Auditory Treatments of Tinnitus

Auditory stimulation is one of the most widely used management options for tinnitus and a part of many tinnitus management programmes. Auditory treatments for tinnitus can amplify, modulate, or convert sound to compensate for hearing impairment, or produce sound to achieve a therapeutic effect. While many treatments aim to make tinnitus less audible, auditory stimulation can also provide distraction from tinnitus, promote relaxation, promote habituation, and reverse maladaptive tinnitus-related changes in brain activity. There is limited evidence from controlled trials for the effectiveness of auditory treatments and the decision to offer such treatment is usually based on the clinical experience and patient preferences. This chapter provides an overview of the role and mechanisms of action of the available auditory stimulation options, including hearing aids, sound generators, combination hearing aids, acoustic CR® neuromodulation, modified music, and cochlear implants. A summary of clinical guideline recommendations and a review of the empirical evidence for the use of auditory treatments for tinnitus is provided, together with recommendations for further research and clinical practice.