Three years later: report on the state of well-being of patients with chronic tinnitus who underwent modified tinnitus retraining therapy

Abstract

Successful management of patients with chronic tinnitus is an important health issue. One of the tinnitus management strategies used at our Tinnitus Center is a combination of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) with physiotherapy and psychological management [called modified TRT (MTRT)]. We have used this type of management for over a decade and have described the protocol in detail elsewhere. In the present study, we wanted to determine the effect of MTRT on the well-being of tinnitus patients 3 years after treatment onset. One hundred and thirty patients with chronic tinnitus were assessed using psychometric instruments immediately before 7-day MTRT, immediately after the therapy and 3 years later. Patients with very severe tinnitus-related distress associated with major depression and a risk of suicide were excluded from this study. MTRT resulted in a sustained reduction of tinnitus-related distress. Moreover, the quality of life of patients had increased, as assessed by a separate questionnaire. The effect of MTRT was influenced by the degree of tinnitus-related distress and by the patients' age, the latter being gender dependent. Hearing loss and tinnitus duration had only a minor influence on the therapeutic effect. Taken together, we report a positive change in the state of well-being of patients with chronic tinnitus measurable with various psychometric instruments 3 years after the onset of MTRT.