Tinnitus
Conditions
Brief summary
Psychological and behavioral interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), are commonly applied either alone or in combination for the management of tinnitus but selection of the intervention model remains arbitrary. Our purpose is to evaluate the hypothesis that genetic markers may guide the choice of tinnitus treatment towards improved therapeutic outcomes. Patients with subjective idiopathic tinnitus are assigned to either a genetically-informed CBT or TRT intervention protocol based on the status of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the dopamine and serotonin pathways, namely COMT rs4680, HTR2A rs7997012, HTR2A rs6311, and TPH2 rs4570625, that have been associated with behavioral or cognitive responses (Group A), or to a conventional approach (Group B) in which the choice of treatment was not directed by genotypic data. Tinnitus Handicap Index (THI) scores of perceived tinnitus severity are recorded at the initial and at the fourth session of treatment using appropriate questionnaires.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)
CBT is a psychologically informed treatment. Depending on individual patient needs, relevant areas of tinnitus education and management/self-management strategies, such as managing the emotional consequences of tinnitus, rapid relaxation, managing fear and avoidance behaviors and changing unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, are applied in accordance to a published manual \[10\]. TRT is based on the neurophysiological model focusing more on education and sound therapy than on analytical cognitive and behavioral interventions. A TRT program is usually included in a management scheme with hearing aids.
Sponsors
Gkouskou Kalliopi
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* adult patients with bothersome bilateral non-pulsative tinnitus and hearing loss
Exclusion criteria
* no major comorbidities * no psychiatric history
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) | 4 months | Upon a detailed history and an integrated ENT and audiological examination, the patients are asked to answer the THI twice (pre and post treatment), a questionnaire that quantifies the impact of tinnitus on everyday function. It is psychometrically robust and demonstrates adequate reliability and validity \[9\] |
Countries
Greece
Outcome results
None listed