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Tinnitus is defined as an auditory sensation without corresponding external stimulus (Baguley et al., 2013). It is a common symptom (e.g. Bhatt et al., 2016) and is experienced as bothersome by a substantial part of those affected (Kim et al., 2015). For those severely affected, tinnitus may be associated with depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances or concentration problems (Bhatt et al., 2017; Langguth, 2011). There are different treatment options available or under research for those suffering from tinnitus (Zenner et al., 2017). One way of delivery which has been under review throughout the last years are online interventions and smartphone applications (e.g. Beukes et al., 2019). With an increasing number of apps related to health on the app stores one might ask what`s in store for those living with tinnitus. Research groups identified a substantial number of tinnitus-related apps on the app stores (Deshpande & Shimunova, 2019), asked for mobile applications used by people affected (Sereda et al., 2019) or reviewed their quality (Mehdi et al., 2020). We aim at contributing to this line of research by giving an overview on tinnitus apps available via the German app stores – We will evaluate their properties in terms of quality and will have a thorough look at what is being offered in terms of intervention components/ treatments and Behavior Change Techniques.

Background: Many refugees have experienced multiple traumatic events in their country of origin and/or during flight. Trauma-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex PTSD (CPTSD) are prevalent in this population, which highlights the need for accessible and effective treatment. Imagery Rescripting (ImRs), an imagery-based treatment that does not use formal exposure and that has received growing interest as an innovative treatment for PTSD, appears to be a promising approach. Objective: This randomized-controlled trial aims to investigate the efficacy of ImRs for refugees compared to Usual Care and Treatment Advice (UC+TA) on (C)PTSD remission and reduction in other related symptoms. Method: Subjects are 90 refugees to Germany with a diagnosis of PTSD according to DSM-5. They will be randomly allocated to receive either UC+TA (n = 45) or 10 sessions of ImRs (n = 45). Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-intervention, three-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. Primary outcome is the (C)PTSD remission rate. Secondary outcomes are severity of PTSD and CPTSD symptoms, psychiatric symptoms, dissociative symptoms, quality of sleep, and treatment satisfaction. Economic analyses will investigate health-related quality of life and costs. Additional measures will assess migration and stress-related factors, predictors of dropout, therapeutic alliance and session-by-session changes in trauma-related symptoms. Results and Conclusions: Emerging evidence suggests the suitability of ImRs in the treatment of refugees with PTSD. After positive evaluation, this short and culturally adaptable treatment can contribute to close the treatment gap for refugees in high-income countries such as Germany. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register under trial number DRKS00019876, registered prospectively on 28 April 2020., Highlights • Many refugees have experienced traumatic events. • This trial investigates the efficacy of imagery rescripting, a short and culturally adaptable treatment that can contribute to close the treatment gap for refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder in high-income countries.

Additional file 2. Response to the addendum to the “Neurofeedback for tinnitus” application to the Ethics Committee of the Department of Psychology (file number 2018-04k).

Additional file 7. Trial registration—dataset.

Additional file 5. Probandeninformation zur HNO-ärztlichen Untersuchung im Rahmen der Studie. “Tinnitus und Neurofeedback“ (ToNe-Studie).

Additional file 4. Information about the study "Tinnitus and Neurofeedback" (ToNe-study).

Additional file 6. Participant Information regarding the ENT assessment part of the study "Tinnitus and Neurofeedback" (ToNe study).

Additional file 3. Study: “Neurofeedback for tinnitus - does frequency band specificity matter?”.

Additional file 1. SPIRIT 2013 Checklist: Recommended items to address in a clinical trial protocol and related documents.

Background Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) has proven to be an effective treatment in improving patients' ability to cope with tinnitus. However, some patients prefer face-to-face therapy to ICBT, and a few studies have shown considerable dropout rates if the treatment is not guided. This renders it important to identify factors that contribute to the commencement and continuation of ICBT programs. Aims Because treatment motivation and expectations are important factors in psychological treatment, the aim of our study was to investigate what leads tinnitus patients to seek out ICBT, what helps them to keep up with the treatment, and what (if any) impact these factors have on dropout rates and treatment outcomes. Method 112 tinnitus patients taking part in ICBT for tinnitus responded to symptom-related questionnaires at three points in time (pre-treatment, post-treatment, and one-year-follow-up) and to a questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions about their treatment motivation and expectations before beginning treatment. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, and the results were used to divide the participants into groups. The treatment outcomes of these groups were compared using t-tests, χ2-tests, and both one-factorial and mixed ANOVAs. Results Four main categories emerged as factors conducive to starting treatment: 1) Targets participants wanted to address, 2) circumstances that led to participation, 3) attitudes towards the treatment, and 4) training features. Participants identified six facilitators for continuing the treatment: success, training, individual attitude, hope, evidence, and support. Naming specific tinnitus-associated problems as targets was associated with greater improvement from pre-treatment to 1-year-follow-up. Describing an active involvement in the treatment was related to increased improvement from post-treatment to follow-up. Conclusion There are several motivational factors that tinnitus patients consider relevant for beginning and continuing ICBT. Particularly, focusing on specific targets that do not involve the tinnitus itself, and encouraging participants to take an active role in treatment may increase treatment effectiveness. However, further hypothesis-guided research is necessary to confirm our explorative results., Highlights • Analysis of tinnitus patients’ explanations what makes them seek and keep up an Internet-based treatment • Most participants started treatment to address the tinnitus and its accompanying problems, or due to a lack of alternatives • Especially treatment success and helpful training contents were regarded as important for keeping up motivation • Having specific targets other than the tinnitus and taking an active role might be beneficial for treatment outcome