Hyperacusis Top 10

1. What is the most effective treatment approach for hyperacusis in children?
2. What is the prevalence of hyperacusis in a general population and other specific populations (e.g. people with autism, mental health issues, learning disabilities, hearing loss)?
3. Are there different meaningful types of hyperacusis?
4. What is the essential knowledge/training required for health professionals to appropriately refer or effectively manage hyperacusis?
5. Which treatment approaches are the most effective for different types or severities of hyperacusis?
6. Is hyperacusis due to physical or psychological issues or is a combination of both?
7. Which psychological therapy (e.g. counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, mindfulness) is the most effective for hyperacusis?
8. What management approach for hyperacusis is the most effective for adults/children with autism?
9. What is the best way of using sound in therapy for hyperacusis?
10. Which self-help interventions are effective for hyperacusis? 

The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:

11. What are the risk factors for developing hyperacusis or making it worse?
12. Which interventions in a school setting are useful for children with hyperacusis?
13. Which drugs are effective for hyperacusis?
14. Which criteria should be met to diagnose hyperacusis in adults/children?
15. What is the most effective treatment approach for hyperacusis in adults?
16. Is hyperacusis related to physical changes in the ear or brain?
17. Is there an association between hyperacusis and other ear-related conditions (e.g. superior canal dehiscence syndrome, Meniere's, Waardenburg syndrome, vertigo, vestibular migraines)?
18. What area(s) of the brain and patterns of activity is/are associated with hyperacusis?
19. What is the relationship between mental health and hyperacusis?
20. What is the best way to differentiate hyperacusis from other hearing conditions (e.g. recruitment, misophonia, Meniere's, tinnitus)?
21. What care is most effective for recent onset/acute hyperacusis?
22. Can noise exposure cause hyperacusis (or make it worse)?
23. What are the 'red flags' for serious underlying conditions in hyperacusis?
24. What is the association between hyperacusis and dementia?
25. Does avoidance of sound improve hyperacusis or make it worse?
26. Does nerve damage cause the pain associated with hyperacusis?
27. Is hyperacusis linked to other sensitivities/conditions?
28. Would restoring hearing (e.g. regenerating nerve cells) improve hyperacusis?

Document downloads

For full details of all of the questions identified by this PSP and the process used to check them, please see the documents below.