Prevalence of tinnitus following non-blast related traumatic brain injury: a systematic review of literature

ObjectivesTo establish the prevalence of tinnitus in adults who have sustained non-blast related traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as the prevalence of tinnitus following TBI in the absence of hearing loss.MethodsA systematic search was carried out using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL from January 1st 1990 to August 14th 2023. TBI, tinnitus and auditory findings were extracted from all eligible studies, and a descriptive synthesis performed. This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (Registration number: CRD42022377637).ResultsBased on the Oxford Centre of Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) (2011) criteria, the highest quality evidence identified was at Level 2b, with the bulk of the included studies predominantly populating the lower evidence tiers. While there was a substantial variability in the methods used to establish and report the presence of tinnitus, its occurrence following TBI was evident in adults with and without hearing loss.ConclusionThe need for prospective, longitudinal research into tinnitus following non-blast related TBI is evident. Such comprehensive studies hold the potential to inform and enhance the clinical diagnosis and management of this patient population.