Efficacy of Masking Therapy in Early Onset Noise-Induced Tinnitus

People with recent noise-induced tinnitus who use masking therapy for six months will achieve a significant reduction in noise and/or tinnitus bother. This is according to recent study, published this year.

For more information, see

http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/25966560

That said, it doesn't appear that a second group, who did not receive masking therapy, was used. Of course, other studies have also suggested that early stimulation of the auditory cortex after noise damage may prevent tinnitus from developing. And using masking for recent onset tinnitus cannot hurt so I'd suggest that all newbies try it.

What is really needed is a large study where half of the people mask and the other half do nothing.

 

This is really great! I've been using sound therapy since mine started, so hopefully it did something.

 

I too have used lots of sound therapy for the first 8 or nine months. Mostly chirping of birds or water sprinkler sound. Lots of good ones are available on youtube.

 

If there was no control group the results are pretty much useless :/

 

@jazz
When you say masking therapy are you just talking about masking tinnitus with sounds while sleeping or during the day or is there something more to it? The word therapy makes me think that it's professional in some way.

 

Yeah, what kind of masking are we talking about here? Nothing is mentioned in the Method portion of the study. Notch therapy? ACRN? Frequency discrimination? Just plain old masking with crickets and water?

 

No control, inconclusive, ridiculous, bad science....

Can anybody investigate the source, maybe there is an error?