This research aims to advance the understanding of tinnitus by integrating lifestyle, cognitive ageing, and brain imaging perspectives using UK Biobank data. Tinnitus, a widespread and often distressing auditory condition, is influenced by multiple interacting factors including hearing loss, ageing, and general health, yet its mechanisms remain poorly understood.
Focusing on mid-life adults, the study addresses three key research questions:
(1) Which health and lifestyle factors (e.g. sleep, mental wellbeing, smoking, physical activity) are associated with the onset and persistence of tinnitus?
(2) How do hearing loss trajectories relate to cognitive decline, particularly through accelerated brain ageing as measured via structural MRI?
(3) Can individual differences in tinnitus vulnerability be explained by cognitive profiles and the dominance of perceptual priors?
We will analyse demographic, audiological, cognitive, and lifestyle data using both machine learning (e.g. Random Forests) and classical statistical approaches (logistic regression, Cox models). Brain age will be estimated from MRI scans to assess biological ageing. Cognitive function will be assessed via intelligence and cognitive measures.
Advanced modelling will help disentangle direct and mediated effects of lifestyle and health on tinnitus risk, while also identifying high-risk subgroups. The project will result in a comprehensive model of tinnitus etiology, informing prevention strategies and guiding future research on brain ageing and hearing health.