자연음을 활용한 부분 차폐의 이명 재활 효과

Tinnitus Rehabilitation Effects Using Partial Masking with Nature Sounds

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to identify tinnitus rehabilitation effects using partial masking with nature sounds. Methods: Nineteen people who had chronic subjective tinnitus participated in this study. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of two groups: counselling and sound therapy using nature sounds or counselling and sound therapy using broadband noise (BBN). Two types of nature sounds were used: the sound of waves and the water of a stream. The partial masking was applied to the sound therapy in both groups and the rehabilitation period was three months. The Tinnitus Handicap Index was administered before and after the rehabilitation. Results: The average decrease in tinnitus as shown by the questionnaire was 15.92% for the nature sound therapy group and 8.43% for the BBN therapy group. Statistical significance was observed only in the nature sound therapy group (p < 0.05). For effect size (Cohen’s d) of the tinnitus rehabilitation, the nature sound therapy group was 1.03 (large effect) and the BBN therapy group was 0.58 (moderate effect). Conclusion: Results of the current study showed that sound therapy using nature sounds was more effective than sound therapy using BBN in a short period of tinnitus rehabilitation. Although further studies are required, results of the current study indicate that the effect of the tinnitus rehabilitation may differ, depending on the characteristics of the sound stimulus.