A new study carried out by researchers fromUniversity of Auckland offers new hope for all those people who suffer from tinnitus. The team of experts has in fact declared that they have designed an effective therapy starting from the mobile phone, obtaining encouraging results in the experimental phase.
The results of the Research have been published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Neurology.
Tinnitus: this is what the new experimental therapy consists of
The research randomized 61 patients to one of two treatments, the prototype of the new “digital polytherapy” or a popular self-help app that produces white noise. On average, the group with the polytherapy (31 people) showed clinically significant improvements at 12 weeks, while the other group (30 people) did not: “This is more significant than some of our previous work and is likely to have an impact. directed on the future treatment of tinnitus, ”said the Associate Professor in Audiology Grant Searchfield.
The 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 experience of the tinnitus. goal-based counseling, goal-oriented games and other technology-based therapies are effective for some people at times, “explained Dr. Searchfield:” This is faster and more effective, it takes 12 weeks instead of 12 months for more individuals gain some control ”.
To date, there is no therapy that can cure tinnitus: “What this therapy does is essentially rewire the brain in a way that reduces the emphasis of the tinnitus sound to a background noise that has no meaning or relevance to the tinnitus. the listener, ”Dr. Searchfield agfiut. Audiology researcher Dr. Phil Sanders said the results are exciting and found it rewarding to conduct the process personally: “Sixty-five percent of the participants reported improvement. For some people, it was life changing, where tinnitus was taking over their life itself and their attention. “
Some people haven’t noticed an improvement, and their feedback will further inform the personalization, Dr. Sanders noted. Tinnitus is a phantom noise and its causes are complex. While most people experience tinnitus, or at least on occasion, ringing in their ears, about five percent experience it to a distressing degree. Impacts can include sleep disordersdifficulty in carrying out daily activities and depression.
Dr Searchfield concluded by saying that seeing his patients’ distress and not having 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 more local and international trials. ample ahead of FDA approval. The researchers hope the app will be clinically available in about six months.
According to the CDI (Italian diagnostic center): “Recent epidemiological studies report a prevalence tinnitus in the Italian adult population by 6.2%, if we consider tinnitus lasting more than 3 months by 4.8% but only in 1.2% the tinnitus is so severe as to cause an alteration in the person’s quality of life. This means that more than 3 million Italians suffer from tinnitus and for more than 600,000 it is a major problem. It must also be considered that these data tend to be underestimated because many individuals live with tinnitus without it having an impact on their quality of life, and only those who believe it bothersome seek medical advice “.
The epidemiologist of the Milanese Institute, Silvano Gallus, said: “14% of adult Europeans reported having suffered from tinnitus for at least 5 minutes during the past 12 months. 1.2% of the participants. This means that in Italy alone more than 6 million Italians suffer from tinnitus, of which more than 400 thousand are severe “.
“The prevalence of tinnitus increases significantly with age and hearing loss while it is similar in both sexes. To date, there are no approved cures or medications to treat tinnitus, but there are therapies available to help cope with the symptom. And some of the latest drug research is showing promising results, ”concluded the expert.
According to the experts of the Bambin Gesù hospital: “Tinnitus is very frequently present during episodes of otitis media, which are very common in children between the ages of 3 and 7-9.. Therefore, the treatment of the underlying pathological condition also leads to a spontaneous resolution of the symptom in the vast majority of cases “.
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