Feasibility study of a game integrating assessment and therapy of tinnitus.

Background: Tinnitus, head and ear noise, is due to maladaptive plastic changes in auditory
and associated neural networks. Tinnitus has been traditionally managed through the use of
sound to passively mask or facilitate habituation to tinnitus, a process that may take 6-12
months. New Method: A game-based perceptual training method, requiring localization and
selective attention to sounds, was developed and customized to the individual’s tinnitus
perception. Eight participants tested the games usability at home. Results: Each participant
successfully completed 30 minutes of training, for 20 days, along with daily psychoacoustic
assessment of tinnitus pitch and loudness. The training period and intensity of training
appears sufficient to reduce tinnitus handicap. Comparison with Existing Method(s): The
training approach used may be a viable alternative to frequency discrimination based training
for treating tinnitus (Hoare et al., 2014) and a useful tool in exploring learning mechanisms in
the auditory system. Conclusions: Integration of tinnitus assessment with therapy in a game
is feasible, and the method(s) warrant further investigation.