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Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of our sound therapy with appropriate hearing aid fitting and periodic hearing aid adjustment in patients with chronic tinnitus.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study. The study included 490 individuals who received treatment with hearing aids for chronic tinnitus at least for 3 months. To determine the effects of tinnitus on patients' quality of life, the participants completed a series of questionnaires, including the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for loudness and annoyance, and questionnaires of subjective symptom improvement. Data were collected at entry and 3 months and 1 year after treatment initiation.Results: All 490 participants completed the questionnaires at 3 months; however, only 312 completed them at 1 year. The mean ± standard deviation THI score before treatment decreased significantly at 3 months (490 participants: 53 ± 25 to 11 ± 16 and 312 participants: 55 ± 24 to 12 ± 16) and 1 year (55 ± 24 to 9 ± 14) (P < 0.01). The mean VAS score for tinnitus loudness before treatment decreased significantly at 3 months (490 participants: 70 ± 22 to 25 ± 27 and 312 participants: 71 ± 22 to 27 ± 26) and 1 year (71 ± 22 to 21 ± 28) (P < 0.01). In addition, the mean VAS score for tinnitus annoyance before treatment decreased significantly at 3 months (490 participants: 75 ± 26 to 20 ± 26 and 312 participants: 75 ± 25 to 23 ± 27) and 1 year (75 ± 25 to 17 ± 26) (P < 0.01). Approximately 80% of patients noticed improvements in their tinnitus annoyance and loudness, as determined by their responses to the questionnaires of subjective symptom improvement.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that treatment with sound therapy may ameliorate the symptoms of chronic tinnitus associated with hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss (ASHL) is the most common symptom of sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS). However, there is still no universally accepted MRI protocol for diagnosing VS. This study identified the characteristics of pure tone audiogram (PTA) in patients with VS. We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with sporadic unilateral VS. In the analysis, we focused on the shape and interaural differences of PTA, stratified by the mode of onset and patient age. In total, 390 patients met the inclusion criteria. The U-shaped audiogram showed the highest proportion in patients with the onset of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). In patients with SSNHL, U-shaped audiograms were younger than other audiograms, and 86.7 % of patients under 40 had U-shaped audiograms. Patients with VS were more likely to have interaural differences at higher frequencies than at lower frequencies. Patients with SSNHL had a significantly higher percentage of interaural differences at 500–4000 Hz than those with onset other than SSNHL (non-SSNHL patients). In addition, non-SSNHL patients had a significant trend toward a higher percentage of interaural differences at all frequencies with increasing age. MRI screening can be considered in patients with SSNHL with U-shaped audiograms under 40 years of age. In ASHL, not SSNHL, MRI screening can be considered for older patients with interaural differences at wider continuous frequencies. Patients with interaural differences at high frequencies had a higher priority than those with interaural differences at low frequencies as indications for MRI screening for VS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]