Abstract
Introduction Music-based sound therapies become recently a trend in the treatment of tinnitus.
Few publications have studied the therapeutic use of fractal tones to treat chronic
tinnitus.
Objective The aim of this study was to determine the benefits of using fractal tones as a unique
sound therapy for chronic tinnitus sufferers.
Methods Twelve participants were recruited; however, six could not be assigned. At baseline
and at 1, 3 and 6 months, the participants were provided with the Tinnitus Handicap
Inventory (THI) and Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA) questionnaires, and
their visual analog scale score was recorded. Tinnitus pitch and loudness matching
was performed before fitting and after 6 months of use.
Results The visual analog scale (VAS) score, pitch and loudness matching and minimal masking
levels did not result in significant improvement at the end of the treatment. The
mean THI measured at baseline was 45, and the final one was 25. A paired sample t-test showed that this 20-point difference was statistically significant.
Conclusions We measured the benefits of using fractal tone therapy for the treatment of chronic
tinnitus and found that most of the benefits were in the THI functional domain, which
includes concentration, reading, attention, consciousness, sleep, social activities,
and household tasks. For all patients with bothersome chronic tinnitus and high scores
on the THI functional scale, fractal tones should be considered a promising initial
sound therapy strategy. The findings from this open-label pilot study are preliminary,
and further trials are needed before these results can be generalized to a larger
tinnitus population.
Keywords
tinnitus - fractal - music therapy - THI
