A new sound therapy has shown promise in reducing the symptoms of tinnitus, a condition affecting millions in the United Kingdom. Researchers from Newcastle University, in collaboration with the charity RNID, have developed a treatment that could potentially be delivered through a smartphone app. This innovative therapy aims to alleviate the distressing perception of persistent ringing or buzzing sounds in the ears.
The study involved 77 participants suffering from tinnitus, which can stem from various causes, including hearing loss, certain medications, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Dr. Will Sedley, a consultant neurologist at Newcastle University, emphasized that current treatments for tinnitus are limited. He stated, “At the moment, there aren’t really very good treatments to get rid of the tinnitus sound, and it’s all about helping people disengage and learn to live better with the symptom.”
Promising Results from Clinical Trials
During the trial, participants were divided into two groups. One group listened to modified synthetic sounds designed to disrupt the brain’s activity patterns, while the control group received placebo sounds adjusted to different frequencies. For one hour a day over a six-week period, participants engaged with these sounds online, followed by a three-week break. They resumed listening for another six weeks, with the sounds swapped without the participants’ knowledge of which was active or placebo.
Upon analyzing the results, researchers found that participants exposed to the active sounds experienced an average reduction in tinnitus symptoms by around 10%, lasting for approximately three weeks post-treatment. Dr. Sedley noted, “We came to analyse the data, and what we found is that, on average, people listening to the active ones, but not the placebo ones, during that phase did get a significant quieting of their tinnitus.”
The study’s findings suggest that this therapy could be adapted to everyday sounds, such as music or podcasts, significantly enhancing the listener’s experience while addressing their tinnitus symptoms.
The Future of Tinnitus Treatment
Looking ahead, Dr. Sedley is optimistic about further developments in this area. He mentioned the potential for various modifications to the sounds and increased listening durations. “If we could build this into the normal, listening to music, and talk radio, podcasts,” he explained, “people are doing anyway, they could rack up hours and hours of listening every day.”
This method offers an accessible solution, as it does not require special equipment. Instead, it could be integrated into users’ daily lives through a simple app or website. Dr. Sedley added, “The hope is, even if we can’t cure tinnitus, that we might find something that makes it quieter for a fair number of people living with it, just by doing the things they would already be doing in their lives.”
According to Dr. Sedley, approximately one in eight adults will experience persistent tinnitus, rising to one in four among the elderly. He explained that the condition may arise when certain brain cells lose input due to hearing loss, excessive noise, or natural aging, leading to spontaneous activity that creates the perception of sound.
The therapy’s goal is to disrupt this synchrony among neurons, similar to the chaotic environment of a football crowd. By using sound to break up this synchrony, researchers hope to reduce the overall message the brain receives regarding tinnitus.
Ralph Holme, the director of research at RNID, described the therapy as a “highly promising development.” He noted that while current treatments focus on managing the condition, this new method targets the source of tinnitus perception directly. He remarked, “This is a highly promising development when it comes to possible treatments for tinnitus—a condition which affects millions in the UK and for which there is currently no cure.”
As research continues, this innovative sound therapy may offer a new lease on life for those living with tinnitus, providing relief through a simple and accessible platform.
