Effectiveness of frequency-matched masking and residual inhibition in tinnitus therapy: A preliminary study

Abstract

Various methods have been used to treat tinnitus, which is a perceived sound in one or both ears, or in the head. The present study investigates residual inhibition, which is the reduction or elimination of tinnitus perception, by employing a commercially available software package designed to precisely match various sounds to a person's tinnitus. The purpose of the present study was to identify what type of sound, if any, will reduce or eliminate the tinnitus. In addition, an attempt was made to investigate the effect of stimulus duration on residual inhibition duration. Ten patients who had had tinnitus for longer than a year were recruited for the study. Six (60%) of these patients reported a mild handicap from their tinnitus on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. All ten patients matched their tinnitus to a frequency-matched stimulus. Descriptive analyses indicated that frequency-matched stimuli elicited longer residual inhibition duration than did non-frequency-matched stimuli. Additionally, more patients responded with residual inhibition to frequency-matched stimuli than to non-frequency-matched. Finally, partial inhibition was elicited more often than complete inhibition, regardless of stimulus type. Results suggested that the closer a stimulus can be matched to the patient's own tinnitus the more likely it is that a patient can get relief from listening to it.