A patient with chronic tonal tinnitus undergoes trial of tinnitus masking. After the masking noise is switched off, he reports that his tinnitus is temporarily quieter than before for several minutes. What is this phenomenon called?

• A Facilitation effect
• B Rebound phenomenon
• C Habituation of perception
• D Residual inhibition ✓

Explanation

Residual inhibition is the temporary suppression or reduction of tinnitus after cessation of a masking stimulus, lasting seconds to minutes. It is documented in a proportion of patients and predicts a somewhat better response to sound based therapies. Rebound refers to worsening of tinnitus after masking, habituation of perception is the goal of retraining therapy over months, and facilitation is not a recognised term in tinnitus management.

Reference: Ballenger's Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, 18th ed.

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