Pioneering new research funded by RNID has revealed hope for the early treatment of tinnitus.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Western Australia, has revealed that for a certain period, spontaneous nerve activity in the brain previously shown to be associated with some types of tinnitus is dependent on signals from the ear. So temporarily reducing the signals sent from the ear to the brain opens up the possibility of treating tinnitus early after onset.

Tinnitus can be a distressing and debilitating condition that affects most people at some point. Currently, around one in 100 people experience serious problems with long-term tinnitus.

Professor Don Robertson, who led the study at the University of Western Australia, said:

"This finding indicates there may be an early phase of tinnitus development which could be arrested by temporarily dampening down the firing from the cochlea. And although a lot more research needs to be done at this stage, it is a very exciting prospect."

Dr Ralph Holme, Director of Biomedical Research, said:

"Tinnitus affects seven million people in the UK, yet there are no safe or effective ways of alleviating this stressful condition. We are extremely excited about the significant progress this research has made into identifying a possible window of opportunity for future treatments."

Dianna Zissi, 24, who has suffered from tinnitus for the last two years, said:

"I have always been passionate about music, so having tinnitus has been very detrimental to my lifestyle, leisure and general freedom. I can't sleep at night without some kind of hefty, constant background noise, like a fan, to drown out the cacophony. Tinnitus can be so loud that you just want to scream! It's really encouraging to know that RNID are investing in research into treating this condition. I hope this means that others may one day receive treatment before it's too late."

Increased nerve activity in the brain is often caused by exposure to loud noise - such as music or machinery. The new pre-clinical research shows that this increased nerve activity can be reversed to normal levels by reducing the signals coming from the inner ear. This was done by cooling the cochlea or by applying certain drugs. It is thought that after a longer time period, the increased nerve activity becomes independent of input from the ears, suggesting that there may be a window of opportunity to treat tinnitus before it becomes established. Research is now needed to find treatments to exploit this window of opportunity in tinnitus patients.

Source
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People