Mobile Phone Therapy for Tinnitus

Do you or a loved one have tinnitus? Tinnitus is sometimes known as ‘ringing in the ears’, but if you have the condition, you might hear humming sounds, or hissing, whistling, clicking, roaring, whooshing or buzzing.

Turns out that about two out of three people in Australia suffer from tinnitus at some point in their life, and of that number, up to twenty per cent have tinnitus that severely affects their quality of life.

However, there is good news for tinnitus sufferers, as last month researchers at the University of Auckland announced ‘encouraging results’ from a clinical trial of a mobile-phone-based therapy. The study randomised 61 patients to one of two treatments, the prototype of the new ‘digital polytherapeutic’ or a popular self-help app producing white noise.

On average, the group with the polytherapeutic (31 people) showed clinically significant improvements at 12 weeks, while the other group (30 people) did not. The results have just been published in the Frontiers in Neurology journal. “This is more significant than some of our earlier work and is likely to have a direct impact on future treatment of tinnitus,” Associate Professor in Audiology Grant Searchfield said.

Key to the new treatment is an initial assessment by an audiologist who develops the personalized treatment plan, combining a range of digital tools, based on the individual's experience of tinnitus.

“Earlier trials have found white noise, goal-based counselling, goal-oriented games and other technology-based therapies are effective for some people some of the time,” said Dr Searchfield. “This is quicker and more effective, taking 12 weeks rather than 12 months for more individuals to gain some control.”

There is no pill that can cure tinnitus. “What this therapy does is essentially rewire the brain in a way that de-emphasises the sound of the tinnitus to a background noise that has no meaning or relevance to the listener,” Dr Searchfield explained.

Audiology research fellow Dr Phil Sanders says the results are exciting and he found running the trial personally rewarding.

“Sixty-five percent of participants reported an improvement. For some people, it was life-changing - where tinnitus was taking over their lives and attention.”

Some people didn't notice an improvement and their feedback will inform further personalisation, Dr Sanders said.

Dr Searchfield says seeing his patients’ distress and having no effective treatment to offer inspired his research. “I wanted to make a difference.”

The next step will be to refine the prototype and proceed to larger local and international trials with a view to FDA approval. The researchers hope the app will be clinically available in around six months.

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