BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to observe the application of the Chinese version of Tinnitus Handicap Inventory-China in Tinnitus patients and verify its reliability and validity. METHODS: About 1129 patients with tinnitus as the first complaint were selected as subjects. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: exploration group (n = 565), whose data were analyzed with reliability analysis method using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software 19.0, validation group (n = 564), whose data were analyzed with validity analysis method using AMOS21.0. RESULTS: (1) Reliability test: The Cronbach’s α coefficients of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory-China scale in both groups were 0.94, among which, the Cronbach’s α coefficients of functional factor (F), emotion factor (E), and catastrophic factor (C) in group E were 0.87, 0.90, and 0.78, respectively. The half-reliability of the 2 components is 0.87. The correlation coefficient between items and the scale in group E and group V is 0.36-0.78 and 0.33-0.77, respectively. (2) Content validity: The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin value of group E is 0.96, a total of 4 common factors were extracted, and the cumulative interpretation rate is 57.844%. The number of factors with load less than 0.4 on the 4 common factors is only 1 (F24), suggesting that this factor had little significance; the number of factors with load more than 0.4 on the 2 common factors is 8 (F1, E6, F9, C11, F15, E21, E22, and C23), suggesting that patients had different understandings of these 8 questions. (3) Structural validity: The root mean square error of approximation value of the AMOS structural model in group V is 0.065, and the root mean square residual value is 0.114, indicating low fitness; the NC value is 3.353, indicating good fitness of the scale, but it still needed to be simplified. CONCLUSION: The Chinese version of Tinnitus Handicap Inventory-China has a high reliability when applied in China, but the content validity and structure validity are not high, and the clinical practicability needs to be improved. Cite this article as: Zhang J, Huo Y, Lui G, Li M, Tyler RS, Ping H. Reliability and validity of the tinnitus handicap inventory: A clinical study of questionnaires. J Int Adv Otol. 2022;18(6):522-529.

As a traditional Chinese medicine, Sanao decoction (SAD) has been used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for multi-years. However, the potential mechanism and targets for its effects of SAD remain unknown. The 94 components of SAD were identified by UPLC–LTQ–Orbitrap MS. Meanwhile, the quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS) method was used to control the quality of SAD, including ephedrine hydrochloride, amygdalin, liquiritin, liquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid. The method was strictly validated with recovery (90.0–110.0%), precision [relative standard deviation (RSD), 0.79–2.01%], stability (RSD, 1.84–2.64%), repeatability (RSD, 0.45–3.03%) and relative correction factors (RSD, 0.28–2.67%), respectively. All the compounds showed good linearities (R2 > 0.999). Subsequently, 37 target proteins of SAD in the treatment of COPD were screened. The “Compounds-Targets” interaction and protein–protein interaction network found that TNF-α, IL-6 and VEGFA may act a crucial role in the treatment of COPD by SAD. Molecular docking demonstrated that TNF-α had good affinity with the main components of SAD. A strategy of QAMS and network pharmacology was a novel method to assess the quality control of SAD and uncover the targets and potential mechanism of SAD in the treatment of COPD.