In a randomized clinical trial involving 99 participants with somatic tinnitus, statistically significant reductions in tinnitus loudness level were observed after bi-sensory treatment (combined sound and somatosensory) but not after sound-only treatment.
“Tinnitus, the perception of sound in the absence of external stimuli, occurs in approximately 15% of the U.S. adult population, with 10% of these individuals reporting it as debilitating,” said senior author Professor Susan Shore, a researcher at the University of Michigan, and colleagues.
“Characteristic of most individuals with tinnitus, up to 80% can manipulate the volume, pitch, or tonal quality of their tinnitus by performing head or neck movements, termed somatic tinnitus.”
“This group of individuals was chosen for our new study as somatic tinnitus involves the somatosensory system, which has been shown to play an important role in the development of tinnitus.”
“While there have been substantial advances in the understanding of neural mechanisms underlying tinnitus, the development of treatments has proven challenging, and there are currently no FDA-approved treatments.”
For the study, the authors recruited 99 individuals (mean age 47 years; 59 males) with somatic tinnitus.
Candidates with bothersome, somatic tinnitus, as well as normal-to-moderate hearing loss, were eligible to participate.
“After enrollment, participants received a portable device developed and manufactured by in2being, LLC, for in-home use,” Professor Shore said.
“The devices were programmed to present each participant’s personal tinnitus spectrum, which was combined with electrical stimulation to form a bi-sensory stimulus, while maintaining participant and study team blinding.”
The participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group received bi-sensory, or active, treatment first, while the second received sound-alone, or control, treatment.
For the first six weeks, participants…
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