Relationship between cognition and the severity of chronic tinnitus: Validation of the Japanese version of the Tinnitus Cognitions Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: The Tinnitus Cognitions Questionnaire (TCQ) is a scale designed to assess the positive and negative cognitions associated with tinnitus. The purpose of this study was to validate the Japanese version of the TCQ and to analyze the relationship between cognition and the severity of chronic tinnitus.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study. Patients with chronic tinnitus persisting for longer than 3 months were included. Participants completed the TCQ, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). They also completed the TCQ a second time 3-7 days later. The questionnaire was translated into Japanese. A factor analysis was performed and the convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were evaluated.

RESULTS: The total sample consisted of 75 participants. We obtained high Cronbach's α coefficients for the total score and subscales, ranging from 0.933 to 0.974. The total score and subscale interclass correlation coefficients for test-retest reliability ranged from 0.631 to 0.963. The factor analysis yielded a two-factor structure: negative and positive subscales. The convergent and discriminative validity was sufficiently clear. The negative subscale of the TCQ was strongly correlated with the THI and the HADS.

CONCLUSION: The Japanese version of the TCQ was validated here. It also exhibited a two-factor structure that was well matched with previous data. And it was a highly consistent and reliable measure that can be used to evaluate cognitions in patients with chronic tinnitus. Negative cognition for tinnitus was greatly related to handicap and psychological state.