ReviewThe consequences of tinnitus and tinnitus severity on cognition: A review of the behavioural evidence

- Our review shows mixed support that tinnitus impairs working memory, executive attention and selective attention.
- We found no support for the claim that tinnitus interferes with sustained or alerting attention.
- The suggestion that the severity of tinnitus symptoms affects cognitive performance also lacks strong support.
- We propose a testable model describing how tinnitus, working memory and attention may be interconnected.

People with tinnitus report anecdotal difficulties in mental concentration and psychological treatments for tinnitus advise on concentration difficulties and how to manage them. Yet the literature lacks any coherent discussion about what precise theoretical cognitive constructs might be mediating reported concentration problems. This review addresses this gap by describing and critically appraising the behavioural evidence for the effects of tinnitus on cognitive performance (namely working memory and attention). Empirical evidence is somewhat limited, but there is some support that tinnitus interferes with executive attention, and mixed support that it impairs working memory and selective attention. We highlight a number of methodological considerations to help drive the field forward and we propose a putative model of the complex inter-relationships between tinnitus, cognition and confounding factors. This model provides a basis for hypothesis testing.