Efficacy of Customized Filtered Sound for Tinnitus Relief: A Randomized Controlled Trial (General Research Fund 2013 - 2015)

This study is a randomized controlled trial of sound therapy efficacy on tinnitus. To achieve sufficient statistical power to detect the treatment difference, 135 subjects with subjective tinnitus will be recruited and randomly assigned into one of the three groups: 1) customized tinnitus frequency notched sound therapy; 2) customized sound therapy and 3) active no-treatment control group. Immediate and sustained outcomes will be compared using the 1) Chinese Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, 2) Chinese Tinnitus Questionnaire, 3) self-rated visual analogue scale on tinnitus loudness, and 4) tinnitus loudness matches measured psychoacoustically. Intention-to-treat analysis will be employed. By using the rigorous study-design of randomized controlled trials, results from this study will not only provide strong evidence in support of clinical-decision- making in tinnitus management, but also provide a greater understanding of tinnitus mechanisms.

Funding Source: RGC - General Research Fund (GRF)