The influence of training on tinnitus perception: an evaluation 12 months after tinnitus management training

Sixty-five subjects were reviewed 12 months after tinnitus management train ing, which had been comprised variously of information, relaxation training and a therapeutic noise strategy. Seventy-four per cent of subjects report ed increased habituation to tinnitus (n = 48), 65% reported reduced tinnitu s annoyance (n = 42), and 52% reported an increased ability to cope with ti nnitus (n = 34). Twenty-five per cent of subjects: reported deterioration i n coping ability (n = 16), 23% reported reduced habituation to tinnitus (n = 15) and 8% reported increased tinnitus-related annoyance (n = 5). None of the management strategies were found to be significantly more effective th an others in facilitating improved coping or habituation to tinnitus. Subje cts who reported reduced coping and habituation to tinnitus experienced gre ater levels of general life stress than subjects who reported increased hab ituation and coping ability. The use of relaxation therapies as applied in this study did not appear to influence the level of tinnitus distress or th e level of life stress. Thirty-seven per cent of subjects given long-term l ow-level white noise (LTWN) stimulation reported benefit, However, LTWN sti mulation did not significantly alter tinnitus awareness or the minimum mask ing level (MML) of tinnitus. Long-term low-level white noise stimulation ap peared to influence cognitive reaction to tinnitus rather than its physical perception. Subjects who initially had low ability to cope with tinnitus a nd preferred a more active coping style reported significantly greater bene fit from LTWN stimulation than subjects whose primary approach to coping wa s to regulate the emotional impact of tinnitus.