FRIDAY, May 8, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Use of a therapeutic app for tinnitus that provides educational counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) results in substantial improvement in tinnitus-related distress, according to a study published online May 7 in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery.
Koichiro Wasano, M.D., Ph.D., from the Tokai University School of Medicine in Japan, and colleagues developed a prototype digital therapeutic mobile app that provides educational counseling and CBT elements for treating chronic tinnitus symptoms. Safety and efficacy were assessed for 16 weeks in a double-blind, sham-controlled trial involving 60 patients diagnosed with mild-to-severe chronic tinnitus. Participants used the therapeutic app or a sham control app that lacked the therapeutic functions (30 in each group). The therapeutic functions of the app were blocked during the eight-week follow-up.
At week 16, the researchers found a significantly greater improvement in Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores in the therapeutic group versus the sham group (between-group difference in change in THI, −20.4). The therapeutic effect was maintained to week 24 (mean between-group difference, −18.3). In one patient in the sham control app group, tinnitus worsened. There were no serious adverse events or device malfunctions with potential for health hazards.
"The tinnitus treatment app may be an effective intervention for individuals with chronic tinnitus, offering a standardized approach to treatment," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
