Hypnotic amplification-attenuation technique for tinnitus management

Abstract

Hypnosis has demonstrated effectiveness for numerous psychologically and medically related disorders. Despite the prevalence of tinnitus, few systematic investigations or clinical case studies of the effects of hypnosis in the treatment of this disorder have been reported. Most studies reported rely on scripted or audiorecorded hypnotic inductions which are known to be less effective than those tailored to the individual patient. All but one of the studies reviewed failed to measure hypnotizability by an instrument with appropriate psychometric properties (e.g., the Stanford Scales). Thus, it is impossible to draw any conclusion about the specificity of hypnosis with regard to treatment outcomes. Brattberg employed hypnosis to treat 32 patients diagnosed with and suffering from tinnitus for an average of 5 years. All reported no response or relief from previous medical interventions. The hypnotic suggestion employed was that they would no longer be troubled by the noise. The first follow-up occurred between 2 months and 2 years. Twenty-two patients (69%) reported they felt better and three of the 22 reported they were completely cured. At a second follow-up, 10.5 months to 2.5 years later, for those who reported improvement at the first follow-up, relief from tinnitus was generally maintained. However, the criteria for improvement were not specified. © 2008 Springer New York.