Last March we wrote about an innovative audio device that promises to treat tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, that people often contract after experiencing very loud sounds like explosions or techno concerts. Now the U.S. Army is sponsoring a trial to test the Oasis™ from Neuromonics out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on soldiers returning from some loud combat actions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
From a Neuromonics press release:
The tinnitus study will evaluate the Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment and counseling for active-duty military servicemembers. Trial sites are expected to include large troop-based military installations. Further study is expected to include technological changes to the tinnitus treatment device, as well as evaluating treatment for specific sub-groups of servicemembers, such as those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment is currently in use in 30 Veterans Affairs and six Department of Defense medical centers throughout the country. It is a compact, non-invasive medical device that delivers a prescribed acoustic neural stimulus, customized for each patient’s individual audiological profile, and incorporates specially processed, relaxing music. After clinical customization, the patient listens to the device daily for six-plus months.
The stimulus is designed to provide relief and relaxation in the initial phase of treatment, and then progressively over a period of several months, to facilitate desensitization to the tinnitus. In this way, the therapy can help the brain filter out the tinnitus perception, so that it no longer intrudes on the patient’s conscious attention, and no longer has a disturbing impact on quality of life. By targeting the condition’s underlying neurological basis, Neuromonics may offer enhanced effectiveness for patients compared to alternatives.
Press release: Neuromonics Awarded $1 Million to Conduct Army Tinnitus Study
Product page: Oasis™ Device
Flashback: Digital Audio Used for Treatment of Tinnitus