Notched Acoustic Stimulus and Tinnitus: A Treatment Intervention Using a Randomization Test Approach

Abstract

Musical training has considerable effects on human brain plasticity and music listening has been investigated as a means of treating tinnitus. In a laboratory setting, tailor-made notched music has been shown to reduce the annoyance and loudness of tinnitus. This study utilized at-home notched music sound therapy in conjunction with counseling. The current study explores counseling benefit prior to initiation of un-filtered music and then a randomly determined treatment start date for the notched music treatment. The study includes a more extensive self-report test battery and daily pitch matching, loudness scaling, and annoyance scaling to examine for changes in everyday life. In addition, this study differs in that participants were not required to undertake the treatment within a research facility but were able to complete the treatment in their daily lives.