Effects of cognitive behavioural therapy on insomnia in adults with tinnitus: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Open accessAbstract
Insomnia is common in patients with tinnitus and negatively affects tinnitus symptoms and quality of life. This systematic review aimed to synthesise evidence of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based interventions on insomnia in adults with tinnitus. We conducted a comprehensive database search (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov and PROSPERO) for published, unpublished and ongoing randomised controlled trials of CBT in adults with tinnitus. Five trials met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, with four of these providing data for the meta-analysis. This demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in Insomnia Severity Index (a standard diagnostic questionnaire of insomnia used in clinical settings) following CBT (-3.28, 95% CI -4.51, -2.05, P=<0.001). There was no evidence of statistical heterogeneity (I 2 = 0%). Risk of bias was considered low in all categories except blinding of participants, personnel, and/or the assessment of outcomes. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that CBT-based interventions can significantly improve sleep in adults with tinnitus.
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Sleep management as an additional module in traditional CBT for tinnitus has shown a slight improvement in sleep quality.
“In several studies, sleep management has become an additional module in traditional CBT for tinnitus and has shown a slight improvement in sleep quality.9”
From SoundMind Trial: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial for online acceptance and commitment therapy and sound therapy for tinnitus (2024) · cites this paper as [9]
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“9 Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a part of the ‘third wave’ of CBT and is rooted in functional contextualism and is guided by relational frame theory.”
- Authors
- Curtis, F., Laparidou, D., Bridle, C., Law, G. R., Durrant, S., Rodriguez, A., Pierzycki, R. H., & Siriwardena, A. N.
- Affiliations
- University of Lincoln (GB)
- University of Bedfordshire (GB)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- University of Nottingham (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Curtis, Ffion
- ORCID
- Venue
- Sleep Medicine Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-04
- Volume
- 56
- Pages
- 101405
- ISSN
- 1087-0792 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3109957924
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2
- FWCI
- 0.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Sleep Medicine Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Lincoln Repository (University of Lincoln) (acceptedVersion)
- Repository@Nottingham (University of Nottingham) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- Repository@Nottingham (University of Nottingham) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Research Repository (University of Gloucestershire) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- University of Bedfordshire Repository (University of Bedfordshire) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- University of Nottingham
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research
- Keywords
- cognitive behavioral therapy, tinnitus, insomnia, sleep quality, Insomnia Severity Index, quality of life
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Humans, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Quality of Life, Tinnitus, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
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