Long-term clinical trial of tinnitus retraining therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the efficacy of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) for tinnitus relief compared to a waiting list group and a partially treated group (patients that refused prosthesis adaptation).


METHODS
Prospective non-randomised clinical assay (n = 158). Visual analogue scale (VAS) for intensity and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) were evaluated at 12-month period.


RESULTS
Eighty two percent of the patients that followed TRT improved their tinnitus according to their self-evaluation. THI score was reduced from 48% to 32% and VAS decreased from 6.6 to 5.3 after one year (p < 0.05). TRT patients showed a higher improvement on their tinnitus, THI and VAS scores when compared with the waiting list patients and with patients that refused prosthesis adaptation when recommended (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
TRT improved tinnitus in 82% of the subjects and statistically reduced THI and VAS scores after 12 months. TRT has shown to be more effective than a waiting list group and partially treated patients.


METHODS
B-2.
Herraiz
Carlos
C
Unidad de Acúfenos, Instituto ORL Antolí-Candela, Madrid, Spain. cherraizp@seorl.net
Hernandez
F Javier
FJ
Plaza
Guillermo
G
de los Santos
Gonzalo
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001299:Audiometry / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016312:Treatment Refusal