Impact of reduction of tinnitus intensity on patients’ quality of life

Abstract

Objective: Assess the impact of a reduction of tinnitus intensity achieved through sound stimulation during sleep on the improvement in the patients’ quality of life. Design: Acoustic stimuli consisted of a highly customized sound that reproduced the spectral and intensity characteristics of the tinnitus in each patient. This stimulus was uploaded into a portable electronic device and delivered through customized ear buds during sleep, every night for three months. Study sample: Twelve patients with subjective idiopathic chronic tinnitus were studied. Results: Results were assessed through: (1) the measurement in dB SPL of tinnitus intensity reduction over time; (2) the results of three psychometric tests: Tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), Tinnitus reaction questionnaire (TRQ), Tinnitus functional index (TFI); and (3) a Visual analog scale (VAS) for tinnitus annoyance. After three months of treatment, we observed an average decrease in tinnitus intensity of 14.1 dB SPL (p < 0.001), implying a 62% reduction of the perceived sound. This improvement was followed by a statistically significant decrease of TRQ (78%), THI (65%), and TFI (77%). Conclusions: These results suggested that the intensity reduction achieved through the protocol used in this study had a direct impact on the improvement in the patients’ quality of life.

Key Words:

• Sound stimulation
• sleep
• tinnitus handicap inventory
• tinnitus reaction questionnaire
• tinnitus functional index

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Prof. Peter Narins (UCLA) and Prof. José Luis Peña (Albert Einstein College of Medicine) for comments on the manuscript. This work received partial financial support from the Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, USA.

Declaration of interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest.