The Association Between Effectiveness of Tinnitus Intervention and Cognitive Function-A Systematic Review
Frontiers in Psychology
Lan, T., Cao, Z., et al. (2020).
Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 553449.
This systematic review investigates the effects of tinnitus treatments (excluding medication and surgical operations) on tinnitus and cognitive function in adults with subjective tinnitus. The following summary highlights conclusions related to treatments within the scope of audiology.
Not stated
Through March 2020
Peer-reviewed, randomized controlled trials (RCT)
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For adults with subjective tinnitus, several studies investigating behavioral tinnitus interventions reported a variety of results.<ul> <li>Two studies investigating the effects of a brain fitness program used in combination with medication found improvements on cognitive tests; however, no significant difference was found in tinnitus symptoms. </li> <li>One study investigating background sounds on tinnitus and cognition found that controlled masking sounds initially improved tinnitus perception, but tinnitus interference eventually increased. </li> <li>One study investigating the effect of Heidelberg Neuro-Music therapy on tinnitus and visual attention found that individuals with chronic tinnitus demonstrated improved cognitive performance as compared to individuals with recent-onset tinnitus. </li> <li>One study investigating the effects of frequency discrimination training on tinnitus and sustained attention found no benefit to tinnitus severity and no significant changes in attention. </li></ul>The authors of this review conclude that "the significant heterogeneity of interventions and outcome measures in the included studies makes it challenging to compare the studies’ outcomes. Therefore, the association between tinnitus interventions and cognitive functions in a patient with tinnitus should be interpreted with caution" (p. 12). Additional high-quality research using a more homogeneous set of interventions and outcome measurements is warranted.
