Effectiveness of Sound Therapy Durations in Tinnitus Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: This systematic review aimed to conduct a statistical analysis comparing subjective evaluations from patients to determine the efficacy of sound therapy durations for tinnitus. Methods: After defining search terms and establishing inclusion and exclusion criteria, 15 research articles from PubMed, ScienceDirect, KCI, and the Cochrane Library met all qualifications through a vetting process involving two reviewers. Extracted data were organized by collection time and analyzed using the R program (R foundation, Vienna, Austra) to calculate the standard mean difference with 95% confidence intervals. Results: The analysis of sound therapy efficacy showed statistically significant improvement in tinnitus symptoms between pre-treatment and 3 months, and between 3 months and 6 months. However, improvement stagnated and stabilized beyond 6 months of treatment. Conclusion: Sound therapy was most effective in providing significant relief and improvement in tinnitus symptoms during the first 6 months of treatment. Longer durations did not further improve symptoms but helped maintain a lower annoyance level.