Neuromodulation Treatments Targeting Pathological Synchrony for Tinnitus in Adults: A Systematic Review.

(1) Background: Tinnitus involves the conscious awareness of a tonal or composite noise for which there is no identifiable corresponding external acoustic source. For many people, tinnitus is a disorder associated with symptoms of emotional distress, cognitive dysfunction, autonomic arousal, behavioural changes, and functional disability. Many symptoms can be addressed effectively using education or cognitive behavioural therapy.

Evaluation of factors predicting tinnitus outcomes following cochlear implantation: Protocol for a prospective quasi-experimental study.

Cochlear implantation is an effective intervention to restore useful aspects of hearing function in adults with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Tinnitus, the perception of sound in the absence of an external source, is common in people with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Existing evidence suggests cochlear implantation may be effective in reducing the negative impact of tinnitus in this population.

What Should Be Considered When Assessing Hyperacusis? A Qualitative Analysis of Problems Reported by Hyperacusis Patients.

Hyperacusis (decreased sound tolerance) is a prevalent complaint. Yet, to date, no research has qualitatively evaluated the types of problems experienced by adults with hyperacusis. Our service evaluation aims to determine the hyperacusis-related problem domains reported by patients and the degree to which these domains were reported together.

Establishing a Core Domain Set for early-phase clinical trials of electrical stimulation interventions for tinnitus in adults: protocol for an online Delphi study.

Background: Tinnitus is the awareness of a sound in the ear or head in the absence of an external source. It affects around 10-15% of people and current treatment options are limited. Experimental treatments include various forms of electrical stimulation of the brain.

Experience of tinnitus in adults who have severe-to-profound hearing loss: A scoping review.

Background: Tinnitus is defined as the subjective perception of sound in the absence of an external stimulus, and tinnitus disorder becomes relevant when it is associated with emotional distress, cognitive dysfunction, and/or autonomic arousal. Hearing loss is recognized as the main risk factor for the pathogenesis of tinnitus. However, clinical guidelines for tinnitus disorder provide little direction for those who have severe-to-profound hearing loss including those who are pre-lingually Deaf.

Ginkgo biloba for tinnitus.

Background: Tinnitus is a symptom defined as the perception of sound in the absence of an external source. In England alone there are an estimated ¾ million general practice consultations every year where the primary complaint is tinnitus, equating to a major burden on healthcare services. Clinical management strategies include education and advice, relaxation therapy, tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), sound enrichment using ear-level sound generators or hearing aids, and drug therapies to manage co-morbid symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety or depression.

Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of digital hearing aids in patients with tinnitus and hearing loss: a randomised feasibility trial (THE HUSH Trial).

Background: Education and advice is provided for tinnitus management in all UK audiology clinics. Sound therapy, including provision of hearing aids may be offered, but this is often dependent on a clinician's decision rather than UK policy. This inconsistent management reflects a lack of evidence around the effectiveness of hearing aids for tinnitus.

Effectiveness of bimodal auditory and electrical stimulation in patients with tinnitus: A feasibility study.

Background: Tinnitus is a common symptom, affecting about 10-15% of the adult population. When input from the somatosensory system can influence and/or elicit tinnitus, this type of subjective tinnitus is called somatosensory tinnitus. Recently, a new type of bimodal neurostimulation treatment has shown promising results for a specific subgroup within the somatosensory tinnitus population.

Determining the Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Tinnitus, Depression, and Anxiety: A Systematic Review.

(1) Background: Tinnitus is the awareness of a sound in the absence of an external source. It affects around 10-15% of people, a significant proportion of whom also experience symptoms such as depression or anxiety that negatively affect their quality of life. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a technique involving constant low-intensity direct current delivered via scalp electrodes.

Systematic Evaluation of the T30 Neurostimulator Treatment for Tinnitus: A Double-Blind Randomised Placebo-Controlled Trial with Open-Label Extension.

Tinnitus is often triggered by cochlear damage and has been linked with aberrant patterns of neuronal activity. Acoustic Coordinated Reset (CR) Neuromodulation is a sound therapy hypothesised to reduce tinnitus symptoms by desynchronising pathological brain activity using a portable acoustic device (the T30 neurostimulator). We report results of a pivotal trial to test the efficacy of this intervention.

Intervention Planning for the Tinnitus E-Programme 2.0, an Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Tinnitus.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to comprehensively describe the intervention planning process for the Tinnitus E-Programme 2.0, an Internet-based cognitive behavioral intervention for tinnitus. Method Theory-, evidence-, and person-based approaches to intervention development were used.

