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Tinnitus Activities Treatment with Total and Partial Masking
Richard S Tyler1,2, Christina Stocking3, Haihong Ji1
1Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
|December 29, 2021
Summary
Tinnitus treatments involving counseling and sound masking showed varied effectiveness. While many participants benefited, individual results differed significantly, potentially due to patient expectations.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Otolaryngology
- Psychology
Background:
- Tinnitus management involves counseling and sound therapy.
- Counseling can be directive or collaborative.
- Sound therapies aim to mask tinnitus using background sounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate Tinnitus Activities Treatment (TAT) effectiveness.
- Comparison between groups with and without hearing aids (HA).
- Assessment of counseling, partial masking, and total masking interventions.
Main Methods:
- Two groups: with and without hearing aids (HA).
- Random assignment to counseling only, counseling with partial masking, or counseling with total masking.
- Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (THQ) used for outcome measurement.
Main Results:
- For participants without HA, average THQ decrease was 15% (counseling), 25% (total masking), and 14% (partial masking).
- For participants with HA, average THQ decrease was 12% (counseling), 13% (total masking), and 16% (partial masking).
- No significant differences in effectiveness were observed among the treatment groups.
Conclusions:
- Tinnitus treatment outcomes vary greatly among individuals.
- Many patients experience benefits, but some do not.
- Patient expectations may influence treatment success.
