The Multidimensional Effects of Tinnitus on Executive Control in Individuals With Normal Hearing: An Investigation Through Stroop and Antisaccade Performance.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate executive function performance in individuals with tinnitus using the Stroop and antisaccade tests, to examine whether these tasks reflect overlapping executive control mechanisms, and to explore the relationship between perceived tinnitus severity and cognitive performance.

METHOD The study included 20 individuals (13 females, seven males; age range: 20-67 years; Mage ± SD = 38.95 ± 11.9) with tinnitus group and 20 individuals (11 females, nine males; age range: 21-50 years; Mage ± SD = 32.25 ± 10.8) without tinnitus (control group). Tinnitus severity was assessed using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Executive functions were evaluated with the Stroop test and antisaccade task. The Stroop interference score, antisaccade mean latency, velocity, accuracy, directional error rate, and overall error rate were analyzed.

RESULTS The tinnitus group demonstrated significantly poorer performance in both the Stroop and antisaccade tests compared to the control group (independent-samples t test, Mann-Whitney U test, p < .05). In the tinnitus group, a statistically significant correlation was found between the Stroop interference score and antisaccade mean latency, directional error rate, and overall error rate (Pearson correlation analysis, p < .05). No significant correlation was observed between THI scores and executive function parameters in the tinnitus group.

CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that tinnitus may be associated with reduced efficiency in executive functions, particularly attentional control and inhibitory mechanisms. The combined use of Stroop and antisaccade tasks provides a more comprehensive approach for evaluating the multidimensional neurocognitive effects of tinnitus.