[The clinical efficacy of composite acoustic therapy in patients of sudden deafness with tinnitus].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the composite acoustic therapy is effective to treat tinnitus in patients with sudden deafness and to explore the mechanisms. METHOD: Ninety-six cases (96 ears) were divided into experimental group and control group, and all the patients underwent drug treatment. The patients in experimental group were given personalized composite acoustic therapy in the first 30 days, music therapy in next 31-90 days, however, the patients in control group were not given sound therapy. Additionally, pure tone audiogram, tinnitus pitch and loudness as well as questionnaires (including THI, VAS, and SAS) were conducted for each patient before treatment, at day 30 and day 90 posttreatment. RESULT: Eighty-nine patients (n = 47 for experimental group and n = 42 for control group) completed the trial. The results of day 30 posttreatment showed there were no significant differences in VAS and hearing recovery rate between these two groups, but THI and SAS showed significant differences. The results of day 90 posttreatment showed significant differences in VAS (P < 0.05), THI (P < 0.01) and SAS (P < 0.01), and no significant difference of hearing recovery rate was detected. The most significant changes of VAS appeared in the first 30 days of treatment. The hearing and tinnitus recovery in experimental group were better for the first 30 days of treatment than for the next 31-90 days, and similar results were obtaind in control group. (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Composite acoustic treatment combined with drug therapy can improve the tinnitus and anxiety symptoms of patients with sudden deafness, and the effect on hearing recovery still need to be confirmed in further studies.