Virtual Reality and Subjective Tinnitus

Overview

The purpose of this study is to test if virtual reality immersion has the potential to significantly decrease subjective tinnitus intrusiveness when compared to standard care.

This is a randomised controlled study aimed at further validating the use of Virtual Reality in the field of subjective tinnitus management. Indeed, earlier results have suggested that this innovative strategy has the potential to be as efficient as a Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy. Before the sessions, an automated tinnitus matching procedure will help create a sound similar to the tinnitus percept ("Tinnitus Avatar"). During the sessions (8 sessions; 30 minutes), the "Tinnitus Avatar" will be displayed auditorily but also visually - as a sparkling spot - in a variety of virtual 3D auditory and visual environments. In these virtual environments the patients will be given the possibility to voluntarily control and manipulate the "Tinnitus Avatar" by the means of a wand on top of which the sound and the sparkling will be attached. They will also be able to freely navigate in the virtual scenes where environmental sound will be displayed. Then the patients will be able to displace at will the "Tinnitus Avatar" in their peri-personal space or mask it by getting close to sounds they may encounter in the virtual scenes. It is supposed that regaining and training a capacity of interaction with the "Tinnitus Avatar" as if it were a standard sound will help recalibrate the attentional processes involved in tinnitus perception and then to decrease tinnitus intrusiveness.

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes