An independent review of neuromonics tinnitus treatment controlled clinical trials

Abstract

Traditional methods for the clinical management of tinnitus generally involve some combination of three common elements: education/counseling, stress reduction, and use of therapeutic sound. Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment (NTT), which originated in Australia and recently has gained visibility in the United States, comprises a new variation of traditional tinnitus therapies. NTT uses a proprietary wearable audio player as its primary treatment modality. NTT is unique amongst tinnitus treatments in that a corporate entity controls all operations, including clinician training, provision of sound therapy devices, and oversight of the clinical activities involved in this trademarked therapy. We review here the three published controlled clinical trials of NTT. Observations are offered regarding limitations of these trials with respect to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) and the CONSORT supplement for nonpharmacologic treatments. The CONSORT standards provide rigorous review criteria for randomised clinical trials. The lack of methodological transparency, and the proprietary nature of NTT limits the ability of independent investigators to evaluate the merits of this clinical approach.