PURPOSE: Recent evidence has suggested that amplitude modulated tones might have some advantages over broadband noise. METHOD: Fifty-six subjects listened to S-Tones at a carrier frequency matched at the tinnitus pitch (amplitude modulation rate of 40 Hz) and to broadband noise. Subjects rated their tinnitus loudness before, during, and after a 120-s duration masker. RESULTS: The results suggested that S-Tones were generally more effective at reducing tinnitus loudness than noise. In about one third (21/56) of the subjects, there was no significant effect from any masker. In other subjects, 54.3% (19/35) showed a greater reduction for the S-Tones, 20% (7/35) showed a greater reduction with the noise, and 25.7% (9/35) showed similar performance between the 2 stimuli. The S-Tones showed a statistically significant benefit ( p < .01) versus noise at reducing the patient's tinnitus perception. Using low-level stimuli that were rated much softer than the subjects' baseline tinnitus, the S-Tones reduced the tinnitus loudness by 1.9 times the amount that noise did (about 28% on average, whereas the noise reduced the tinnitus by about 15%). CONCLUSION: S-Tones at the tinnitus pitch-match frequency are more likely to be effective than broadband noise at reducing tinnitus loudness.
PURPOSE: Recent evidence has suggested that amplitude modulated tones might have some advantages over broadband noise. METHOD: Fifty-six subjects listened to S-Tones at a carrier frequency matched at the tinnitus pitch (amplitude modulation rate of 40 Hz) and to broadband noise. Subjects rated their tinnitus loudness before, during, and after a 120-s duration masker. RESULTS: The results suggested that S-Tones were generally more effective at reducing tinnitus loudness than noise. In about one third (21/56) of the subjects, there was no significant effect from any masker. In other subjects, 54.3% (19/35) showed a greater reduction for the S-Tones, 20% (7/35) showed a greater reduction with the noise, and 25.7% (9/35) showed similar performance between the 2 stimuli. The S-Tones showed a statistically significant benefit ( p < .01) versus noise at reducing the patient's tinnitus perception. Using low-level stimuli that were rated much softer than the subjects' baseline tinnitus, the S-Tones reduced the tinnitus loudness by 1.9 times the amount that noise did (about 28% on average, whereas the noise reduced the tinnitus by about 15%). CONCLUSION: S-Tones at the tinnitus pitch-match frequency are more likely to be effective than broadband noise at reducing tinnitus loudness.
Authors: Richard S Tyler; A J Keiner; Kurt Walker; Aniruddha K Deshpande; Shelley Witt; Matthijs Killian; Helena Ji; Jim Patrick; Norbert Dillier; Pim van Dijk; Wai Kong Lai; Marlan R Hansen; Bruce Gantz Journal: Am J Audiol Date: 2015-09 Impact factor: 1.493
Authors: Patrick Neff; Jakob Michels; Martin Meyer; Martin Schecklmann; Berthold Langguth; Winfried Schlee Journal: Front Aging Neurosci Date: 2017-05-19 Impact factor: 5.750