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CompletedNCT01321814Updated May 28, 2014

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Hyperacusis

An interventional study of Cognitive behavioural therapy in Hyperacusis, sponsored by Linkoeping University. Completed at 1 site in Sweden. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2014-05-28.

Sponsored by Linkoeping University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
62
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) can be useful for people suffering from Hyperacusis.

Also, the investigators are interested in investigating this group of patients on psychiatric and somatic comorbidity, personality traits, and startle response to sounds.

The investigators will also study the audiological measures commonly used in Sweden to measure hyperacusis, and investigate their validity.

The investigators hypothesize that CBT might be helpful for patients suffering from Hyperacusis.

Read the detailed description

Hyperacusis, defined as unusual intolerance to ordinary environmental sounds, is a common problem for which there are no controlled trials on psychological treatment. Given the avoidance strategies present in hyperacusis, and similarities with problems such as tinnitus and chronic pain, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is hypothesized to be helpful for patients with hyperacusis. In this randomized controlled study of 60 patients with hyperacusis, CBT was compared with a waiting list control group using the Loudness Discomfort Level test (LDL), the Hyperacusis Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales, the Quality of Life Inventory and an adapted version of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia. There were significant between-group effects in favour of the CBT group on all measures except for the HADS anxiety scale. Between-group effect sizes were moderate to high, with Cohen's d = 0.67 and 0.69 per ear, respectively, for the primary measure LDL, and ranging from d = 0.32 to 1.36 for the secondary measures. The differences between groups ceased to exist when the waiting list group was treated later with CBT, and the treatment results were largely maintained after 12 months. In conclusion, CBT is a promising treatment for hyperacusis, although more research is necessary.

02

Conditions studied

  • Hyperacusis

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Keywords

  • Hyperacusis
  • Personality
  • Comorbidity
  • Treatment
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
03

In context

Hyperacusis

32 studies on the registry are indexed under Hyperacusis; 9 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 62 is close to the median of 60 across 22 interventional studies indexed under Hyperacusis.

Browse Hyperacusis studies →

Lead sponsor

Linkoeping University is the lead sponsor of 193 studies on the registry; 40 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient understands and can speak Swedish well
  • Hyperacusis is the primary audiological problem
  • Loudness discomfort thresholds below 90 dB
  • Hearing levels better than 40dB on the best ear
  • Resident of Uppsala, Stockholm or Vastmanland
  • Possibility to travel to Uppsala or Vasteras for examination and treatment

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Scoring "moderate" or "high" on suicidality, according to M.I.N.I
  • Moderate to severe depression
  • Psychotic disorders
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
62 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

    Patients receiving 6 sessions of CBT conducted by a licensed psychologist. Sessions include psychoeducation, exposure treatment, behavioral activation and applied relaxation.

    Behavioral: Cognitive behavioural therapy

  • No intervention
    Waiting list

    Patient waits for CBT treatment for 6 months.

Interventions

  • BehavioralCognitive behavioural therapy

    6 sessions by licensed psychologist, including psychoeducation, exposure therapy, applied relaxation and behavioral activation.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI)

    Inventory measuring how patients' percieve the importance of and their satisfaction with many variables that concludes life quality, for instance economy, physical health and family life.

    Time frame: Evaluation for participance (day one), before treatment for waiting list patients (up to 6 months), direct after treatment, 12 mts after treatment

  2. Khalfa Hyperacusis Questionnaire

    A questionnaire to quantify and evaluate various hyperacusis symptoms, screening several aspects of auditory symptomatology.

    Time frame: Evaluation for participance (day one), before treatment for waiting list patients (up to 6 months), direct after treatment, 12 mts after treatment

  3. Loudness discomfort threshold

    Audiological measure where the patient is exposed to sounds, gradually of higher volume. The patient is instructed to indicate when the sound level is uncomfortably loud, and that terminates the exposure. The test is performed by an audiologist using a calibrated audiometer.

    Time frame: Time Frame: (FDAAA) Evaluation for participance (day one), before treatment for waiting list patients (up to 6 months), direct after treatment, 12 mts after treatment

Secondary outcomes

  1. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I)

    M.I.N.I is a short structured diagnostic interview (Sheehan et al, 1998), developed to detect DSM-IV and ICD-10 psychiatric disorders and was performed to investigate psychiatric comorbidity in this study. The Swedish version, 5.0.0. was used.

    Time frame: At evaluation for participance (day one)

  2. Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP)

    SSP aims to measure personality correlates as well as biological correlates of some psychiatric disorders in order to define vulnerability factors (Gustavsson et al, 2000). The test consists of 13 scales, for instance somatic trait anxiety, psychic trait anxiety and stress susceptibility.

    Time frame: At evaluation for participance (day one)

  3. Tampa scale of Kinesiophobia - for Hyperacusis

    TSK is a questionnaire used to measure fear of movement or reinjury in chronic pain patients. For this study, we adapted TSK for Hyperacusis patients.

    Time frame: Evaluation for participance (day one), before treatment for waiting list patients (up to 6 months), direct after treatment, 12 mts after treatment

  4. Startle-response

    Heart rate and skin conductance measured in response to sounds, in level with LDL:s.

    Time frame: Evaluation for participance (day one), before treatment for waiting list patients (up to

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Uppsala, 75185, Sweden
08

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
Not marked actual or estimatedDates not marked actual or estimated

The record gives a start of Jun 2004, a primary completion of Dec 2010 and a completion of Dec 2012. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Mar 23, 2011
First posted
Mar 24, 2011
Start
Jun 2004
Primary completionActual
Dec 2010
CompletionActual
Dec 2012
Last update
May 28, 2014
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 28, 2014, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01321814
Collaborators
Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital
Responsible party
Gerhard Andersson (Professor, Linkoeping University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Mar 24, 2011
Start date
Jun 2004
Primary completion
Dec 2010
Completion
Dec 2012
Last update
May 28, 2014

Study contacts

Lisa Ekselius, Professor
study director · Uppsala University
Gerhard Andersson, Professor
study chair · Linkoeping University
Hans C Larsen, Reader
study chair · Uppsala University Hospital
Linda Jüris, PhD Student
principal investigator · Uppsala University/ Uppsala University Hospital

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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