Tinnitus Suppression Effect of Hearing Aids in Patients With High-frequency Hearing Loss: A Randomized Double-blind Controlled Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Hearing aids (HAs) with frequency lowering have been used for high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL), but their effects on tinnitus relief have not been studied extensively. This randomized double-blind trial was performed to investigate and compare tinnitus suppression effects of conventional type HAs and frequency-lowering HAs in patients with HFHL. Methods: A total of 114 patients were randomized into three groups: conventional HA using wide dynamic range compression, HA with frequency translation, and HA with linear frequency transposition. Participants wore HAs for 3 months and then discontinued their use. The final evaluation was performed at 3 months after cessation of wearing HA (6 mo after the initial visit). The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score and additional variables, such as matched tinnitus loudness and visual analog scale scores of subjectively perceived tinnitus loudness, daily awareness, and annoyance, were measured at the initial visit and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Results: THI score and most of the additional outcomes were significantly improved at 3 and 6 months (3 mo after HA removal) compared with their initial values in all three groups. The incidence rates of patients with improvements in the THI score by 20% or more were 71.0, 72.7, and 74.3% at 3 months, and 54.8, 51.6, and 59.4% at 6 months for the three groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in primary or additional variables between hearing aid types at either 3 or 6 months. Conclusion: This is a consolidated standards of reporting trials-guided study providing direct evidence for tinnitus suppression effects of HA alone, without accompanying counseling or any other treatments, which lasted for at least 3 months after patients stopped using HAs. HAs effectively suppressed tinnitus in patients with HFHL regardless of the amplification strategy type.

Hearing More to Hear Less: A Scoping Review of Hearing Aids for Tinnitus Relief

“…In summary, out of the 16 studies described above, nine studies showed significant improvements in tinnitus perception (Araujo and Iório 2016; Cabral et al 2016; Haab et al 2019; Hodgson et al 2015; Shekhawat et al 2014; Yakunina et al 2019; Yokota et al 2020; Zarenoe et al 2017; Zarenoe et al 2016), while four studies did not report significant tinnitus relief (Marcrum et al 2020; McNeill et al 2012; Peltier et al 2012; Strauss et al 2015). The other three studies did not test whether hearing aids’ use leads to tinnitus relief (Andersson et al 2011; Shekhawat, Searchfield, Kobayashi, et al 2013; Shetty and Pottackal 2019).…”

“…It is important to note that every patient also received one counselling session. More recently, Frequency Translation (FT), LFT and WDRC were compared in a randomized double-blind controlled trial by Yakunina et al (2019). A total of 94 tinnitus patients were randomized into the three groups and wore the hearing aid for three months, followed by a period of cessation for 3 months.…”

Auditory Neural Plasticity in Tinnitus Mechanisms and Management

“…According to the presumed neurological mechanisms of tinnitus, it can be hypothesized that hearing aids decrease afferent inhibition through sound enrichment in the central auditory system and thus achieve the goal of modulating neuroplastic changes. A study compared the effect on tinnitus between conventional hearing aids and frequency-lowering hearing aids in high-frequency hearing loss patients, and both groups found improvement in the quality of life [69]. Another study reported that spectrally notched hearing aids were more effective than unmodified hearing aids in treating tinnitus in hearing loss patients [70].…”

Cortical Thickness Alterations in Patients With Tinnitus Before and After Sound Therapy: A Surface-Based Morphometry Study

“…Having a basic understanding of brain function and anatomical changes is necessary to effectively treat tinnitus. Many treatment modalities have been applied to tinnitus patients, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) (Poeppl et al, 2018), drug therapy (Zenner et al, 2017), tinnitus counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (Langguth et al, 2013), hearing aids (Yakunina et al, 2019), cochlear implants (Olze, 2015), and tinnitus retraining therapy (Lee et al, 2019). A previous study applied music therapy and observed changes in the GM volume of tinnitus patients; after the Heidelberg model of music therapy intervention, GM volume in the medial superior frontal areas, auditory cortex, and precuneus increased in acute tinnitus patients, accompanied by significantly decreased tinnitus-related distress (Krick et al, 2015).…”