Chronic subjective tinnitus affects 15-20% of adults globally, with 3-5% experiencing severe quality-of-life impairment. Sound therapy (ST) is a core intervention, but its neuromodulatory mechanisms remain incompletely characterized due to the lack of objective biomarkers.
This meta-analysis provides neurophysiological evidence supporting sound therapy's effect on brain activity in chronic tinnitus, but clinicians should interpret EEG outcomes cautiously as surrogate markers until they are linked to validated patient-reported symptom improvement.
Objective EEG biomarkers for tinnitus treatment response could help clinicians select and monitor sound therapy interventions, advancing the field beyond purely subjective outcome measures.
- 01Meta-analysis of EEG studies evaluates neurophysiological effects of sound therapy on chronic subjective tinnitus.
- 02Tinnitus (persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears) affects an estimated 15–20% of adults globally.
- 03EEG spectral analysis can detect changes in brain wave patterns associated with tinnitus and its treatment.
- 04Pooled data approach increases statistical power over individual small-sample tinnitus studies.
- 05Findings may support the biological plausibility of sound-based tinnitus treatments.
Sound therapy produces measurable neurophysiological changes in EEG spectral patterns in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus.
studypartially supportedChronic subjective tinnitus affects 15–20% of adults globally.
studysupported- PMID
- 42131121
- DOI
- 10.26599/JOTO.2026.9540061.
- Journal
- Journal of Otology
- Publication type
- meta_analysis
- Evidence level
- 1a
- Population
- Adults with chronic subjective tinnitus enrolled in sound therapy studies
- Intervention
- Sound therapy for chronic subjective tinnitus
Primary outcomes
EEG spectral changes associated with sound therapy; Neurophysiological response to tinnitus treatment