Novel treatment halts ‘phantom’ noises in ears

A novel treatment could reverse tinnitus, the ‘phantom’ noises that include ringing, buzzing or hissing in ears. Scientists have now found that playing sufferers the same tone which they ‘hear,’ halts auditory brain cells from creating the perceived noise. The new acoustic coordinated reset (ACR) therapy has shown in trials that it eases loudness and annoyance caused by tinnitus in seven out of 10 patients, the journal Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience reports. With ACR, the brain manages to ‘unlearn’ the neurological processes which cause it to generate the ‘phantom’ sounds sufferers associate with tinnitus, according to the Telegraph. Sufferers never experience pure silence, and many struggle to fall asleep. It is more common in the elderly. The only other treatments available have been those which mask symptoms, such as CDs of ocean waves, or psychological techniques to help people cope better. Scientists have now found that playing sufferers the same tone which they ‘hear’ in their mind stops auditory brain cells from creating the perceived noise. With ACR, the brain manages to ‘unlearn’ the neurological processes which cause it to generate the ‘phantom’ sounds sufferers associate with tinnitus. The results of the research are being presented Tuesday at the British Medical Association conference here.