A study published in Nature Communications evaluated the effectiveness of combination therapies versus single treatments for chronic subjective tinnitus. The trial involved 461 participants aged 18 to 80 from five clinical sites across the EU. Patients were assigned to either single or combination treatments, which included cognitive-behavioral therapy, hearing aids, app-based structured counseling, or app-based sound therapy, administered over 12 weeks.

The main outcome measured was the change in Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores from baseline to week 12. Results showed that participants in combination treatment groups experienced a mean THI score change of -14.9, while those in single treatment groups had a change of -11.7. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.034). Although combination treatments had a stronger clinical effect overall, they did not demonstrate a clear synergistic effect, and more effective treatments appeared to counterbalance the effects of less effective ones.

No serious adverse events were reported during the trial. All treatment arms resulted in improvements in THI scores, indicating that various therapies can benefit those suffering from tinnitus. The study is registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04663828.