Neuro-Music Therapy for Recent Onset Tinnitus: Evaluation of a Therapy Concept

Summary

To date, the pharmacological treatment options for tinnitus are unsatisfactory. For acute tinnitus drug treatments are only rated as being successful in approximately half of all cases. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate a neuro-music therapeutic approach (the "Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy") as a new treatment option for patients with recent onset tinnitus after initial medical treatment has failed.

Conditions

• Tinnitus

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Neuro-Music Therapy immediately

20 patients are randomized to receive Neuro-Music Therapy immediately. Neuro-Music Therapy takes 5 days and comprises 9 consecutive 50-minutes sessions of individual therapy. Immediately before and after treatment extensive diagnostics are performed, including psychological assessment, functional neuroimaging and electro-physiological examinations.

BEHAVIORAL

Neuro-Music Therapy after waiting time

20 Patients were randomized to receive Neuro-Music Therapy after a waiting period not exceeding 6 weeks. Within this waiting time, patients undergo exactly the same diagnostic procedure as the patients of the treatment group.

BEHAVIORAL

Music-therapeutical stress management coaching

20 non-tinnitus controls matched in age, gender and hearing ability receive a music-therapeutical stress coaching program. This intervention is based on the main treatment components of the Neuro-Music Therapy for acute tinnitus with alterations of the tinnitus specific elements. Immediately before and after this five-day coaching, controls undergo exactly the same diagnostic procedure as the patients of the treatment group.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Heidelberg University

  collaborator OTHER

• Clinic of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Saarland University Clinic, Homburg, Germany

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• German Center for Music Therapy Research

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Hans V Bolay, Prof. Dr. · German Center for Music Therapy Research

• Miriam Grapp · German Center for Music Therapy Research

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-01-31

Primary Completion

2013-04-30

Completion

2013-09-30

Countries

• Germany

Study Locations