Efficacy of internet-based therapies for tinnitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Tinnitus presents a major public health challenge, impacting quality of life. With conventional therapies being often time-consuming and costly, interest in Internet-based treatments, such as auditory treatments and Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy, has grown due to their improved patient adherence. This meta-analysis aims to review existing scientific literature to assess the effectiveness of Internet-based therapies (IBTs) in treating tinnitus. METHODS: Studies up to February 2024 using the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), or Tinnitus Reactions Questionnaire (TRQ) to monitor tinnitus before and after IBTs were searched in PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Variation of the score with time was analyzed and a comparison was made with non-IBT studies. Treatment effects were analyzed using Cohen's d model. RESULTS: A total of 14 articles were considered, with a total of 1574 patients. Significant improvements in questionnaire scores were noted post-treatment. In the IBT group, THI and TFI decreased by 17.97 and 24.56 points, respectively (Cohen's d THI: 0.85; TFI: 0.80). In the control group, THI and TFI decreased by 13.7 and 4.25 points, respectively (Cohen's d THI: 0.55; TFI: 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Internet-based therapies showed reliable effectiveness, possibly due to improved patient compliance, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and customization.
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iCBT effectively enhances patient compliance by improving treatment accessibility and reducing costs, overcoming some limitations of traditional therapies.
“Furthermore, iCBT effectively enhances patient compliance by improving treatment accessibility and reducing costs, overcoming some of the limitations of traditional therapies and marking a significant advancement in tinnitus management (Sia et al., 2024).”
From Research trends and hotspots of cognitive behavioral therapy for tinnitus: a bibliometric analysis (2025) · cites this paper as Sia et al., 2024
The Discussion and Conclusions say internet-based therapies may improve accessibility, reduce costs, and consequently enhance compliance. But the paper frames the compliance benefit as a promise or possible explanation, not an established effect of iCBT specifically; its reported outcomes are tinnitus questionnaire scores, not compliance. (LLM, conf=0.87)
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References 40 · Cited by 6
- Authors
- Sia, E., Tirelli, G., Gatto, A., Mineo, C. A., Curlin, K., & Abouzari, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Trieste (IT)
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- Corresponding author
- Abouzari, Mehdi
- Venue
- Journal of Personalized Medicine
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2024-07-31
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 813
- ISSN
- 2075-4426 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC11355874
- OpenAlex
- W4401211229
- Cited by
- 6
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3
- FWCI
- 0.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Personalized Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- National Center for Research Resources (TL1TR001415)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Keywords
- tinnitus, online therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, Tinnitus Functional Index, treatment efficacy, patient adherence, quality of life
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