Searchfield Grant D, Kobayashi Kei, Hodgson Shirley-Anne, Hodgson Catherine, Tevoitdale Hannah, Irving Sam
a Audiology Section , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
Assist Technol. 2016 Summer;28(2):115-25. doi: 10.1080/10400435.2015.1110214.
Masking is widely used in the management of tinnitus, however, masking at the perceived spatial location of tinnitus has not been investigated. This article examines the development of a method for the spatial masking of tinnitus. This report consists of three studies: Study I is a proof of concept study comparing customized spatial masking to conventional bilateral masking; Study II is a prototype evaluation in which the spatial masking paradigm was compared to a bilaterally equal masker using iPods connected to hearing aids in a 4-week cross-over trial; and Study III is a 4-month crossover pilot study-using prototype hearing aid-based maskers, and in which three-dimensional (3D) masking (2 months) was compared to a Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (2 months). There was a preference for the 3D masking stimulus across all three studies. Individual changes in the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) after 2 weeks of trial (Study II) and Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) after 2 months of trial (Study III) were observed without large group differences. The spatial masking concept was piloted successfully. The qualitative and quantitative results obtained indicate directions for future clinical trials and therapy development. This study indicates that spatial masking of tinnitus is feasible, of benefit to many participants, and warrants further trials.
掩蔽疗法在耳鸣治疗中被广泛应用，然而，针对耳鸣感知空间位置进行的掩蔽治疗尚未得到研究。本文探讨了一种耳鸣空间掩蔽方法的开发。本报告包含三项研究：研究一是一项概念验证研究，将定制的空间掩蔽与传统双侧掩蔽进行比较；研究二是一项原型评估，在为期4周的交叉试验中，使用连接到助听器的iPod，将空间掩蔽范式与双侧等强度掩蔽器进行比较；研究三是一项为期4个月的交叉试点研究，使用基于原型助听器的掩蔽器，将三维（3D）掩蔽（2个月）与耳鸣再训练疗法（2个月）进行比较。在所有三项研究中，参与者均更倾向于3D掩蔽刺激。在试验2周后（研究二）观察到耳鸣致残量表（THI）的个体变化，在试验2个月后（研究三）观察到耳鸣功能指数（TFI）的个体变化，但组间差异不大。耳鸣空间掩蔽概念的试点取得成功。所获得的定性和定量结果为未来的临床试验和治疗发展指明了方向。本研究表明，耳鸣的空间掩蔽是可行的，对许多参与者有益，值得进一步试验。
