Past ATA-Funded Research

New ATA-Funded Research
Past ATA-Funded Research

Since 1980, when the American Tinnitus Association awarded its first research grant, ATA has been a key funding source for tinnitus researchers. The following is a list of past ATA-funded projects, which have made significant advances in the search for a cure.

FY2010-11 ATA-Funded Research

The following six grants were selected by ATA's Scientific Advisory Committee in March 2011 and approved for funding by the ATA Board of Directors in April 2011.

Berthold Langguth, M.D., Ph.D., University of Regensburg, Bezirksklinikum, Germany
Research Project: rTMS for the Treatment of Tinnitus: Optimization by Stimulation of the Cortical Tinnitus Network
Roadmap to a Cure Paths: A,B,C,D
Funded: 1 Year, $45,000

"It is well known that tinnitus is related to increased activity in central auditory pathways. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an innovative method for locally modulating brain activity. With the idea to down-regulate increased activity in the auditory cortex, rTMS has been introduced as a new treatment for tinnitus. Reduction of tinnitus by rTMS has been demonstrated in many studies, however unfortunately the over-all benefits from this treatment are only relatively small. In the last years additional brain areas have been identified, which are strongly connected with the auditory cortex in tinnitus patients. These so-called neuronal networks reflect conscious perception of tinnitus and the emotional reaction to it. With the aim to attack tinnitus more efficiently we propose a new multi-site stimulation protocol perturbing these tinnitus networks at several nodes. We expect that this new rTMS procedure will reduce tinnitus better and in more patients than the existing procedure and will thus provide an efficient new treatment option for the many patients suffering from tinnitus. The presented study is motivated by the concept that tinnitus generation and maintenance is related to a cortical tinnitus network. Within this study these very recent advances in the understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying tinnitus are translated in a hypothesis-driven new treatment approach. Modulation of network activity by rTMS stimulation at multiple sites can be considered either as a new treatment approach or as refinement of rTMS treatment to the auditory cortex and thus applied to path C and D of the ATA roadmap to a cue. In addition effects of this treatment on cortical structure and function will be assessed by EEG, MRI and fMRI. Comparison of clinical and neurobiological findings will provide an unique opportunity to confirm and refine the knowledge about tinnitus related cortical networks, contributing to path A and B of the Roadmap."

Jay Piccirillo, M.D., FACS, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine
Research Project: Exploration of Cortical Neural Network in Patients with Bothersome Tinnitus
Roadmap to a Cure Paths: A,B,C,D
Funded: 1 Year, $12,900

"Tinnitus is the perceived sensation of sound without actual acoustic stimulation that affects 50 million Americans, with 15 million being significantly bothered. Using functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI), we have found distinct differences in the cortical attention networks between patients with bothersome tinnitus and age‐matched controls. These novel findingssuggest that some of the classic and most disturbing characteristics of tinnitus result from derangements in cortical pathways. Using a validated task‐based functional MRI (fMRI) paradigm developed at Washington University, we will explore the ventral and dorsal frontoparietal cortical attention networks in patients with bothersome tinnitus and non‐tinnitus controls. This will be an experimental task‐based fMRI pilot study involving the neuroimaging assessment of patients with severely bothersome tinnitus, defined by a global bothersome scale. We plan to enroll a total of 12 participants (6 severely bothered tinnitus and 6 age‐matched non‐tinnitus controls) over the course of six months to undergo task‐based imaging. The selected paradigm will allow us to advance knowledge about the role of the attention, control, and other cortical networks in the development and maintenance of bothersome tinnitus."

Susan Shore, Ph.D., The Regents of the University of Michigan
Research Project: Somatosensory Influence on Physiological and Behavioral Correlates of Tinnitus - Towards an Effective Technique for Alleviating Tinnitus
Roadmap to a Cure Paths: A,B,C

Funded: 1 Year, $45,000

"Tinnitus can be modulated by manipulations of the face, neck or head, such as jaw clenching or pushing on the face or neck. It can also appear after insults to these regions, such as tooth abscess, implicating a somatosensory role in the mechanisms underlying tinnitus. Somatosensory-based treatments of tinnitus in people show promise but there is currently no standard treatment based on rigorous knowledge of underlying mechanisms. Our laboratory team proposes to undertake a detailed evaluation of the acoustic-somatosensory mechanisms involved in tinnitus, preparatory to the development of an implantable electrode to be tested in an animal model (guinea pigs). Our research suggests that combined auditory-somatosenory stimulation may prove to be a viable therapy for the alleviation of tinnitus- and these experiments will provide the crucial groundwork needed before human trials can be recommended. This research encompasses three categories of the Roadmap. A, where tinnitus starts, B how tinnitus starts, and C developing therapies to suppress tinnitus. The main focus of this proposal is to use our previous findings that somatosensory regions projects to the auditory system (A) and cause changes in firing rates and synchrony of auditory brainstem neurons (correlates of tinnitus) (B). Using these findings to develop an optimal electrical stimulation paradigm based on these factors to reduce tinnitus addresses the third goal of the Roadmap (C)."

Lucien Thompson, Ph.D., University of Texas at Dallas
Research Project: Developing and Treating Tinnitus by Modulating Neuroplasticity in Hippocampus and Amygdala
Roadmap to a Cure Paths: A,B,C
Funded: 1 Year, $45,000

"Treatments reducing or eliminating tinnitus are critically needed. Surprising changes have been seen in the brains of rats exposed for 30 minutes to loud noise – our experimental tinnitus model. Excitatory neurons in the hippocampus, a limbic region not typically considered an auditory processing region of the brain, lose normal spatial mapping functions minutes after intense noise exposure and acquire a new pattern of activity that lasts at least a day after. We will record and compare changes in these same excitatory and also in inhibitory hippocampal neurons with changes in the amygdala, a limbic region recent fMRI studies suggest is involved in the development and maintenance of tinnitus. We will then test treatments with D-cycloserine, which modulates excitatory glutamate receptors in these and related brain regions and may be beneficial to reduce or prevent both the induction of tinnitus and to reduce or eliminate well established tinnitus, necessitating our planned series of both short- and long-term studies of plasticity. Although tinnitus induces plasticity in the central nervous system, most research has focused upon classical auditory structures. Considerable neural plasticity occurs in limbic regions, supporting both beneficial functions like learning and memory but also significantly contributing to pathologies like epilepsy and tinnitus. Goble et al. (2009) demonstrated novel, robust and rapidly developing altered firing patterns of excitatory neurons in the hippocampus that persisted for 24 hr after high intensity sound exposure in our rat model of tinnitus. The aims of the current proposal are: 1.) to more fully characterize the nature and time course of this plasticity, comparing excitatory and inhibitory neuron firing of both hippocampus and amygdala (another limbic region outside classic auditory pathways but important both for plasticity and for attending to auditory signal relevance) in behaving rats. Tinnitus-induced psychophysical (perceptual) and neural plasticity of hippocampal and amygdala excitatory and inhibitory neurons will be assessed early (immediately after noise exposure), persistently (hours to days later) and long-term (days to months later) to give a quantitative timecourse of tinnitus’s development and maintenance. 2.) test dose- and schedule-dependent effects of D-cycloserine, a drug that modulates limbic plasticity, to eliminate neural and perceptual plasticity early after tinnitus induction, and, also to reduce or eliminate this abnormal plasticity at longer time intervals, after stable tinnitus has been well established. Beneficial treatment effects on limbic neural plasticity and on perceptual changes in tinnitus will be directly compared."

Pim Van Dijk, Ph.D., University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands
Research Project: Response of the Central Auditory System in Tinnitus and Hearing Loss, an fMRI study
Roadmap to a Cure Path: A

Funded: Year 3, $45,000; Grant renewal; 3rd year of 3-year project; (Year 1: $88,006; Year 2: $50,000; Total: $183,006)

"Every sound we hear, including tinnitus, is related to some pattern of activity in the brain. Tinnitus is unusual in that it is not related to an acoustic sound from outside the body. It is believed that tinnitus is caused by pathological neural activity in the brain. The proposed project will investigate brain activity using function magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The study compares hearing impaired patients with and without tinnitus. The data that were acquired during the first two years of the project suggest very similar function of the auditory areas in both subject groups. Possibly, the difference between the groups is not in the auditory areas but in other, non-auditory areas. Specifically, the limbic system in the brain has been suggested to play a role in tinnitus. In the next two years we will try to see whether the interaction between the auditory and non-auditory brain areas might be special in tinnitus subjects. This may explain why some people with hearing loss get tinnitus, while others don't. The third year of this project will include three areas: 1. Subject inclusion and scanning will be completed. This will provide a comprehensive dataset of well-characterized subjects, with and without tinnitus, all with moderate hearing loss. 2. We will analyze interactions between the auditory and limbic brain areas by correlation analysis and independent component analysis (ICA). 3. We will apply voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to identify possible anatomic differences between the subject. Together, these analyses approaches are to identify structural and functional differences between the subject groups."

Na Zhu, Ph.D. student; Wayne State University
Research Project: Development of an Innovative, 3D Computer Aided Diagnostic System for Tinnitus
Roadmap to a Cure Path: A

Funded: Student grant, 1 year, $10,000

"This student research project aims at developing an innovative 3D computer aided diagnostic (CAD) system to pinpoint the exact locations of the tinnitus-related neural network activities inside the brain auditory structure. This CAD system will be utilized to monitor changes in tinnitus-related neural network activities at the identified locations after noise exposure and neuromodulation using auditory cortex electrical stimulations (ACES). These procedures will be used to assess tinnitus percepts in animal subjects to observe if there is any causality correlations in the locations where tinnitus-related neural network activities are found most active. The specific aims of this project are to: 1) Examine the effectiveness and robustness of using advanced signal processing technologies, for example, fast wavelet transform (FWT) to suppress uncorrelated interfering and background noise; 2) Examine the accuracy of using the time reversal (TR) algorithm to pinpoint the locations of tinnitus-related neural network activities in the brain auditory pathway, which includes the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), inferior colliculus (IC), and auditory cortex (AC) based on the sanitized data; 3) Monitor the changes in neural network activities at the locations identified in the Specific Aim 2) before and after noise exposure, and utilize the existing metrics to assess the tinnitus percepts in animal subjects; and 4) Establish a causality relationship between hyperactivities at the location identified in the Specific Aim 2 and the tinnitus percepts defined in the Specific Aim. 3). The project will have a significant impact on providing an in-depth understanding of the fundamental neural mechanisms underlying tinnitus, and results will ultimately lead to an effective treatment for a tinnitus patient. This project will address the issues identified in the Roadmap Path A: Determine sites in the brain where tinnitus-producing signals arise. In particular, it will focus on using a novel 3D CAD system to identify the exact locations in the auditory system that exhibits tinnitus-related activities, measure and monitor the changes in these identified locations, assess tinnitus percepts based on the existing metric, and observe and establish any causality relationship between tinnitus percepts and tinnitus activities."

FY2009-10 ATA-Funded Research

The following five grants were selected by ATA's Scientific Advisory Committee in January 2010 and approved for funding by the ATA Board of Directors in February 2010.

Paul Finlayson, Ph.D., Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
Research Project: Noise-Induced Tinnitus and Biophysical Changes in Rat Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus Fusiform Cells
Roadmap Path: B
Funded: Grant renewal; 2nd year of 2-year project; $50,990 (Year 1: $49,954; Total: $100,944)

"The most common form of tinnitus develops after noise-induced trauma. Multiple changes in the brain occur following trauma due to intense sound exposure, including loss of cells, changes in the function of individual cells and in the communication between cells. This research will study the cellular changes affecting brain cell hyperactivity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus, which directly receives input from the auditory nerve. We will examine the movement of the ions that control the electrical activity in the cells. Determining how cells change, how their communication changes and why they become hyperactive is central to defining how these changes produce tinnitus and also help in developing possible tinnitus treatments."

Rebecca Haas, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
Student Research Project: The Effect of Tinnitus on Gap Detection
Roadmap Path: B
Funded: Student grant, 1 year, $5,500

"Psychophysical testing of tinnitus patients typically targets the tinnitus sound by characterizing aspects such as its loudness and pitch. The utility of psychophysical tinnitus measures may be enhanced by assessing the effect of tinnitus on tests that evaluate patients’ auditory abilities. Testing of temporal processing in tinnitus patients could provide information related to this basic auditory behavior that is associated with many auditory functions, such as speech perception. Measurement of gap detection threshold (GDT) is one psychoacoustic task often used to evaluate temporal processing. A sound sequence consisting of a leading marker, a silent gap, and a trailing marker is presented, and the GDT is the shortest silent gap between the two markers that a listener can detect. Several animal studies reported application of the acoustic startle reflex to measure gap detection. Rats exhibiting noise-induced tinnitus showed deficiency in detecting silent gaps when compared to the controls. There are currently no human data on GDTs in patients with tinnitus. The purpose of this study is to provide a quantitative assessment method of temporal processing in tinnitus patients by measuring their GDTs. It is hypothesized that neural activity in tinnitus patients might result in higher GDTs when compared to those in non-tinnitus subjects." Click to read the complete abstract

Avril Genene Holt, Ph.D., Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
Research Project: Role of Dopamine in Susceptibility to Central Tinnitus
Roadmap Path: A, B
Funded: 1 year, $50,000

