An online survey of sound therapy used to treat hyperacusis in adults in clinical practice in the UK

Abstract Background: Hyperacusis is a reduced tolerance to sound, which can affect patients in distressing ways. An intervention used to treat hyperacusis is sound therapy. Research has identified uncertainty of how sound therapy is used in clinical practice. The objective of this study was to gain understanding of how sound therapy is used to treat adults with hyperacusis in the current UK practice. Materials and Methods: An online survey was developed with 39 open/closed questions to be completed by UK-based audiologists with experience of using sound therapy for hyperacusis in adults. Participants were recruited through social media advertisements and mail out through professional networks (the British Academy of Audiology, British Society of Audiology and Tinnitus UK). Responses were obtained from April to June 2024. Results: Twenty audiologists completed the survey. Overall, there was limited agreement with regards to intervention type. Several interventions were described including environmental sound, CDs, Internet downloads, mobile phones applications, Internet downloads, tabletop and wearable sound generators, combination devices, and hearing aids. In addition, multiple factors were reported to influence choice of treatment such as a patient’s psychological state, individual patient preference, and audiologist experience. Most respondents agreed that sound therapy should be used every day for between 3 and 6 months. Conclusions: There is varied use of sound therapy interventions in the UK to treat adults with hyperacusis. There is paucity of evidence supporting some of the reported interventions used by clinicians and so evidenced based practice is limited for this condition. There was some indication by participants that patient factors dictated treatment approach and the use of interventions less specific to hyperacusis, for example, talking therapy. This survey has provided cross-sectional data on the UK current practice from a small number of respondents. Further research is required to gain consensus to support UK practice for hyperacusis and understand efficacy of treatment interventions.