Effectiveness of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy Based on Mobile Devices for Tinnitus Patients

Abstract

Background and Objectives Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a well-known effective method for tinnitus management by retraining the brain to achieve habituation of tinnitus. The mobile device based TRT can let both clinicians and patients be free from time and space limitations and secure cost-effectiveness. The study aimed to investigate whether the mobile-based TRT is inferior or not to the conventional TRT in treatment outcomes for chronic subjective tinnitus.Subjects and Method A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted in a single tertiary hospital. Adult patients with chronic subjective tinnitus were enrolled. Pure tone audiometry, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [(STAI), axis1 and axis2], Beck Depression Inventory, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and a survey for TRT were evaluated. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of tinnitus, and Tnnitogram were compared at the start, then at one month and three months of the treatment. The mobile group was subdivided into the treatment effective group and the refractory group. Demographics, baseline tinnitus severity, and therapy compliance were comparatively analyzed.Results A total of 19 patients for the mobile-based TRT and 21 patients for the conventional TRT were enrolled. THI scores and Tinnitus scores using VAS were significantly reduced in the mobile group after the treatment. Furthermore, THI and STAI were significantly more improved in the conventional group than in the mobile-based TRT at one and three months of the treatment. Also, the effective group of the mobile device based TRT was statistically younger than the refractory group and had a higher understanding of the treatment method.Conclusion The mobile-based TRT could improve THI and VAS scores of tinnitus at one and three months of treatment. However, the conventional TRT showed better outcome than the Mobile-based TRT with respect to THI scores. The mobile-based TRT can be one of different potential options that clinicians can apply to tinnitus patients who cannot follow the conventional TRT or limited candidate. Further improvement of the mobile device based TRT would be needed.