Could We Not Study the Brain and Ear Pre and Post the "Thump Trick" (Giving Momentary Silence?)

It seems the current path of research for tinnitus aims at creating tinnitus in animal models, identifying changes in bio markers, targeting them with a therapy, only to have that not quite translate to humans.

Couldn't we study the brains and ears of human tinnitus sufferers pre and post "thump trick" (thumping on the back of your head with ears covered which momentarily gives silence) to identify biomarkers in humans and Target it that way?

 

You'd need to use an fMRI which is LOUD.