Therapy · Brain health technique
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy / Auditory Habituation
Evidence grade: Context Dependent
Combines sound therapy with counseling to help the brain “reclassify” tinnitus as a neutral signal rather than a threat, reducing perceived loudness and distress over time.
- Practice
- Therapy
- Principle
- Treatment
- Tactic
- Sensory Restoration & Enhancement
- Evidence grade
- Context Dependent
- Strength of evidence
- Medium
How to practice Tinnitus Retraining Therapy / Auditory Habituation
Therapy is delivered by audiologists or trained clinicians over 6–18 months. Involves consistent low-level sound enrichment (via hearing aids or generators) and structured counseling. Requires daily use and patience, benefits accrue gradually. Avoid silence, which heightens perception of tinnitus.
The evidence behind Tinnitus Retraining Therapy / Auditory Habituation
Well-designed studies show TRT and habituation-based approaches reduce tinnitus-related distress and improve quality of life, though they rarely eliminate sound perception. Mechanism: neuroplastic reconditioning of auditory and limbic circuits decreases emotional reactivity to tinnitus. Evidence moderate-to-strong for symptom reduction, weaker for direct cognitive effects.
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