Digital treatment for tinnitus combining tinnitus retraining therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy: a Norwegian...

Ten to fifteen percent of the population experience tinnitus. It is necessary to develop effective treatments for patients suffering from tinnitus. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of an internet-based treatment consisting of tinnitus retraining therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with primarily tinnitus. The secondary aims were to investigate changes in hyperacusis (hypersensitivity to sounds), misophonia (strong emotional reaction to a sound), depression, and anxiety.

A total of 144 patients diagnosed with tinnitus were included and assessed before treatment, and after 90 and 180 days. The results were differentiated for patients with mild, moderate, and severe+ tinnitus according to their scores on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI).

A significant change in scores on the THI (d = 0.41) was found from pre-treatment to the 180-day assessment for the total sample. A large effect size (d = 0.95) was found for the group with severe+ tinnitus and a small effect size for the group with mild tinnitus (d = 0.22). Further, there were small improvements in anxiety, depression, and hyperacusis, but no change in misophonia.

In conclusion, this study indicate that the treatment can be helpful for people with tinnitus.