Tinnitus Retraining Therapy in Unilateral Tinnitus Patients with Single Side Deafness

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the audiologic and clinical characteristics of the tinnitus in single-sided deafness (SSD) patients and to determine whether tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is beneficial to those patients who suffer from tinnitus with SSD.

Thirty-six tinnitus patients with unilateral sensorineural profound hearing loss were included in the SSD group, and 46 tinnitus patients with normal hearing were included in the normal hearing group (NH group). Tinnitus evaluation consisted of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and visual analog scales (VAS) were obtained at the initial interview and 6 months after TRT. The therapeutic response was analyzed and compared between the two groups.

The subjective intensity of tinnitus and objective loudness were greater in the SSD group. According to the THI scores prior to TRT, the SSD group showed significantly higher values, except in the emotional subscale. The THI score was significantly improved after TRT in both groups. The total THI score and all the subscale scores were significantly reduced. The VAS average scores were reduced from 6.5 to 5.1 in the SSD group, without statistical significance, whereas in the NH group, the VAS average scores significantly decreased from 5.8 to 4.5 after TRT.

TRT was effective in SSD patients with subjective tinnitus.