An evaluation of the Reltus ear massager for short-term tinnitus relief.
Int J Audiol
; 55(1): 38-44, 2016.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-26406286
OBJECTIVE: Auditory stimulation has been shown to suppress the loudness of tinnitus (residual inhibition, RI). Somatosensory manipulations have also been shown to sometimes decrease tinnitus perception. An 'ear-massaging' device, the 'Reltus' ( www.reltus.com ), has been marketed as a tinnitus treatment device. This study was undertaken to evaluate its short-term effectiveness and mode of effect. DESIGN: The research was undertaken in two phases. Phase 1 measured the change in tinnitus perception after one minute of auditory stimulation through headphones and after application of a vibrating device to four different stimulation points around the pinna for one minute each. Phase 2 evaluated if it was the vibrations that were responsible for the effect on tinnitus perception, or sound produced by the vibrator. STUDY SAMPLE: Twenty-three participants completed phase 1 and 10 participants participated in the second phase. RESULTS: RI to auditory stimulation was found in 87% of participants and to tactile stimulation in 83%. No significant differences were found in the effectiveness between the four vibration stimulation points, or between the left and right ear of the participants. The Reltus produced a sound that resulted in RI. CONCLUSIONS: It is the auditory artifact of the Reltus that was responsible for short-term tinnitus suppression.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Enmascaramiento Perceptual
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Acúfeno
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Estimulación Acústica
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Masaje
Tipo de estudio:
Evaluation_studies
Límite:
Adult
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Aged
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Audiol
Asunto de la revista:
AUDIOLOGIA
Año:
2016
Tipo del documento:
Article
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido