Tinnitus Research: Moving the World Toward a Cure

Finding a cure for tinnitus is ATA’s #1 priority. Research will get us there. Over the last 10 years, scientists have made tremendous advances in figuring out what causes tinnitus and how to treat it.

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ATA is dedicated to finding and funding the best and brightest tinnitus researchers to speed up our progress toward finding a cure for tinnitus. Find out how you can support tinnitus research to help speed our progress toward finding a cure.

New and Past ATA-Funded Research

The American Tinnitus Association is at the forefront in the search for better treatments and a cure for tinnitus.

We are pleased to play such an important role in supporting some of the best and brightest scientists in the field and invite you to review our research program.

Read published research reports
from ATA-funded studies.

Funding Facts

The American Tinnitus Association:

  • Awarded $5,003,642 in research grants since 1980
  • Supported 108 studies into the causes of and treatments for tinnitus

Scientific Advisory Committee

This distinguished committee crafted ATA’s Roadmap to a Cure and is the body that reviews all research grants submitted for ATA funding.

Roadmap to a Cure

ATA's Scientific Advisory Committee designed a Roadmap to get us closer to a cure. It specifically maps out what we need to find and the steps to get there.

See recent ATA-funded research and where it fits on the Roadmap to a Cure!

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Supporting Research

The Scientist's Side of the Cure

Read an article featuring tinnitus researchers Dirk De Ridder, M.D., Ph.D., and Berthold Langguth, M.D., Ph.D., where they speak about their interest in research and shared goal of curing the condition.

Participate in a Clinical Trial

For clinical trials you may be able to participate in, visit clinical trial opportunities.

Hyperacusis Study at The University of Iowa

University of Iowa Study researchers are inviting people with loudness hyperacusis for an online survey.

It was back in 1983 that the University of Iowa first showed a link between tinnitus and hyperacusis. For many people with tinnitus, loud sounds are often heard as VERY LOUD.

If you have loudness hyperacusis, Iowa researchers would very much appreciate you completing a brief, 30-minute survey at: https://uiowa.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_22YHczpQkvXNHsE

The research team is hoping to learn important characteristics about hyperacusis that might lead to more helpful treatments.

Upcoming Conferences and Seminars

November 2012

November 8 - 10: 2012 Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) Annual Convention

The 2012 ADA Annual Convention will be held November 8-10, 2012 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information visit Audiologist.org/events48/2012-convention

ADA was founded by nine practitioners in 1977 as the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists to foster and support the professional dispensing of hearing aids by qualified audiologists in rehabilitative practices. Later, in 1988, the ADA developed the concept of the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree and provided much of the energy behind the movement for the transition of audiology to a doctoring healthcare profession.

November 15 - 17: American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) Annual Meeting

The ASHA annual meeting will be held in Atlanta, GA and is an opportunity to learn about the latest evidence-based research, polish professional skills and improve techniques, as well as gain new tools and resources to advance your career and improve your workplace.

Visit ASHA.org/events/convention for additional information.

April 2013

April 3 - 6: AudiologyNOW!  - American Academy of Audiology's Annual Meeting

AudiologyNOW! is the world's largest gathering of audiologists. This annual meeting provides participants the opportunity to attend four days of educational sessions, explore the latest in hearing technology, and network with colleagues from around the world.

AudiologyNOW! is scheduled for April 3-6, 2013, in Anaheim, California, at the Anaheim Convention Center (ACC).

Visit Audiologynow.org for registration details.

May 2013

May 15 - 18: 7th International TRI Conference on Tinnitus

The Tinnitus Research Initiative presents its 7th annual conference, titled "Tinnitus: A Treatable Disease". The conference will take place May 15-18 in beautiful Valencia, Spain. Visit Tinnitusresearch.org for more details.

May 2014

May 21 - 24: XI International Tinnitus Seminar

The new Berlin, host of the XI International Tinnitus Seminar 2014, presents itself to visitors as a cosmopolitan city. The Brandenburg Gate, once a symbol of the divided Germany, has become the emblem of the German capital.

Berlin is situated in the heart of a continent moving towards unification, and plays an important role in the European integration process. In an area of about 891 km², Berlin unites a large number of urban districts, which are completely different in character. More than 434,000 people of the 3.4 million inhabitants of Berlin are not of German origin. They come from more than 180 different nations and provide Berlin with a large variety of lifestyles and cultures.

For more information please visit ITS 2014.

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Latest Research News

TMS Being Studied for Tinnitus and Depression  09/18/2012

A team at Loyola University Medical Center is evaluating the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on patients who suffer with tinnitus and depression. TMS has been approved since 2009 for patients who have major depression and have failed at least one antidepressant. The study will enroll 10 to 15 patients. Each patient will receive five treatments a week for four to six weeks, for a total of 20 to 30 treatments, and will be evaluated by a physician three times during the treatment course.

Novel Combination Therapy Being Tested at University of Auckland  09/18/2012

Researchers from the Centre for Brain Research at the University of Auckland are studying a novel combination therapy involving visual and touch feedback. “We’re trying to provide the means for the auditory system to ignore tinnitus,” explains lead researcher Grant Searchfield, Ph.D., Head of Audiology. “When people experience tinnitus they become attuned to hearing it in preference to other auditory stimuli – it’s a magnet for attention. To break the cycle they need to be trained to attend to other things.”

Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, Tinnitus in Soldiers 09/06/2012

Antioxidants, dietary supplements and brain imaging are among some of the novel strategies that may help detect, treat and even prevent noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus among American troops, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital.

Students Develop 1-Minute Tinnitus Therapy 09/06/2012

As part of a Young Scientist project, students at Ursuline College Sligo developed a one-minute web-based therapy to clear the ears of the ringing sensation.“We are running a clinical trial on our website with initial results due in December. We can’t get FDA approval without a clinical trial, so that’s why we’re doing it. Right now there is only one FDA-approved tinnitus product in the US, but that’s for permanent damage. There is no equivalent of our product.”

Pink Noise May Help Sleep 08/27/2012

Researchers at China's Peking University are studying the effects of pink noise on sleep. Pink noise is a type of sound in which every octave carries the same power, or a perfectly consistent frequency," said study author Jue Zhang, Ph.D. "Think of rain falling on pavement, or wind rustling the leaves on a tree."

Microtransponder Presents Positive Clinical Trial Results 07/05/2012

MicroTransponder, Inc., presented data from its initial 10-patient tinnitus clinical trial during on June 15th at the Tinnitus Research Initiative conference in Belgium.

Patients with tinnitus were treated using a novel paired vagus nerve stimulation therapy which pairs listening to tones with small bursts of stimulation to the vagus nerve in the neck. The results for this initial trial were positive and many of the patients experienced a reduction in the severity and perception of tinnitus.

MicroTransponder is in the final stages of development for the Serenity System™ and is preparing for additional clinical trials in both Europe and the U.S.  Tinnitus patients will be able to enroll in those trials by visiting www.clinicaltrials.gov and can visit www.MicroTransponder.com to get the latest updates.

Results Released for Phase IIb Study of Injection Treatment  07/05/2012

Results from Auris Medical’s phase IIb study with AM-101, a novel intratympanic (IT) treatment for acute inner ear tinnitus, were presented at the recent 6th International TRI Tinnitus Conference in Bruges, Belgium.

Auris Medical’s double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-dose phase IIb study with AM-101 was conducted in Germany, Belgium, Poland, and the Netherlands, involving almost 30 sites. A total of 248 patients suffering from persistent acute inner ear tinnitus were randomized to receive 3 IT injections of either AM-101 at 0.27 or 0.81 mg/ml or placebo over 3 consecutive days. Participants’ tinnitus had to be triggered by acute acoustic trauma, idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL), or otitis media after a recent inciting incident.

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Do you have questions, would like to become a member or request additional information?

Please email us and we will be happy to assist you! Fill out this convenient online form and ATA will send you an information packet of our materials.

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