"There is increasing evidence that changes within structures of the central auditory system may be sufficient for both generation and maintenance of tinnitus – a condition resulting in the perception of a ringing or buzzing in the absence of an external stimulus. This condition can emerge following exposure to loud noises that may or may not lead to hearing loss. Previous studies have implicated central dopamine as a means of reducing excitoxicity in the periphery, thereby reducing the impact of acoustic trauma, and in humans dopamine antagonists can decrease the perception of tinnitus. Our studies are designed to test whether changes in dopamine levels in a novel dopaminergic pathway in the brain can impact susceptibility to tinnitus regardless of hearing status. Our long-term goal is to identify and understand molecular mechanisms involved in tinnitus related plasticity. Future studies will focus on the use of currently FDA approved dopaminergic agonists and/or antagonists to modulate dopamine levels and attenuate tinnitus symptoms."

Pim Van Dijk, Ph.D., University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Research Project: Response of the Central Auditory System in Tinnitus and Hearing Loss, an fMRI Study
Roadmap Path: A
Funded: Grant renewal; 2nd year of 2-year project; $50,000 (Year 1: $99,100; Total: $149,100)

"Every sound we hear, including tinnitus, is related to some pattern of brain activity. Abnormal neural brain activity is the likely cause of tinnitus. This project will investigate brain patterns using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). An fMRI takes pictures of a brain’s activity, much as a video camera takes pictures of a body’s activity. We will compare hearing impaired patients with and without tinnitus to determine why some hearing impaired patients have tinnitus while others do not. We expect this to help clarify which brain activity patterns are specific to tinnitus."

Fan-Gang Zeng, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, California
Research Project: Tinnitus Suppression
Roadmap Paths: C, D
Funded: Grant renewal; 2nd year of 2-year project; $50,000 (Year 1: $88,006; Total: $138,006)

"One misperception is that, except for masking tinnitus, for instance with music, tinnitus does not interact with external sounds. In our opinion, this misperception has severely limited our options in treating and potentially curing tinnitus. Different from masking, which typically requires a masker to have higher intensity and similar pitch to the tinnitus, tinnitus suppression can occur with sounds that are softer and potentially more pleasant than the tinnitus. The novel aspect of our research is to understand interaction between tinnitus and external sounds, using acoustic and electrical stimulation, with a particular focus on searching for external sounds that can effectively suppress tinnitus."

July 2008

Birgit Mazurek, M.D., Ph.D., Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany
Research Project: Molecular Basis of Salicylate-Induced Tinnitus
Roadmap Path: B
Funded: 1 year, $39,624

"Scientists widely recognize that tinnitus results from miscommunication between cells in the auditory system. We hypothesize that this incorrect communication reflects an abnormal gene expression. This means that perhaps the auditory cells of tinnitus sufferers produce too many or too few of the proteins important in auditory communication. This ATA grant enables us to do further analyses on expression of 18 genes involved in communication and function of the auditory system. We will perform these experiments on normal-hearing rats and rats with aspirin-induced tinnitus. We trust that the outcome of our work will uncover new therapeutic targets for tinnitus treatment."

Jennifer Melcher, Ph.D., Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary,
Boston, Massachusetts
Research Project: Neurophysiology of Hyperacusis
Roadmap Path: A
Funded: 1 year, $50,000

"Many people with tinnitus find certain sounds unbearably loud, even though the same sounds may not be bothersome at all to other people. This condition is called hyperacusis. Using a type of brain imaging called functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), we showed that hearing centers in the brain are more active than normal in people with hyperacusis. Each hearing center contains many different types of brain cells. In our current research, we will test for over-activity by a particular subset of cells using techniques (EEG and MEG) that are sensitive to various aspects of brain activity. If the culprit cells can be identified, it may be possible to design ways to restore normal function, for instance, using drugs or electrical stimulation."

Athanasios Tzounopoulos, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Research Project: Cellular Mechanisms of Tinnitus
Roadmap Path: B
Funded: 1 year, $75,000

"Neuronal connections and neuronal activity can change as a result of ongoing experience. This is known as plasticity of the brain. This plasticity can lead to changes in memory or learning, compensation for loss of function and adaptation to changing demands. However, plasticity-induced changes can also cause signs and symptoms of disease. Tinnitus – commonly referred to as ringing in the ears or head – is the perception of sound in the absence of an environmental acoustic stimulus. Recent studies have shown that individuals with tinnitus have increased neuronal activity in certain areas of the brain. We hypothesize that the same cellular mechanisms responsible for mediating plasticity in these areas may also underlie tinnitus. Determining these mechanisms will point to specific drug treatments that may reduce or alleviate tinnitus."

