Estudo clínico com Barra de Access: efeitos nos sintomas de ansiedade e no transtorno do zumbido

Abstract

Introduction: Holistic therapies or integrative practices correspond to a global care process with the subject. Among them, the Access Bar, considered a consciousness expansion technique, has numerous applications, and has proven effects on anxiety and depression. However, in tinnitus disorder, an auditory perception associated with suffering, with different causes and mechanisms, still needs to be studied. Objectives: Evaluate the action of Access Bar therapy as a treatment proposal for tinnitus disorder and verify its effects on anxiety symptoms in subjects with tinnitus disorder. Methodology: Clinical, placebo-controlled, blind, quantitative, qualitative and longitudinal study. Approved on September 10, 2019 by the Ethics and Research Committee (CEP) opinion nº 3.566.357 and CAE 19017919.7.0000.5346. The collection was carried out from November 2019 to August 2022. All subjects were informed about the possible risks, benefits and confidentiality of the research data and, upon accepting, they signed the Free and Informed Consent Form (TCLE). Forty-two subjects participated in the study, 25 females and 17 males, mean age of 43.42 years. With normal hearing thresholds and sensorineural hearing loss to a moderate degree; tinnitus disorder associated with different causes, without evident and diagnosed neurological or psychiatric problems, without external or middle ear alterations and who were not undergoing any other treatment for tinnitus. The procedures performed included: Anamnesis, Threshold Pure Tone Audiometry, Logoaudiometry, Immitanciometry, Acuphenometry, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). For treatment, they were randomly allocated to the following options: Access Bar (n=22) and placebo (n=20). After four sessions, receiving one of two different practices, the subjects were reassessed. For statistical analyses, a significance level of 5% was considered (p-value <0.05). Nonparametric tests were used, Wilcoxon to compare the pre and post moments in the same group (subject is research and control of himself) and Mann-Whitney to compare the groups at different moments. Results: There were statistically significant differences between the pre and post moments in the same group for the three variables (VAS, THI and BAI). Note that in both there was a reduction in values, which was greater in the Access group. Comparing the groups, there was a reduction in scores in both groups, with statistically significant differences for BAI (p-value = 0.007) and for the delta variable (p-value = 0.035) in THI, with a greater reduction in the access group. Conclusion: The Access Bar showed beneficial effects on tinnitus disorder and anxiety symptoms. There was a reduction in tinnitus discomfort and anxiety symptoms, thus providing an improvement in the quality of life of this population. In this way, the Access Bar is suggested as a therapeutic proposal in these symptoms.