Musical auditory training and cognitive auditory training: effects on the perception of tinnitus disorder

To examine the effects of Cognitive Auditory Training (CAT) and Musical Auditory Training (MAT) on the self-perception of adults with tinnitus.

Preliminary comparative clinical, interventional and longitudinal study, approved by the Ethics Committee of Research at Federal University of Santa Maria under protocol number 5.746.241. The study included 29 adults of both sexes with tinnitus and normal results in a basic audiological evaluation. Participants were divided into three groups: 13 individuals in the CAT group, eight in the MAT group, and eight in the placebo intervention group. Scores for Disturbance and Loudness on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS D and VAS L) and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) were analyzed before and after the interventions. The Wilcoxon test was used for pre- and post-intervention comparisons, with a significance level of 5%.

In the CAT group, statistically significant differences were observed for VAS D, VAS L, and THI. In the MAT group, significant differences were found for VAS D and THI. In the placebo group, statistically significant differences were observed for VAS D and THI.

Improvements in symptom perception were observed across all three groups. However, CAT demonstrated greater effectiveness, showing improvements in all assessed aspects.