Soothing Music Reduces Awareness of Tinnitus Buzz

An innovative audio device promises to treat tinnitus (ringing in the ears) by promoting desensitization of tinnitus perception, thus reducing consciousness of the disturbing sounds.

The Oasis is a compact, noninvasive medical device that delivers customized music embedded with a pleasant acoustic neural stimulus, designed to complement each patient's individual audiologic profile. The signal stimulates the auditory pathways to promote neural plastic changes; over time, these changes help the brain filter out the tinnitus associated sounds from conscious attention and reduce the associated tinnitus disturbance, providing long-term relief from symptoms. After clinical customization, the patient listens to the device daily for at least six months; for the first two months, the music mix includes a noise, which some describe as water in a shower, to cover the tinnitus. In the third month, the shower sound is removed and patients are instructed to turn up the music just loud enough so the tinnitus is audible only during the quiet parts. After six months, patients use the device as needed. In this way, the therapy can help the brain filter out the tinnitus perception, so that it no longer intrudes on the patient's conscious attention, and no longer has a disturbing impact on quality of life. The device provides stimulation across a broad frequency range (100 Hz-12.5 KHz) and allows interaction with tinnitus perception, at comfortable listening levels, of up to 80 decibels through high quality earphones. The Oasis is a product of Neuromonics (Bethlehem, PA, USA), and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A recent cohort study to evaluate the device involved the first 470 patients to undertake the treatment in seven Neuromonics tinnitus clinics. Tinnitus disturbance was assessed before, during, and after treatment with the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire. The results showed that among the most suitable patients, 92% exceeded the threshold for success (defined as a reduction in tinnitus-related disturbance of at least 40%), and the mean improvement in tinnitus disturbance was 72%; the discontinuance rate was 4%. For other suitability categories, the success rates and mean improvements were somewhat lower, and the discontinuance rates higher. The study was published in the November 2008 issue of Annals of Otololgy, Rhinology and Laryngology.

"By comprehensively addressing tinnitus' underlying neurological processes, Neuromonics is uniquely positioned to help the millions of patients seeking quality-of-life improvements,” said study coauthor Peter Hanley, Ph.D., of Neromonics. "Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment leads to significant improvements for a broad cross-section of patients with tinnitus.”

Tinnitus can be perceived in one or both ears or in the head. It is usually described as a ringing noise, but in some patients it takes the form of a high pitched whining, buzzing, hissing, humming, or whistling sound, or as ticking, clicking, or roaring. Tinnitus can have many different causes, but most commonly results from otologic disorders, such as exposure to excessive or loud noises, or ototoxic drugs, that can cause tinnitus with or without hearing loss. However, tinnitus, just as sudden onset hearing loss, may also have no obvious external cause.

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