The headphones that could ease tinnitus with a radical new treatment

Headphones that switch sounds from 1 receptor to nan different could beryllium a extremist caller curen for tinnitus — nan ringing sound successful nan ears that affects astir 5 cardinal group successful nan UK.

When a sound comes from nan wearer’s right-hand side, it is picked up by a microphone successful nan headphones and re-routed to nan near ear. The other happens pinch sounds emanating from nan left.

Scientists deliberation jumbling nan guidance of sound, pinch nan eyes telling nan encephalon it’s coming from 1 spot but nan ears telling it nan opposite, helps to ‘rewire’ nan auditory nervus (which connects nan receptor to nan brain). And this ‘turns down’ nan tinnitus.

The results of a mini proceedings propose that utilizing nan headsets for 2 hours a time for 3 weeks importantly reduces tinnitus. Many group suffer impermanent tinnitus, but for astir 1 successful 100, nan ringing is agelong word and is often mixed pinch proceeding loss.

When nan ears are exposed to large sound aliases infections, mini hairsbreadth cells that transmit sounds to nan encephalon go stressed and emit excess quantities of a chemic called glutamate. This ‘glutamate storm’ over-stimulates — and yet kills — nervus cells successful nan soul ear, which nonstop sound impulses to nan auditory cortex, nan portion of nan encephalon that processes noise.

T his leaves cells successful nan auditory cortex switched connected truthful they perpetually relay sound to nan brain, causing group to ‘hear’ ringing, for instance. In some, nan cells stay successful this ‘switched on’ state.

By this point, it is much difficult to treat. There are nary narcotics for it, and treatments see talking therapy, which helps patients unrecorded pinch nan condition, aliases sound therapy, wherever inheritance sound is utilized to distract them.

The thought for headphones curen came from reflector therapy, which is utilized for phantom limb symptom — wherever amputees still consciousness symptom from nan removed limb. By ‘hiding’ their affected limb down a reflector which reflects nan patient limb, and focusing connected this reflection, nan encephalon is ‘tricked’ into reasoning some limbs are intact. Studies propose this leads to rewiring successful nan encephalon that reduces nan cognition of pain.

Scientists astatine Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital successful Massachusetts successful nan U.S., who developed nan prototype headphones, deliberation they activity successful a akin way, ‘rewiring’ connections betwixt nervus cells truthful they nary longer registry tinnitus arsenic a existent outer sound.

Results published successful nan Journal of nan American Academy of Audiology successful 2022 showed 18 volunteers knowledgeable important improvements successful their symptoms. Now a proceedings is nether measurement pinch 50 patients who will deterioration nan headphones for 3 hours a time for 3 weeks, aliases a regular brace that play sound into nan receptor closest to nan sound source. The results are expected later this year.

Commenting connected nan treatment, Dr Will Sedley, a teacher successful neurology astatine Newcastle University, said: ‘It’s a neat idea, but we request nan results of nan proceedings earlier we tin opportunity it works. In nan meantime, nan 1 point we cognize does activity good for galore group is talking therapy.’