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Open ear hearing aids in tinnitus therapy: An efficacy comparison with sound generators
Marta Parazzini1, Luca Del Bo, Margaret Jastreboff
1Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Ingegneria Biomedica, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan, Italy. marta.parazzini@polimi.it
Objective:
This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) with sound generators or with open ear hearing aids in the rehabilitation of tinnitus for a group of subjects who, according to Jastreboff categories, can be treated with both approaches to sound therapy (borderline of Category 1 and 2).
Design:
This study was a prospective data collection with a parallel-group design which entailed that each subject was randomly assigned to one of the two treatments group: half of the subjects were fitted binaurally with sound generators, and the other half with open ear hearing aids. Both groups received the same educational counselling sessions.
Study Sample:
Ninety-one subjects passed the screening criteria and were enrolled into the study. Structured interviews, with a variety of measures evaluated through the use of visual-analog scales and the tinnitus handicap inventory self-administered questionnaire, were performed before the therapy and at 3, 6, and 12 months during the therapy.
Results:
Data showed a highly significant improvement in both tinnitus treatments starting from the first three months and up to one year of therapy, with a progressive and statistically significant decrease in the disability every three months.
Conclusions:
TRT was equally effective with sound generator or open ear hearing aids: they gave basically identical, statistically indistinguishable results.
