Sound Quality of Tinnitus Maskers through different Transducers

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the sound quality of soundscapes and their effectiveness through earphones and hearing aids. Background: Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of any external stimulus and affects a vast number of people to varying degrees. This perception of sound can negatively impact an individual’s quality of life, including their ability to sleep, concentrate and socialise. A common treatment option for tinnitus is sound therapy, whereby sound is used to reduce tinnitus perception or reaction. Using masking is a common sound therapy approach. Introducing a masker helps divert an individual’s attention away from their tinnitus and thus helps reduce symptoms. Many different sounds have been used for masking; this study will look into nature soundscapes as maskers. Sound quality is a key factor that influences an individual’s overall listening experience. Good audio quality has been shown to enhance one’s listening experience and can help keep one’s attention. In this study, hearing aids and earphones were used as transducers. Hearing aids were chosen as many individuals with tinnitus have hearing loss and already use hearing aids. Earphones are more accessible and cost-effective and may be more useful to those who don’t have hearing loss. Methods: Nineteen participants with chronic tinnitus were recruited for this study. Each participant underwent audiological testing and had tinnitus pitch and loudness matching. Individuals were then presented with two different nature soundscape maskers through earphones and hearing aids. Minimum and desired masking levels, which were used to measure the effectiveness of the maskers, were obtained for both soundscapes. Each individual rated the quality of the maskers through each transducer on a sound quality rating questionnaire. Real ear measures were used to contextualise the perceived minimum and desired masking levels of a participant’s tinnitus to a measure of sound pressure level at the eardrum. Results: The earphones had significantly higher ratings for naturalness and lower minimum masking levels when compared to the hearing aids for the bird soundscape. The real ear measures showed that overall, the hearing aids had more low-frequency output than the earphones. No other significant differences were found. Conclusion: The findings from the current study suggest that both hearing aids and earphones are effective for masking and show a similar level of sound quality.