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. 2016 Aug 4:6:31166.
doi: 10.1038/srep31166.

Emotion dynamics and tinnitus: Daily life data from the "TrackYourTinnitus" application

Thomas Probst  1   2 , Rüdiger Pryss  3 , Berthold Langguth  4 , Winfried Schlee  4
Affiliations

Emotion dynamics and tinnitus: Daily life data from the "TrackYourTinnitus" application

Thomas Probst et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

It is well established that emotions influence tinnitus, but the role of emotion dynamics remains unclear. The present study investigated emotion dynamics in N = 306 users of the "TrackYourTinnitus" application who completed the Mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire (Mini-TQ) at one assessment point and provided complete data on at least five assessment points for the following state variables: tinnitus loudness, tinnitus distress, arousal, valence. The repeated arousal and valence ratings were used for two operationalizations of emotion dynamics: intra-individual variability of affect intensity (pulse) as well as intra-individual variability of affect quality (spin). Pearson correlation coefficients showed that the Mini-TQ was positively correlated with pulse (r = 0.19; p < 0.05) as well as with spin (r = 0.12; p < 0.05). Multilevel models revealed the following results: increases in tinnitus loudness were more strongly associated with increases in tinnitus distress at higher levels of pulse as well as at higher levels of spin (both p < 0.05), whereby increases in tinnitus loudness correlated even stronger with increases in tinnitus distress when both pulse as well as spin were high (p < 0.05). Moreover, increases in spin were associated with a less favorable time course of tinnitus loudness (p < 0.05). To conclude, equilibrating emotion dynamics might be a potential target in the prevention and treatment of tinnitus.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. 1.a. pulse (affect intensity variability) and 1.b. spin (affect quality variability) according to Kuppens and colleagues.
Valence and arousal manikins modified from M. M. Bradley, & P. J. Lang, Measuring emotion: the self-assessment manikin and the semantic differential, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 25, 49–59, Elsevier, 1994.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Flow-chart illustrating the amount of excluded “state assessments” and TYT users.
TYT = “Track Your Tinnitus” application; Mini-TQ = Mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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