New App to Dramatically Ease Symptoms -

Promising new treatment for tinnitus via smartphone app

There is no pill that can cure tinnitus. Disturbing noises in the ear are often a lifelong burden for those affected. A New Zealand research team has just presented a promising new treatment for tinnitus that can be performed via a smartphone.

Researchers from the University of Auckland tested a new smartphone-based therapy for tinnitus in a recent study. Participants who started the new treatment showed clinically significant improvements over the course of 12 weeks. The research results were recently presented in the renowned journal "Frontiers in Neurology".

Tinnitus can have serious consequences

Tinnitus can drive some people crazy. The consequences of constant background noise can range from trouble sleeping and difficulty coping with daily life to depression.

Breakthrough in tinnitus research

The University of Auckland task force has been searching for a cure for tinnitus for 20 years. The scientists involved are now enthusiastic about the "encouraging results" of the clinical study and speak of a "breakthrough in the search for a cure for tinnitus".

white noise

Some tinnitus sufferers already use self-help smartphone apps that attempt to neutralize background noise using white noise. The new therapy builds on this technique and extends it with additional components that can be used to control tinnitus.

A combination of proven tools

Several digital tools have been combined for this purpose. Each of the remedies has been shown to be effective in relieving the symptoms of tinnitus sufferers. "Previous studies have shown that white noise, targeted counseling, targeted games, and other technology-based therapies are temporarily effective in some people," confirms Professor Dr. Grant of the research field.

Implementation and results of the study

As part of the study, the researchers compared two groups of about 30 people with tinnitus. One group used the most popular anti-tinnitus app with white noise for 12 weeks, the other group used the new therapy app with the multimodal approach.

On average, the group using the new tinnitus app showed clinically significant improvement in symptoms after 12 weeks, while no improvement was seen with the white noise app alone.

According to the study, 65% of participants who used the new therapy reported noticeable improvement. "For some people, it was a life-changing experience as tinnitus took over their lives and their focus," said audiology researcher Dr. Phil Sanders of the research team.

Why does the app relieve tinnitus symptoms?

"What this therapy does is essentially rewire the brain, reducing tinnitus to background noise that has no meaning or relevance to the listener," says Dr. Sanders

However, according to him, some people could not see any improvements, but their feedback will be incorporated into further customization to improve the app.

The Tinnitus app should be available in about six months

The next step is to refine the prototype app, conduct a study with more test people, and seek FDA approval. The researchers want to make the application clinically available in about six months. (vb)

Author and source information

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This text corresponds to the specifications of the specialized medical literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been verified by health professionals.

Author:

Graduate editor (FH) Volker Blasek

Sources:

Grant D. Searchfield, Philip J. Sanders, et al. : A single-blind, randomized controlled trial of a prototype digital polytherapeutic for tinnitus; in: Frontiers in Neurology (2022), frontiersin.orgUniversity of Auckland: Breakthrough in search for tinnitus cure (published: 09.08.2022), auckland.ac.nz

Important note:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. It cannot substitute a visit to the doctor.