Reply to Tass et al. on 'Counteracting tinnitus by acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation' Restorative neurology and neuroscience Vol. 30 (2), 2012.

摘要

In a published study, Tass et al. brought up the scientific question whether a special treatment is associated with relief of symptoms of tinnitus over time (Tass et al., 2012). The study design was a prospective, randomized, single blind, placebo-controlled trial in 63 patients, allocated to five treatment arms. For the statistical analysis of this design we would expect a direct comparison, such as an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with the visual analogue scale (VAS) and a tinnitus questionnaire (TQ) as outcomes of interest (Senn, 2006). The baseline values could serve as a covariate, especially since it seems necessary to adjust for baseline differences given the small sample size, apart from the large number of arms.