Tinnitus and Acupuncture

Aksaray University Training and Research Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Tinnitus, Subjective

Treatments: Biological: acupuncture

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04127708

tinnitusacupuncture

Details and patient eligibility

About

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect, onset and duration of action, and short-term outcomes of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of patients with severe chronic subjective tinnitus.

Methods: This study is a randomized, controlled trial evaluating patients with chronic, idiopathic and severe tinnitus. A total of 105 participants were divided into two groups using the randomization method: the study group that received real acupuncture therapy (n = 53) and the sham acupuncture group. Ten acupuncture sessions were applied over five weeks. After treatment, each participant was monitored for up to three months according to the changes in the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Pure-Tone Audiometry and Speech Discrimination scores.

Full description

This was a prospective, randomized, controlled study, approved by the local ethics committee and carried out in a single center in accordance with the ethical principles of the Helsinki Declaration (E-18-2165).

The inclusion criteria of the study for patients were determined as; (a) male and female patients aged 18 to 60 years, (b) unilateral or bilateral subjective tinnitus, (c) with a history of severe subjective tinnitus for at least one year, (d) patients with severe tinnitus according to the THI questionnaire result (over 38 points), (e) the patients who could not detect etiology of tinnitus in the otolaryngology examination, (f) not having received any treatment within the last six months. The patients who applied to the otorhinolaryngology clinic of our hospital were included in the study.

According to the randomization method, the group to which each participant was assigned was only known to the researcher who applied acupuncture therapy. The participants and the remaining researchers that administered THI to the participants were blinded to the groups.

The data were obtained from the patients' responses to VAS and THI questionnaires. Each participant completed the VAS and THI questionnaires seven times during the course of the five-week treatment and the three-month follow-up after treatment.

Enrollment: 105 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• The inclusion criteria of the study for patients were determined as; (a) male and female patients aged 18 to 60 years, (b) unilateral or bilateral subjective tinnitus, (c) with a history of severe subjective tinnitus for at least one year, (d) patients with severe tinnitus according to the THI questionnaire result (over 38 points), (e) the patients who could not detect etiology of tinnitus in the otolaryngology examination, (f) not having received any treatment within the last six months. The patients who applied to the otorhinolaryngology clinic of our hospital were included in the study

Exclusion criteria

• The exclusion criteria were having received acupuncture therapy for the last three months for any reason, having a history of medication/surgery due to heart disease, having a disease that could cause objective tinnitus, such as Meniere's disease, otitis media, and otosclerosis, having metal allergy or needle phobia, having a history of psychotropic drug use, pregnancy or nursing, and not completing the THI survey.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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105 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

sham acupuncture

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Ten acupuncture sessions were applied over five weeks. In this study, acupuncture style is the traditional Chinese model, acupuncture was performed on 11 acupuncture points (TE21, SI19, GB2, TE22, ST7, TE17, GB20 of the affected side, and GB20, TE05, KI3 of both sides) using sterile, single-use, 0.25 mm thick, 40 mm long needles (Dongbang Medical Co., Boryeong, Korea). The acupuncture points were selected by taking previous studies as reference. The depth of the needle differed depending on the anatomical structure of the participant and the nature of the acupuncture points, but it was approximately 5-10 mm. The acupuncture needles were applied until the participant experienced de-qi and removed after 20 minutes.

Treatment:

Biological: acupuncture

acupuncture

Active Comparator group

Description:

en acupuncture sessions were applied over five weeks. In this study, acupuncture style is the traditional Chinese model, acupuncture was performed on 11 acupuncture points (TE21, SI19, GB2, TE22, ST7, TE17, GB20 of the affected side, and GB20, TE05, KI3 of both sides) using sterile, single-use, 0.25 mm thick, 40 mm long needles (Dongbang Medical Co., Boryeong, Korea). The acupuncture points were selected by taking previous studies as reference. The depth of the needle differed depending on the anatomical structure of the participant and the nature of the acupuncture points, but it was approximately 5-10 mm. The acupuncture needles were applied until the participant experienced de-qi and removed after 20 minutes.

Treatment:

Biological: acupuncture