Development and validation of Hyperacusis Handicap Questionnaire in individuals with tinnitus associated with hyperacusis

INTRODUCTION: Hypersensitivity to sound and tinnitus are often co-morbid and can influence emotional well-being, hearing, sleep, concentration, cause anxiety, and interfere with speech perception in noise. PURPOSE: A clear measure of sensitivity to sound is important as there is dearth in standard protocol for evaluating hyperacusis in individuals with tinnitus. Although there are a few questionnaires to assess hyperacusis, a direct application of these questionnaires in the Indian context would be unfavorable. OBJECTIVES: The study attempts to develop and validate an indigenous Hyperacusis Handicap Questionnaire (HHQ) for individuals with tinnitus associated with hyperacusis. METHOD: A total of 25 questions were considered for validation. Further, 21 questions were subdivided into three sections of seven questions each, tapping, ‘Functional,’ ‘Social,’ and ‘Emotional’ aspects of the condition. It was administered on 77 individuals with tinnitus associated with hyperacusis in the age range of 20–55 years for further validation. A total score was obtained by adding all the three sub-scales. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the questionnaire was determined by Cronbach’s Alpha (α) was α = 0.85; and, α = 0.83 for Functional, α = 0.81 for Social, α = 0.7 for Emotional subscales suggesting that the questionnaire can be used for the assessment of handicap associated with hyperacusis in individuals with tinnitus. Also, no significant difference in terms of gender and duration of tinnitus comparisons were seen. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results suggest that HHQ will aid in the characterization and quantification of the handicap associated with hyperacusis in individuals with tinnitus.