A New Model for Tinnitus Treatment
By Daugherty, Julie; Hearing Review, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 26-30Publication Date: February 2010
Article discusses current treatments for tinnitus, a persistent ringing in the ears, with focus on a treatment model using the Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment. A brief overview of five treatments for the disorder is provided: (a) pharmacological therapies; (b) cognitive behavioral therapy; (c) acoustic therapy with sound generators including hearing aids and in-the-ear and tabletop noise maskers; (d) Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), a combination of counseling and broadband noise therapy; and (e) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) which is said to work by altering cortical reorganization associated with tinnitus. A detailed description of Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment, an FDA approved therapy, is offered. The therapy uses a portable listening device to deliver a customized acoustic neural stimulus used by patients under guidance by a trained clinician for about 6 months. Daily self treatment along with extensive counseling and education aims to gradually desensitize the patient to tinnitus disturbance. A clinical trial is cited wherein 91 percent of participants reported an improvement in symptoms after 6 months, results which remained consistent at 12 months post therapy. The article also details a Neuromonics treatment model, offered at the authors’ clinic, which consists of (1) a physician conducting an initial consultation including psychometric testing and audiological imaging as necessary; (2) audiological testing and tinnitus matching, performed by an audiologist, and the fitting of hearing aids and maskers as needed; (3) Neuromonics treatment administered by a trained nurse practitioner; and (4) consultation with a psychologist for patients with severe tinnitus disturbance. A case study is offered as a demonstration of the effectiveness of the treatment model.
Assistive Products Discussed: NEUROMONICS TINNITUS TREATMENT DEVICE - OASIS
Published by: Ascend Media LLC (Website:http://www.ascendmedia.com)
Link to text: http://www.hearingreview.com/issues/articles/2010-02_04.asp
