An Innovative Combination Device to Assist in Tinnitus Management
By Piskosz, Michael; Kulkarni, Snehal; Hearing Review, Vol. 17, No. 11, pp. 26-30Publication Date: October 2010
Article describes ReSound LiveTS, a combination device for the treatment of patients with tinnitus and hearing loss. Tinnitus, also known as a ringing in the ears, is cited as affecting about 10 to 15 percent of the overall population, with the vast majority having hearing loss in addition to the condition. Theories of tinnitus causation are outlined, as are various treatment options including tinnitus sound generators (TSG), tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), and Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM). ReSound LiveTS is described as a combination hearing loss and tinnitus solution with the digital technology of a hearing instrument and TSG features including frequency shaping of the noise signal, amplitude modulation, and Environment Steering, a function whereby the TSG volume will automatically adjust according to the listening environment. Two clinical trials with ReSound LiveTS are described, one involving 30 tinnitus patients with mild to moderate bilateral hearing losses, and the other including 24 participants with varying perceptions of tinnitus, 13 of whom had mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Study results collected at initial instrument fitting and at the end of the 6-month studies revealed ReSound Live TS to provide significant benefit in improving patients’ perception of their tinnitus. In the latter of the two studies, 68 percent of participants preferred the volume control feature of the TSG over Environmental Steering, and 73 percent preferred continuous noise over modulated noise. About 82 percent of participants preferred filter settings to allow broadband noise.
Published by: Ascend Media LLC (Website:http://www.ascendmedia.com)
Link to text: http://www.hearingreview.com/issues/articles/2010-10_04.asp
