Tinnitus disorder and musical auditory training: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial

To evaluate the effect of Musical Auditory Training (MAT) on auditory system neuroplasticity and on tinnitus perception in adults.

A randomized double-blind clinical trial, approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Twenty adults with tinnitus complaints for at least six months, intensity greater than four points on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), normal bilateral hearing thresholds, and preserved neural synchrony at the brainstem level were included. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: Control Group (CG, n=10), submitted to passive stimulation with audiovisual material without tasks, and Study Group (SG, n=10), submitted to MAT. Both groups underwent eight sessions, twice a week, over a four-week period. Assessments included verbal Long-Latency Auditory Evoked Potentials (LLAEP), to investigate neuroplasticity, as well as the VAS (volume and discomfort) and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), to measure symptom perception.

Both groups showed improvement in tinnitus perception after the intervention. However, a differentiated analysis revealed that the CG presented restricted changes, with improvement only in the duration of the P3 component of the LLAEP. In contrast, the SG showed broader changes, including significant alterations in both amplitude and duration of P3, suggesting greater neural recruitment associated with auditory processing. In addition, only the SG demonstrated consistent reductions in tinnitus volume and discomfort, as well as in the impact on quality of life, as reflected in THI scores.

After four weeks, MAT proved to be superior to passive stimulation, promoting positive changes in auditory neuroplasticity, a greater reduction in tinnitus intensity and annoyance, and a significant improvement in participants' quality of life.