2023-06-06 14:08:38
Tinnitus or tinnitus, commonly known as “ringing in the ears”, is the perception of sounds in the ears or in the head without an external source of sound. They can manifest as a buzzing, hissing, beeping, or other similar sounds.
According to data from the Spanish Society of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC), It is estimated that in Spain between 10% and 15% of the population suffers from tinnitus at some point in their lives. This means that around 4-6 million people in Spain they may experience tinnitus at some point. And many of these people do not find a solution, despite the fact that they offer many remedies for their treatment.
Susan Shore, professor emeritus in the Department of Otolaryngology at Michigan Medicine and the Departments of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan, led research on how the brain processes biosensory information and how these processes can be harnessed for personalized stimulation that allows treat tinnitus.
The results were published in «JAMA Network Open».
The study, a double-blind randomized clinical trial, included people with somatic tinnitus, a form of tinnitus in which movements such as clenching the jaw or applying pressure to the forehead produce a noticeable change in the pitch or loudness of perceived sounds. Nearly 70% of people with tinnitus have the somatic form.
According to Shore, candidates with bothersome somatic tinnitus and normal to moderate hearing loss were eligible to participate.
“After enrollment, participants received a wearable device developed and manufactured by in2being, LLC, for home use,” he explains. “The devices were programmed to present each participant’s personal tinnitus spectrum, which was combined with electrical stimulation to form a biosensory stimulus, while blinding the participant and the study team was maintained.”
Study participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group received the biosensory treatment (active) first, while the second received the sound treatment alone (control).
For the first six weeks, participants were instructed to use their devices for 30 minutes a day. The following six weeks the participants rested from daily use, followed by another six weeks of the treatment received at the beginning of the study.
Tinnitus Retraining: Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to change the response and perception of tinnitus so that it becomes less intrusive and annoying.
Sound therapy: The generation of soft, pleasant sounds is used to mask or distract attention from tinnitus. This may include the use of white noise generating devices, soft music, nature sounds, or other soothing sounds.
Stress management and relaxation: Stress and anxiety can worsen the perception of tinnitus. Relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation therapy reduce the stress response and improve general well-being.
Treatment of hearing problems: If tinnitus is associated with hearing problems, assistive listening devices, such as hearing aids, may be recommended to improve hearing and reduce the perception of tinnitus.
Shore notes that each week, participants completed the Tinnitus Functional Index, or TFI, and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, or THI, which are questionnaires that measure the impact tinnitus has on people’s lives. Participants’ tinnitus intensity was also assessed.
Beneficial effects were seen when they only received sound stimulation.
Furthermore, more than 60% of participants reported a significant reduction in tinnitus symptoms after six weeks of active treatment, but not during control treatment. This is consistent with an earlier study by Shore’s team, which showed that the longer participants received active treatment, the greater the reduction in tinnitus symptoms.
“This study paves the way for the use of personalized biosensory stimulation as an effective treatment for tinnitus, giving hope to millions of tinnitus sufferers,” says Shore.
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