Efficacy differences and predictors of personalized mixed acoustic therapy in chronic tinnitus patients with and without hearing loss - Summary - MDSpire
To evaluate the efficacy of personalized mixed acoustic therapy in chronic tinnitus patients with and without hearing loss, and to identify baseline predictors of treatment response.
Approach:
Study Design: A prospective observational cohort study involving 111 patients with chronic tinnitus, classified into hearing loss (HL) and non-hearing loss (NHL) groups.
Assessment Tools: Participants underwent bilateral subjective tinnitus acoustic assessment and completed HAMA, HAMD, PSQI, and THI scales at baseline and after a 3-month intervention.
Key Findings:
Both HL and NHL groups showed comparable improvements in tinnitus frequency, loudness, and PSQI scores after 3 months (significant main effect of time, no group × time interaction).
NHL group exhibited significantly greater reductions in HAMA and THI scores compared to HL group (significant group × time interaction; both p < 0.05).
NHL status, female sex, and lower baseline PSQI and HAMA scores were identified as independent predictors of favorable treatment outcomes (THI reduction ≥7).
Interpretation:
Personalized mixed acoustic therapy improves tinnitus perception and sleep quality in both HL and NHL patients, with greater psychological benefits for NHL patients.
Limitations:
The study's findings may not be generalizable beyond the specific demographic of middle-aged and older adults.
Potential biases related to self-reported measures and the exclusion of patients on psychotropic medication.
Conclusion:
The study supports a stratified approach to tinnitus management based on audiometric and psychometric phenotypes.
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