Evidence for biological markers of tinnitus: A systematic review.

Subjective tinnitus is a phantom sound heard only by the affected person and may be a symptom of various diseases. Tinnitus diagnosis and monitoring is based on subjective audiometric and psychometric methods. This review aimed to synthesize evidence for tinnitus presence or its severity.

Determining the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on tinnitus and tinnitus-related outcomes: protocol for a systematic review.

Introduction: Tinnitus is the awareness of a sound in the ear or head in the absence of an external source. It affects around 10%-15% of people. About 20% of people with tinnitus also experience symptoms such as depression or anxiety that negatively affect their life.

A Delphi survey to determine a definition and description of hyperacusis by clinician consensus.

Objective: There is currently no singularly accepted definition of hyperacusis. The aim of this study was to determine a definition and description of hyperacusis by clinician consensus.

Design: A three-round Delphi survey involving hearing healthcare professionals built towards clinical consensus on a definition of hyperacusis.

'That's just how I am': a qualitative interview study to identify factors influencing engagement with a digital intervention for tinnitus self-management.

Objectives: To explore users' reactions to and expectations of the Tinnitus E-Programme 2.0, a digital cognitive behavioural intervention for tinnitus, and to identify contextual factors and mechanisms of action that may influence user engagement with the intervention.

Design: Qualitative interview study.

The Content and Quality of Information About Hyperacusis Presented Online.

Purpose Hyperacusis is a disorder characterized by reduced sound tolerance leading to ear pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life. Many people with hyperacusis turn to the Internet for information and support from online communities to discuss their condition. The purpose of this study was to assess the content and quality of hyperacusis information presented online.

Protocol for a multi-centre randomised controlled stand-alone feasibility trial to assess potential effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of digital hearing aids in patients with tinnitus and hearing loss (the HUSH trial).

Background: The most common management strategy for tinnitus provided in the UK audiology clinics is education and advice. This may also be combined with some form of sound therapy (e.g.

A process for prioritising systematic reviews in tinnitus.

To develop an innovative prioritisation process to identify topics for new or updated systematic reviews of tinnitus research. A two-stage prioritisation process was devised. First, a scoping review assessed the amount of randomized controlled trial-level evidence available.

Readability assessment of self-report hyperacusis questionnaires.

To assess the overall readability of five currently available hyperacusis questionnaires and to assess the variability of single items within each questionnaire. Comparative study of self-report hyperacusis questionnaires: (1) Geräuschüberempfindlichkeits-Fragebogen (GUF), (2) Noise Avoidance Questionnaire (NAQ), (3) Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ), (4) Sound Sensitive-Tinnitus Index (SSTI), and (5) Inventory of Hyperacusis Symptoms (IHS). Well-established readability formulas Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and FORCAST and a computerised readability calculation software were used.

Understanding User Reactions and Interactions With an Internet-Based Intervention for Tinnitus Self-Management: Mixed-Methods Evaluation.

Purpose Internet-based interventions have the potential to reduce the disparity in access to psychological therapy that people with tinnitus currently experience. One example is the Tinnitus E-Programme, which, although freely available online, has not yet been formally evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate past, current, and new users' reactions and interactions with the Tinnitus E-Programme.

Cochrane corner: Sound therapy (using amplification devices and/or sound generators) for tinnitus.

This Cochrane Corner features "Sound therapy (using amplification devices or sound generators) for tinnitus" published in 2018. Sereda et al. identified eight clinical trials including 590 participants receiving sound therapy for tinnitus.

Standardised profiling for tinnitus research: The European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Research Screening Questionnaire (ESIT-SQ).

Background: The heterogeneity of tinnitus is substantial. Its numerous pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical manifestations have hampered fundamental and treatment research significantly. A decade ago, the Tinnitus Research Initiative introduced the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire, a case history instrument for standardised collection of information about the characteristics of the tinnitus patient.

Gap-induced inhibition of the post-auricular muscle response in humans and guinea pigs.

A common method for measuring changes in temporal processing sensitivity in both humans and animals makes use of GaP-induced Inhibition of the Acoustic Startle (GPIAS). It is also the basis of a common method for detecting tinnitus in rodents. However, the link to tinnitus has not been properly established because GPIAS has not yet been used to objectively demonstrate tinnitus in humans.

Mobile Apps for Management of Tinnitus: Users' Survey, Quality Assessment, and Content Analysis.

Background: Tinnitus is the perception of a sound without any outside source. It affects 6 million people in the United Kingdom. Sound therapy is a core component of many tinnitus management programs.