A study on impact of tinnitus masking on psychophysical and tinnitus tuning curve in participants with hearing impairment suffering from severe tinnitus

Authors

  • Meghna Hens Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Bankura Sammilani Medical college and Hospital (DEIC, RBSK), Bankura, West Bengal, India
  • Indranil Chatterjee Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, AYJNIHSD Campus, BT Road, Bonhooghly, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
  • Pragati Shatapathy Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Hear2Speak Hearing and Speech Clinic, Whitefield, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
  • Suman Kumar Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, AYJNIHSD Campus, BT Road, Bonhooghly, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20242706

Keywords:

PTC, TTC, MML, Tinnitus masking therapy

Abstract

Background: Tinnitus can be treated by using different pedagogies of management approaches in which tinnitus masking has been acclaimed most evidence-based approach. Psychophysical tuning curve and tinnitus tuning curve explored as least interested procedures in tinnitus research. This noteworthy but nonspecific psychophysical domain may throw a light on need of the present research. Aim of the study was to find out the effect of tinnitus masking on Psychophysical tuning curve and tinnitus tuning curve.

Method: A total of 30 native Bengali speaking participants were included in this study, having mean age of 45.9 years and SD was 6.46. All the participants had unilateral subjective tinnitus with Mild to Moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss. Quasi-experimental research design was used. Dual channel audiometer (MAICO MA 53) with supra-aural TDH 39 headphone was used for psychoacoustic measurements of tinnitus (including pitch matching, loudness matching, minimum masking level etc.) and to provide tinnitus masking therapy. MATLAB version 9.5 was used to develop noise to assess PTC and TTC using Sennheiser HD 201 headphone routed through MAICO MA 53 audiometer via stereo jack and cable. Tinnitus masking therapy was carried out for 30 sessions by using regimen of MML +20 dB of masking level for 30 minutes duration for each session with matched pitch. PTC and TTC were measured before and 30 sessions-after tinnitus masking therapy. PTC was measured using 1000 Hz pure tone at 10 dBSLl as reference followed by four narrow band noise with centre frequency of 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz pertaining to 312 Hz band width as developed by MATLAB software. TTC was measured using the same noise with reference to matched tinnitus pitch. All the above-mentioned conditions forced choice procedure was carried out in dBHL frame work.

Results: Wilcoxon sign rank test was used at 95% confidence level to check the influence of tinnitus masking therapy on PTC and TTC measures. Significant changes were portrayed at 1000 Hz and 4000 Hz respectively in PTC measure and at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz respectively in TTC measures.

Conclusion: This study preliminarily provides information regarding influence on tinnitus pitch domains which has been psychoacoustically systematically measured as PTC and TTC. These two psychoacoustic signatures may be treated as prognostic biomarker of tinnitus management in future using replicable research using different methodology or using statistical basis of data mining. At that point conclusive remarks may not throw a clear indication based on the results found in this study.

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Published

2024-09-25

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Section

Original Research Articles