Psychoacoustic characteristics of tinnitus in temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: To describe the psychoacoustic characteristics of tinnitus in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD).

RESEARCH STRATEGIES: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, with the protocol registered in PROSPERO (CRD42025649038). Searches were performed in Embase, LILACS, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, using validated MeSH and DeCS terms.

SELECTION CRITERIA: Descriptive, observational, cross-sectional, case-control, or longitudinal studies evaluating patients with TMD and tinnitus, reporting psychoacoustic parameters such as pitch and loudness, were included. Studies involving animals, single-case reports, case series, reviews, letters, editorials, or articles without original data were excluded.

DATA ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts, with a third reviewer resolving disagreements. Risk of bias was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Tools. Data were extracted, organized, and qualitatively synthesized.

RESULTS

A total of 271 articles were identified; after removal of duplicates and eligibility assessment, five studies were included in the synthesis. Findings indicate that tinnitus in TMD patients is predominantly unilateral, continuous, with high pitch and moderate loudness. Some patients can modulate tinnitus through mandibular or cervical movements, suggesting a somatosensory contribution. The impact on quality of life ranges from mild to moderate, even in individuals with normal hearing.

CONCLUSION

Tinnitus associated with TMD shows relatively consistent psychoacoustic characteristics. However, further primary studies with larger sample sizes and robust designs are needed to confirm specific patterns and improve multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches.