Efficacy and Safety of AM-101 in the Treatment of Acute Inner Ear Tinnitus-A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Study
Otology & Neurotology (March 2014) P. van de Heyning, G. Muehlmeier, T. Cox, G. Lisowska, H. Maier, K. Morawski, T. Meyer
Researchers tested the efficacy and safety of AM-101, an experimental drug injected into the inner ear by syringe, on 248 patients with tinnitus and other related hearing issues. The drug did not impact the objective measure of tinnitus: minimum masking sound level necessary to cover a patient’s tinnitus. However, it did show positive impact on patients’ subjective measures of tinnitus, particularly perceived loudness, annoyance, and sleep difficul- ties. The drug was deemed to be safe.
Therapeutic Effect of Sildenafil on Blast- Induced Tinnitus and Auditory Impairment
Neuroscience (March 2014) G. Mahmood, Z. Mei, H. Hojjat, E. Pace, J. Zhang
Researchers used rats to test the efficacy of the drug Sildenafil (commercially marketed as Viagra or Revatio) as a treatment for concussive, blast-induced tinnitus. While the drug did not prevent the initial onset of acute tinnitus, it did seem to suppress high- frequency tinnitus 3-6 weeks after blast exposure. Rats receiving the drug also appeared to have signifi- cantly lower startle reactions to noise, indicating a suppression of hyperacusis-like conditions. The researchers conclude that Sildenafil is a promis- ing therapy for blast-induced tinnitus but additional research is needed to confirm and optimize the ther- apeutic effects.
Playing and Listening to Tailor-Made Notched Music: Cortical Plasticity Induced by Unimodal and Multimodal Training in Tinnitus Patients
Neural Plasticity (May 2014) J. Pape, E. Paraskevopoulos, M. Bruchmann, A. Wollbrink, C. Rudack, C. Pantev
This study tested whether listening to customized (notched) music, with frequencies matching the range of an individual’s tinnitus, effectively coun- teracts hyperactivity in the brain’s auditory cortex and encourages corrective neural changes in the brain. Using magnetoencephalographic (MEG) and behavioral measurements, the researchers studied 26 patients who listened to notched music over a two month period. Their results found that attentively listening to modified music (without other sensory distractions) does significantly reduce tinnitus-related activity in the brain and improves coping skills.
Effect of Different Sounds on the Treatment Outcome of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy
Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology (June 2014) B.J. Kim, S.W. Chung, J.Y. Jung, M.W. Suh
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) is an established tinnitus management system that combines coun- seling and sound therapy. This study attempted to refine TRT by exploring what specific types of sounds are most effective in the treatment: narrowband (a small range of frequencies), broad- band (a large range of frequencies), or mixed band (a combination of both.) The researchers divided 38 TRT patients into three test groups, and each group received a different type of sound treatment for nine weeks. While all sound types provided relief to tin- nitus patients, broadband noise had a significantly higher therapeutic effect.
Does Melatonin Have Therapeutic Use in Tinnitus?
Southern Medical Journal (June 2014) L. Merrick, D. Youssef, M. Tanner, A.N. Peiris
Melatonin is a hormone, produced by the body’s pineal gland, that plays a roles in the initiation and maintenance of sleep. It also appears to provide some protection from ototoxic drugs reactions. Many patients given melatonin supplements (that exceed the amount naturally produced by the body) reported decreased tinnitus symptoms. The authors speculate that this effect derives from melatonin’s antioxidative and sleep enhancement properties. They conclude that melatonin should be considered for use in patients with significant tinnitus.
Effects of Furosemide on Cochlear Neural Activity, Central Hyperactivity, and Behavioural Tinnitus after Cochlear Trauma in Guinea Pig
PLoS One (May 2014) W.H. Mulders, K.M. Barry, D. Robertson
Cochlear trauma increases hyperactivity in the brain’s auditory structures, often resulting in the per- ception of tinnitus. This hyperactivity appears to start in the peripheral parts of the auditory system and, over time, becomes entrenched in more central brain structures. This animal-based study found that injec- tions of the drug Furosemide (a loop diaretic) shortly after the onset of cochlear trauma reduced peripheral hyperactivity and behavior associated with tinnitus. The researchers posit that Furosemide may prevent hyperactivity from entrenching itself in the auditory cortex. If these findings are confirmed, it would sug- gest that there may be a therapeutic window after cochlear trauma in which drug treatments can be used to prevent tinnitus onset.
Summer 2014 | Tinnitus Today 29
SCIENCE & RESEARCH
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