Preliminary analysis of the effects of individualized sound therapy on chronic subjective tinnitus

: Objective:To explore the effect of individualized multi-compound sound therapy on chronic subjective tinnitus and the relationship between tinnitus frequency," notch " hearing loss and the treatment effect of sound therapy.Method: Seventy-eight cases of chronic subjective tinnitus with the pure tone test threshold (PTA)in normal range (≤25 dB HL)were enrolled in this study. Their hearing threshold were re-evaluated using the precise pure-tone audiogram (P-PTA).Tinnitus was evaluated on pitch and loudness matching, and the effectiveness of tinnitus was measured using Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) before they received the individualized customized multi-compound sound therapy for 3 months. THI were re-evaluated on the 30th day and 90th day after treatment.Result: ①The averaged THI score of these patients before the sound treatment was 24.62±15.65 (n=78). The score dropped significantly to 15.82±13.02 and 13.62 ±10.98 on the 30th day and 90th day after treatment, respectively (P 0.05).These data suggested that "notch " hearing loss in P-PTA has no effect on the sound therapy.④Of 31 tinnitus patients with "notch " hearing loss, the tinnitus frequency of 22 cases was at the "notch " hearing loss and that of 9 cases was not at the "notch " hearing loss. Sound treatment showed significant between the former and the latter(P<0.05). After 30 days of treatment, tinnitus frequency of four patients whose tinnitus was not at the notch hearing loss drifted to the "notch " hearing loss frequency. Conclusion: Customized multi-compound sound therapy can reduce the THI score of chronic subjective tinnitus patients.The treatment reduced patient's anxiety and improved their quality of life.Sound treatment showed a better improvement in the patients whose tinnitus frequency was located at their notch hearing loss.