Studies have established that the somatosensory system of the upper cervical region and head can be intimately involved in tinnitus. Tinnitus can arise directly from a disorder of the head and upper neck via the somatosensory system. Our clinical experience and review of reports of various types of treatments support the hypothesis that treatment modalities involving the somatosensory system can benefit individuals whose tinnitus is likely on a somatosensory basis, namely people with symmetric hearing thresholds but asymmetric widely fluctuating tinnitus. However these previous studies did not (a) limit their treatment population to only people with tinnitus on a somatosensory basis and (b) did not assess their results by considering this tinnitus subpopulation separately from the entire group of tinnitus subjects they treated. Hence, the purpose of this study is to re-assess these treatments by targeting people whose audiograms can not account for their tinnitus, such as individuals with symmetric hearing thresholds but asymmetric widely fluctuating tinnitus.
Estimated Enrollment: 60
Study Start Date: December 2008
Estimated Study Completion Date: December 2015
Estimated Primary Completion Date: December 2015 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Somatosensory Based Treatments for Tinnitus
To re-assess treatment modalities involving the somatosensory system.