The Influence of Carotid and Vertebral Doppler Ultrasonography and Brain MRI Abnormalities on Hearing Levels, Tinnitus Intensities and Frequencies

<b>Objectives</b>: This study aimed to analyse the potential influence of abnormalities detected through carotid-vertebral ultrasonography and brain MRI on pure-tone averages (PTAs) and the frequency and intensity of tinnitus. <b>Methods</b>: 423 participants with subjective tinnitus were enrolled in this investigation. All patients underwent carotid- vertebral ultrasonography, brain MRI, and pure-tone audiometry, including tinnitus matching. <b>Results</b>: The median values for tinnitus onset indicated chronic tinnitus in most cases. Regarding tinnitus location, left-sided symptoms (32%) and bilateral symptoms (44%) were the most prevalent. In analysing the effects of abnormalities detected by carotid-vertebral ultrasonography on PTAs, a statistically significant difference was found between the groups (<i>p</i> = 0.0037). Specifically, individuals with intimal hyperplasia had significantly higher PTAs (<i>p</i> = 0.02), as did those with carotid artery plaques (<i>p</i> = 0.005). However, no significant differences in PTAs were noted in relation to carotid artery stenosis (<i>p</i> = 0.07). Similar trends emerged regarding tinnitus intensity (<i>p</i> = 0.013), with significantly higher values observed in the presence of any carotid-vertebral ultrasonography abnormalities. In contrast, tinnitus frequencies were not significantly affected (<i>p</i> = 0.401). Regarding brain MRI findings, Fazekas scores of 2 (<i>p</i> = 0.02) and 3 (<i>p</i> = 0.0052) significantly influenced PTAs. For tinnitus intensity, Fazekas scores of 2 (<i>p</i> = 0.0027) and 3 (<i>p</i> = 0.0005), and the presence of acoustic neuromas <i>(p</i> = 0.019), significantly impacted the intensity values. However, tinnitus frequencies were not significantly (<i>p</i> = 0.36) influenced by brain MRI abnormalities. <b>Conclusions</b>: The findings of this study show that carotid-vertebral ultrasonography and brain MRI abnormalities significantly influence PTAs and tinnitus intensities.