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An Open Comparative Study on the Effectiveness of Customized and Non-Customized Sound Therapy for Tinnitus Patients
Hongbo Xie1,2, Yuehong Liu1,2, Siyi Yang1,2
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Customized sound therapy offers superior short-term and long-term relief for subjective tinnitus compared to non-customized options. This personalized approach effectively reduces tinnitus severity, anxiety, and depression, suggesting it as a promising treatment.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Otolaryngology
- Psychology
Background:
- Tinnitus is a prevalent condition often managed with sound therapy.
- Subjective tinnitus impacts quality of life, correlating with anxiety and depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of customized versus non-customized sound therapy for subjective tinnitus.
- To assess treatment progress using Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Loudness Visual Analogue Scale.
Main Methods:
- 732 tinnitus patients were divided into customized (n=653) and non-customized (n=79) groups.
- Customized therapy tailored to individual tinnitus; non-customized used natural sounds.
- Daily treatment duration was 2 hours; non-randomized assignment introduced potential bias.
Main Results:
- Both therapies reduced tinnitus severity, anxiety, and depression scores.
- Customized therapy showed greater efficacy than non-customized therapy at 1 month (p=0.011).
- Customized therapy demonstrated sustained improvements in THI and HADS scores up to 12 months.
Conclusions:
- Both sound therapies provide short-term relief for tinnitus and associated anxiety.
- Customized sound therapy is more effective than non-customized therapy for both short-term and long-term tinnitus management.
- Further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings due to potential patient preference bias.
