Effects of Educational Counseling as Solitary Therapy for Chronic Primary Tinnitus and Related Problems

作者：Yuqing Liu, Zhiji Chen, Gang Li, Dan Lai, Peng Liu, Yun Zheng · 发表于：BioMed Research International · 年份：2018 · DOI：10.1155/2018/6032525 · 被引用次数：21 · 研究领域：Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics、Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation、Vestibular and auditory disorders

The aim of this study was to evaluate the early and sustained effects of tinnitus educational counseling on chronic primary tinnitus and related problems. A descriptive longitudinal cohort study was conducted with 159 adult patients suffering from chronic primary tinnitus and sleep problems. All patients received tinnitus educational counseling, sleep adjustment, and vegan dietary advice. At short-term assessment within 3 months and long-term follow-up at 6–26 months, perceived changes in tinnitus were assessed with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and the Tinnitus Evaluation Questionnaire (TEQ), respectively. In TEQ, the volume of subjective tinnitus was scored according to realistic environments in which tinnitus could be heard. Sleep quality was assessed with questionnaires developed in our laboratory. Most of the subjects showed significant early improvement in their THI scores (96/159, 60.38%; from 46.11 ± 22.74 to 31.94 ± 20.41, t = 11.16, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.66). Tinnitus volume (39/159, 24.53%, from 2,2 to 2,1, z = -3.56, p < 0.001) and sleep quality (68/159, 42.77%; from 7.13 ± 3.11 to 6.31 ± 2.75, t = 3.73, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.28) were also improved. Long-term follow-up TEQ results indicated that tinnitus loudness, the impact of tinnitus on sleep, concentration, and emotional state were all improved since the prior consultation ( p = 0.001, 0.026, 0.012, and <0.001). Short-term improvement of tinnitus severity correlated directly with impr...