Pilot study on the role of somatic modulation in hyperacusis

Abstract

Background: Hyperacusis is a reduced tolerance to sounds that often co-occurs with tinnitus. Both symptoms have convergent as well as divergent characteristics. Somatic modulation, changes in pitch or loudness during certain movements, is common in patients with a primary complaint of tinnitus. However, thus far, this is not documented in patients with hyperacusis.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the influence of somatic manoeuvres on the perception of external sounds in patients with a primary complaint of hyperacusis.

Methodology: In this prospective cross-sectional pilot study, 18 patients with a primary complaint of hyperacusis were recruited at the Tinnitus Treatment and Research Center Antwerp (TINTRA). While patients listened to a 1 kHz broadband noise of 30 dB sensation level, six neck manoeuvres (flexion, extension, lateroflexion left/right, traction and compression), three jaw manoeuvres (protrusion, laterotrusion left/right) and one placebo manoeuvre (hand on head) were performed. The primary outcome measure was the change in the perception of the presented sound in terms of loudness and intrusiveness between baseline and each modulation measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS).

Results: No overall significant changes were found; however, individual results indicated that five patients presented a clinically relevant change of more than three points out of ten on VAS in terms of hyperacusis after at least one of the executed somatic manoeuvres.

Conclusions: This pilot study did not demonstrate an overall significant change in hyperacusis after somatic manoeuvres but does not rule out the possibility of somatic modulation in some hyperacusis patients.

Trial registration: The protocol of this prospective cross-sectional pilot study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov with registration number NCT04693819.

Keywords: Hyperacusis; Pilot study; Somatic modulation; Tinnitus.