Researchers at the University of Auckland have developed a system to combat tinnitus. The scientists’ job was: published Frontiers in Neurology.
The study involved 61 volunteers – all split into two groups. The first used a popular white noise app, and the second used a prototype of a new multitherapy method. While improvement was observed after 12 weeks in the polytherapy group (31 people), this improvement did not occur in the other group.
Key to the new treatment is the initial assessment by an audiologist, who develops a personalized plan that combines a range of digital tools and practices.
“Previous trials have shown that white noise, goal-directed counseling, goal-directed games, and other technology-based treatments are effective for some people. The therapy essentially reprograms the brain so that tinnitus becomes background noise that doesn’t affect the person in any way,” he said. explained by the researchers.
The next step will be to move on to larger local and international trials to complete the prototype and validate the implementation.