational poster that...
Gabapentin for Tinnitus: A Systematic Review

December 2021

Purpose The main aim of this study was to assess the effect of gabapentin on tinnitus via a systematic review. Method An electronic search of literature as well as a hand search were conducted. Only double-blind randomized controlled trials (RCTs)...
Insights from the first international conference on hyperacusis: Causes, evaluation, diagnosis and treatment

December 2021

The First International Conference on Hyperacusis gathered over 100 scientists and health care professionals in London, UK. Key conclusions from the conference included: (1) Hyperacusis is characterized by reduced tolerance of sound that has...
Providing support to school children with hyperacusis

December 2021

Hyperacusis is a condition associated with irritation and discomfort from environmental sounds. A person with hyperacusis is bothered by sounds that are generally acceptable to others. Hyperacusis has been reported with people various pathologies as...
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy In Management Of Hyperacusis

December 2021

Abstract Background and Aim: The aim of this article was to critically discuss the clinical application of a cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) protocol for the treatment of hyperacusis and its associated distress. Methods: Narrative review Recent...
Tinnitus and hyperacusis therapy in a UK National Health Service audiology department: Patients’ evaluations of the effectiveness of treatments

December 2021

OBJECTIVE: To assess patients’ judgements of the effectiveness of the tinnitus and hyperacusis therapies offered in a specialist UK National Health Service audiology department. DESIGN: Cross-sectional service evaluation questionnaire survey....
Simplified form of tinnitus retraining therapy in adults: a retrospective study

December 2021

BACKGROUND: Since the first description of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), clinicians have modified and customised the method of TRT in order to suit their practice and their patients. A simplified form of TRT is used at Ealing Primary Care Trust...
Thoughts About Suicide And Self-harm In Patients With Tinnitus And Hyperacusis

December 2021

BACKGROUND: There are conflicting reports with regard to the relationship between suicidal ideations and tinnitus and hyperacusis. Audiology departments play a major role in offering therapy and support for patients experiencing tinnitus and...
Prevalence and Characteristics of Patients with Severe Hyperacusis among Patients Seen in a Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Clinic

December 2021

Purpose: The purpose was to assess the proportion of patients seeking help for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis who have severe hyperacusis and to examine factors associated with severe hyperacusis. Research design: This was a retrospective...
Proportion and characteristics of patients who were offered, enrolled in and completed audiologist-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus and hyperacusis rehabilitation in a specialist UK clinic

December 2021

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine the proportion and characteristics of patients who were offered, enrolled in and completed an audiologist-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programme for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis in a specialist...
Usefulness of self-report questionnaires for psychological assessment of patients with tinnitus and hyperacusis and patients’ views of the questionnaires

December 2021

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine the relevance and applicability of psychological questionnaires to patients seeking help for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis. DESIGN: This was a questionnaire-based survey. The following questionnaires were...
Incidence of Discomfort During Pure-Tone Audiometry and Measurement of Uncomfortable Loudness Levels Among People Seeking Help for Tinnitus and/or Hyperacusis

December 2021

Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the proportion of patients seen in a tinnitus and hyperacusis therapy clinic for whom presentation levels based on the British Society of Audiology (BSA)–recommended procedures for pure-tone audiometry...
Factors related to uncomfortable loudness levels for patients seen in a tinnitus and hyperacusis clinic

December 2021

OBJECTIVES: The aims were as follows: (1) to explore patterns of uncomfortable loudness levels (ULLs) across frequency and their associated factors for patients with tinnitus and hyperacusis, and (2) to re-evaluate the criteria for diagnosing...
Factors Associated With Depression in Patients With Tinnitus and Hyperacusis

December 2021

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with depression for patients with tinnitus and hyperacusis. Method Data were gathered from the records of 620 consecutive patients who sought help concerning their tinnitus or...
Uncomfortable loudness levels among children and adolescents seeking help for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis

December 2021

Objective: To assess the prevalence of hyperacusis and severe hyperacusis among children and adolescents seen at an audiology outpatient tinnitus and hyperacusis service. Design: This was a retrospective study. Hyperacusis was considered as present...
Factors related to tinnitus and hyperacusis handicap in older people

December 2021

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to assess factors related to tinnitus and hyperacusis handicap in older people. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional. STUDY SAMPLE: Data were gathered for 184 patients with an average age of 69 years. RESULTS: Tinnitus...
Effectiveness of Audiologist-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Rehabilitation: Outcomes for Patients Treated in Routine Practice

December 2021

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to assess the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis delivered by audiologists working in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study,...
Parental separation and parental mental health in childhood and tinnitus and hyperacusis disability in adulthood: a retrospective exploratory analysis

December 2021

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationships between parental separation and parental mental health in childhood with tinnitus and hyperacusis disability in adulthood. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional. STUDY SAMPLE: The data for consecutive patients...
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