Institute of Medical Science, Kangwon National University, School of Medicine.
Department of Otolaryngology, Kangwon National University Hospital.
Otol Neurotol. 2019 Aug;40(7):865-871. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000002315.
Hearing aids (HAs) with frequency lowering have been used for high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL), but their effects on tinnitus relief have not been studied extensively. This randomized double-blind trial was performed to investigate and compare tinnitus suppression effects of conventional type HAs and frequency-lowering HAs in patients with HFHL.
A total of 114 patients were randomized into three groups: conventional HA using wide dynamic range compression, HA with frequency translation, and HA with linear frequency transposition. Participants wore HAs for 3 months and then discontinued their use. The final evaluation was performed at 3 months after cessation of wearing HA (6 mo after the initial visit). The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score and additional variables, such as matched tinnitus loudness and visual analog scale scores of subjectively perceived tinnitus loudness, daily awareness, and annoyance, were measured at the initial visit and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups.
THI score and most of the additional outcomes were significantly improved at 3 and 6 months (3 mo after HA removal) compared with their initial values in all three groups. The incidence rates of patients with improvements in the THI score by 20% or more were 71.0, 72.7, and 74.3% at 3 months, and 54.8, 51.6, and 59.4% at 6 months for the three groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in primary or additional variables between hearing aid types at either 3 or 6 months.
This is a consolidated standards of reporting trials-guided study providing direct evidence for tinnitus suppression effects of HA alone, without accompanying counseling or any other treatments, which lasted for at least 3 months after patients stopped using HAs. HAs effectively suppressed tinnitus in patients with HFHL regardless of the amplification strategy type.
具有频率降低功能的助听器已被用于高频听力损失（HFHL），但其对耳鸣缓解的效果尚未得到广泛研究。本随机双盲试验旨在研究和比较 HFHL 患者使用传统类型助听器和频率降低助听器的耳鸣抑制效果。
共有 114 名患者被随机分为三组：使用宽动态范围压缩的传统助听器、具有频率转换的助听器和具有线性频率转换的助听器。参与者佩戴助听器 3 个月，然后停止使用。最终评估在停止佩戴助听器 3 个月后进行（初始就诊后 6 个月）。在初始就诊时以及 3 个月和 6 个月的随访中，使用耳鸣残疾量表（THI）评分和其他变量（如匹配的耳鸣响度和主观感知耳鸣响度的视觉模拟量表评分、日常意识和烦恼）进行测量。
在所有三组中，与初始值相比，THI 评分和大多数其他结果在 3 个月和 6 个月（佩戴助听器 3 个月后）时均显著改善。THI 评分改善 20%或更多的患者发生率分别为 3 个月时的 71.0%、72.7%和 74.3%，6 个月时为 54.8%、51.6%和 59.4%。在 3 个月或 6 个月时，助听器类型之间在主要或附加变量上均无显著差异。
这是一项基于临床试验报告标准的研究，为单独使用助听器（不伴随咨询或任何其他治疗）对耳鸣的抑制效果提供了直接证据，这种效果至少在患者停止使用助听器后持续 3 个月。无论放大策略类型如何，助听器都能有效抑制 HFHL 患者的耳鸣。
