By Francesco Innocente, student of the Master in Clinical Audiology and Hearing Therapy

Abstract

Tinnitus is the perception of a sound in the absence of an external acoustic source. this literature review, conducted in accordance with prisma guidelines, examines the main psychological factors associated with tinnitus and the theoretical models that explain its persistence, with particular attention to psychological distress, selective attention, cognitive interpretation, and emotional regulation. a strong association between tinnitus and these subjective elements is highlighted, as a consequence of a failed habituation process caused by an imbalance in the limbic–prefrontal circuits involved. the threatening meaning attributed to the sound and attentional hyperfocus contribute to the maintenance of the disorder, and therapeutic interventions are aimed at reducing these emotional aspects, as well as cognitive dysfunction, which underlie the persistence and worsening of tinnitus rather than the acoustic intensity of the stimulus itself. the general aim of the various treatments is therefore to promote the habituation process, the absence of which is reflected in the distress caused by tinnitus. overall, tinnitus emerges as a multidimensional phenomenon requiring an integrated approach centered on the interaction between attention, cognition, and emotion.

Keywords: Tinnitus, Psychological distress, Cognitive processes, Emotional regulation, Habituation.

Download the full Research Work: Francesco Innocente (2026). Gli aspetti psicologici dell’acufene. SAERA