Standardised profiling for tinnitus research: The European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Research Screening Questionnaire (ESIT-SQ)

Background: The heterogeneity of tinnitus is substantial. Its numerous pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical manifestations have hampered fundamental and treatment research significantly. A decade ago, the Tinnitus Research Initiative introduced the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire, a case history instrument for standardised collection of information about the characteristics of the tinnitus patient. Since then, a number of studies have been published which characterise individuals and groups using data collected with this questionnaire. However, its use has been restricted to a clinical setting and to the evaluation of people with tinnitus only. In addition, it is limited in the ability to capture relevant comorbidities and evaluate their temporal relationship with tinnitus. Method: Here we present a new case history instrument which is comprehensive in scope and can be answered by people with and without tinnitus alike. This ‘European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Research Screening Questionnaire’ (ESIT-SQ) was developed with specific attention to questions about potential risk factors for tinnitus (including demographics, lifestyle, general medical and otological histories), and tinnitus characteristics (including perceptual characteristics, modulating factors, and associations with co-existing conditions). It was first developed in English, then translated into Dutch, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish, and Swedish, thus having broad applicability and supporting international collaboration. Conclusions: With respect to better understanding tinnitus profiles, we anticipate the ESIT-SQ to be a starting point for comprehensive multi-variate analyses of tinnitus. Data collected with the ESIT-SQ can allow establishment of patterns that distinguish tinnitus from non-tinnitus, and definition of common sets of tinnitus characteristics which might be indicated by the presence of otological or comorbid systemic diseases for which tinnitus is a known symptom

Editorial: Towards an Understanding of Tinnitus Heterogeneity

International audienc

Innovations in Doctoral Training and Research on Tinnitus:The European School on Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Research (ESIT) Perspective

Tinnitus is a common medical condition which interfaces many different disciplines, yet it is not a priority for any individual discipline. A change in its scientific understanding and clinical management requires a shift toward multidisciplinary cooperation, not only in research but also in training. The European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus research (ESIT) brings together a unique multidisciplinary consortium of clinical practitioners, academic researchers, commercial partners, patient organizations, and public health experts to conduct innovative research and train the next generation of tinnitus researchers. ESIT supports fundamental science and clinical research projects in order to: (1) advancing new treatment solutions for tinnitus, (2) improving existing treatment paradigms, (3) developing innovative research methods, (4) performing genetic studies on, (5) collecting epidemiological data to create new knowledge about prevalence and risk factors, (6) establishing a pan-European data resource. All research projects involve inter-sectoral partnerships through practical training, quite unlike anything that can be offered by any single university alone. Likewise, the postgraduate training curriculum fosters a deep knowledge about tinnitus whilst nurturing transferable competencies in personal qualities and approaches needed to be an effective researcher, knowledge of the standards, requirements and professionalism to do research, and skills to work with others and to ensure the wider impact of research. ESIT is the seed for future generations of creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative researchers, trained to master the upcoming challenges in the tinnitus field, to implement sustained changes in prevention and clinical management of tinnitus, and to shape doctoral education in tinnitus for the future

Supplementary Material for: Die KINDEX-App - ein Instrument zur Erfassung und unmittelbaren Auswertung von psychosozialen Belastungen bei Schwangeren in der täglichen Praxis bei Gynäkologinnen, Hebammen und in Frauenkliniken

<b><i>Hintergrund:</i></b> Der Konstanzer Index (KINDEX) ist ein strukturiertes Interview, das entwickelt wurde, um bereits pränatal zuverlässig und umfassend Risiken für eine beeinträchtigte psychische Entwicklung des Kindes und der Mutter zu erfassen. Um eine unmittelbare automatisierte Auswertung zu ermöglichen, haben wir das Instrument in Form einer Tablet-gestützten Anwendung (KINDEX-App) weiterentwickelt, die die schwangere Frau eigenständig bedienen kann. <b><i>Methoden:</i></b> In dieser Studie kam die KINDEX-App in gynäkologischen Praxen und in Frauenkliniken bei insgesamt N = 956 schwangeren Frauen als Selbstbeurteilungsinstrument zum Einsatz. Zur Bestimmung der Validität des Instruments wurden Vergleiche der Prävalenzen der erhobenen psychosozialen Belastungen mit repräsentativen Studien vorgenommen und Cronbachs alpha wurde berechnet. Des Weiteren wurde die Akzeptanz des Instrumentes sowohl bei den schwangeren Frauen als auch bei Gynäkologinnen und Hebammen erhoben. <b><i>Ergebnisse:</i></b> Die Prävalenzzahlen aus unserer Erhebung entsprechen weitgehend anderen Befunden, die in vergleichbaren Kollektiven erhoben wurden, wodurch die externe Validität der App angenommen werden kann. Die Anzahl fehlender Werte war äußerst gering (< 6%) und lässt den Schluss auf eine gute Akzeptanz zu. Die interne Konsistenz der App lag im akzeptablen Bereich (α = 0,68). <b><i>Schlussfolgerungen:</i></b> Die KINDEX-App ist ein praktikables und valides Screening-Instrument zur Erfassung psychosozialer Belastungsfaktoren bereits während der Schwangerschaft und bildet damit eine gute Basis für die Prävention und frühe Intervention, sodass eine gelingende Mutter-Kind-Bindung und eine gesunde kindliche Entwicklung gefördert werden können