A scoping review of the spatial perception of tinnitus and a guideline for the minimum reporting of tinnitus location

Tinnitus spatial localisation is an essential attribute of tinnitus perception and how it is separated from other ongoing neural activity. A scoping review was undertaken to determine how tinnitus localisation is reported, the role of the perceived spatial location of tinnitus on neurophysiology and if sound presented spatially can change tinnitus perception. Following reading of the full-text articles and including articles from reference lists, 46 articles were included for review. Six themes emerged from the results. 1. Where tinnitus was localised. 2. The effects of tinnitus on localisation. 3. The mechanisms underpinning tinnitus spatial location. 4. Masking. 5. Auditory training. 6. Multisensory training and virtual reality (VR). Tinnitus is much more complex than the often-used description of 'ringing in the ears'. Tinnitus can be heard anywhere in and around the head. Spatial sound presentation and perceptual training approaches may disrupt spatial selective attention to tinnitus and appear as changes in some of the neural networks involved in sound localisation. Where tinnitus is heard is a critical aspect of its perception, but its report, even in studies purporting to study localisation, is too general. A matrix for standardised minimum reporting of tinnitus location is recommended.