Tinnitus: Advances in research on predictive factors of its progression and on its perception during sleep
- heloiseherve2
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
Two studies conducted by researchers and physicians at the reConnect Institute, a foundation hosted by the Institut Pasteur, have recently been published in collaboration with McGill University in Canada and Université Grenoble Alpes, offering new insights into factors that may predict the long-term course and severity of tinnitus and how it is perceived during sleep.
Tinnitus, an auditory disorder affecting about 14% of the global population, manifests as a constant perception of sounds (ringing, buzzing, etc.) in the absence of any external source. While some individuals find it non-disruptive, others experience severe consequences such as sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression or concentration difficulties. No treatment currently exists to eliminate the phantom sounds; interventions focus primarily on alleviating the distress they cause. Identifying the main associated risk factors is therefore crucial for improving prevention and management strategies.
How can we predict the course of tinnitus in an individual?
Researchers from the reConnect Institute at the Hearing Institute (center of the Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1335, CNRS UMR 8252) and McGill University used machine-learning algorithms to pinpoint the risk factors linked to tinnitus progression and severity. They analyzed data from nearly 200 000 people, including over 40 000 tinnitus sufferers.
The results, published in May 2025 in the journal Nature Communications, show that while the mere presence of tinnitus is primarily associated with hearing health, its severity is also influenced by mood disorders and sleep problems. The predictive model they developed can forecast the trajectory of tinnitus over a nine-year period.
“This model has been simplified into a six-question clinical questionnaire that will help identify individuals at highest risk of developing severe tinnitus in the future,” explain Lise Hobeika1 and Séverine Samson, co-authors of the study.
Tinnitus prevalence is expected to rise due to population ageing and increased use of headphones which can impair hearing. Better understanding of this condition and identification of its risk factors will aid prevention efforts and guide the development of new therapeutic solutions.
Are tinnitus sounds perceived during sleep?
To answer this question, researchers and physicians at the reConnect Institute including study initiator and lead author Robin Guillard, in collaboration with Université Grenoble Alpes, examined the sleep of 195 tinnitus patients. Their findings are published in the journal Hearing Research.
Of these patients, 148 were able to recall their dreams, and 94.6% reported not hearing their tinnitus during sleep. The small minority who did perceive tinnitus in their dreams generally had a higher tinnitus burden, experienced greater stress and suffered from additional auditory disorders or comorbidities.
This study is also the first to document the presence of tinnitus during lucid dreams (dreams in which the dreamer is aware of dreaming). 12.2% of patients frequently experienced lucid dreams, and among them only 38% reported hearing their tinnitus.
“Our study thus confirms that tinnitus is rarely perceived during sleep,” notes Alain Londero, ENT specialist at the reConnect Institute, Lariboisière–Fernand Widal hospital, AP-HP. The researchers also observed that heightened levels of consciousness during sleep coincide with the absence of tinnitus, suggesting that external sounds during sleep may act as a “switch” that turns tinnitus off.
Tinnitus risk factors and its evolution over time
Hobeika, L., Fillingim, M., Tanguay-Sabourin, C., Roy, M., Londero, A., Samson, S., & Vachon-Presseau, E. (2025). Tinnitus risk factors and its evolution over time. Nature Communications, 16(1), 4244.
Tinnitus, lucid dreaming and awakening. An online survey and theoretical implications.Guillard, R., Dauman, N., Cadix, A., Glabasnia Linck, C., Congedo, M., De Ridder, D., & Londero, A. (2025). Tinnitus, lucid dreaming and awakening. An online survey and theoretical implications. Hearing Research, 458, 109204.
To know more about tinnitus, visit the Fondation Pour l’Audition’s website / Tinnitus – How can we handle it? Causes, solutions and research:
1This work is part of the post-doctoral research project, financed by the Horizon Europe program of the European Union (HORIZON) via the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (grant No. 101146406).
This work has benefited from a french government grant managed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche under the France 2030 program, reference ANR-23-IAHU-0003.
The reConnect Institute federates key players in hearing health, speech and cognitive disorders along with the Institut Pasteur, the Fondation Pour l’Audition, the Ap-HP, Inserm and the Université Paris-Cité, founding members of the IHU.
