A randomized, controlled trial of notched music therapy for tinnitus patients

OBJECTIVE: To compare the tinnitus treatment outcomes of tailor-made notched music therapy and ordinary music. METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial was conducted on 104 Thai patients with chronic subjective tinnitus. Tinnitus matching was done on all subjects before they were randomly allocated to one of 2 groups: a treatment group (listening to tailor-made notched music) and a control group (listening to ordinary music). Each participant received their allocated intervention and was assessed at 1, 3, and 6 months. RESULTS: The demographic data of the 2 groups showed no statistically significant differences. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and the total Visual Analong Scale also demonstrated no significant differences. However, the treatment group showed a greater reduction in their scores than the control group during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Tailor-made notched music therapy is an optional treatment for patients with bothersome subjective tinnitus. However, more research is needed to draw firm conclusions about its benefits and cost-effectiveness.