Effects of sound source localization of masking sound on perception level of simulated tinnitus

Tinnitus therapies have been combined with the use of varieties of sound/noise. For masking external sounds, location of the masker in space is important; however, effects of the spatial location of the masker on tinnitus are less understood. We aimed to test whether a masking sound location would affect the perception level of simulated tinnitus. The 4 kHz simulated tinnitus was induced in the right ear of healthy volunteers through an open-type earphone. White noise was presented to the right ear using a single-sided headphone or a speaker positioned on the right side at a distance of 1.8 m for masking the simulated tinnitus. In other sessions, monaurally recorded noise localized within the head (inside-head noise) or binaurally recorded noise localized outside the head (outside-head noise) was separately presented from a dual-sided headphone. The noise presented from a distant speaker and the outside-head noise masked the simulated tinnitus in 71.1% and 77.1% of measurements at a lower intensity compared to the noise beside the ear and the inside-head noise, respectively. In conclusion, spatial information regarding the masking noise may play a role in reducing the perception level of simulated tinnitus. Binaurally recorded sounds may be beneficial for an acoustic therapy of tinnitus.