Fan-Gang Zeng, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, California
Research Project: Tinnitus Suppression
Roadmap Paths: C, D
Funded: 1 year of 2-year project, $88,006

January 2008

Shaowen Bao, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, California
Research Project: Cortical Plasticity in Tinnitus
Roadmap Path: B, C
Funded: 1 year, $99,949

"Recent studies have revealed substantial changes in brain activity patterns in tinnitus patients and in animals with hearing loss. These brain activity changes, known as cortical plasticity, potentially produce hearing loss-induced tinnitus. It is still unclear, however, whether cortical plasticity actually causes tinnitus. In the lab, we will induce cortical plasticity that is similar to that seen in tinnitus patients, only without any accompanying hearing loss. If the plasticity induces tinnitus, then it is not just a side-effect of hearing loss."

Paul Finlayson, Ph.D., Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
Research Project: Tinnitus and Hyperactivity in the Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus Fusiform Cells: Biophysical Changes
Roadmap Path: B
Funded: 1 year of 2-year project, $49,954

"The most common form of tinnitus develops after noise-induced trauma. Multiple changes in the brain occur following trauma due to intense sound exposure, including loss of cells, changes in the function of individual cells and in the communication between cells. This research will study the cellular changes affecting brain cell hyperactivity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus, which directly receives input from the auditory nerve. We will examine the movement of the ions that control the electrical activity in the cells. Determining how cells change, how their communication changes and why they become hyperactive is central to defining how these changes produce tinnitus and also help in developing possible tinnitus treatments."

William Martin, Ph.D., Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
Research Project: Clinical Trial of Acamprosate for Tinnitus
Roadmap Path: C
Funded: 3 years, $73,829

"Acamprosate is a medication used to treat brain chemical imbalances that lead to alcohol addiction. This clinical trial will evaluate acamprosate to see if it can provide significant tinnitus relief for a subgroup of tinnitus patients. The study will further determine if there are patient-related factors (e.g., degree of hearing loss, duration of their tinnitus, depression, anxiety or insomnia) that we can use to predict whether or not acamprosate will be helpful for a specific patient. It will also help increase our understanding of the brain's role in tinnitus and improve future designs of new, effective treatments."

Kelvin M. Kwong, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
Student Grant
Research Project: Mechanisms Underlying Acoustic Masking of Tinnitus
Roadmap Path: A, B
Funded: 1 year, $10,000

"Masking is commonly used to provide relief to tinnitus sufferers. Masking involves covering up the tinnitus with another sound. However, we do not yet sufficiently understand the process. The goal of this project is to determine the neural mechanisms underlying the relief of tinnitus from acoustic masking. We will measure activity in parts of the brain known to correlate with tinnitus perception. We will examine this brain activity before, during and after acoustic masking stimulation to determine if masking plays a role in changing tinnitus-related neural activity."

Daniel Stolzberg, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York
Student Grant
Research Project: Ensemble Spontaneous Activity in Tinnitus
Roadmap Path: A
Funded: 1 year, $10,000

"Modern theories of tinnitus point to the hearing areas of the brain as the generator of this phantom sound. Neurons are the cells of the brain which are in constant, rhythmic communication with one another. In tinnitus, neurons in hearing areas of the brain may lose this normal rhythm, generating a persistent miscommunication which emerges as a phantom sound. Additionally, anesthesia changes how neurons normally communicate. To address that problem, this project will utilize animals that are awake (not anesthetized) to investigate the changes in communication between both individual neurons and groups of neurons, and to determine why these communication changes generate tinnitus."

Pim Van Dijk, Ph.D., University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Research Project: Response of the Central Auditory System in Tinnitus and Hearing Loss, an fMRI Study
Roadmap Path: A
Funded: 1 year of 2-year project, $99,100

July 2007

Richard Altschuler, Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Research Project: Tinnitus Associated Changes in Excitatory Synaptic Strength and Intrinsic Properties in the Rat DCN
Roadmap Path: A
Funded: 1 year, $99,917

"Increased nerve activity in the hearing regions of the brain appears to cause central tinnitus (tinnitus generated by the central nervous system). Inhibitory chemicals normally prevent this rise in activity. Evidence demonstrates that a decrease in these chemicals causes a rise in nerve activity. Our study will examine whether glutamate, a chemical that increases (excites) brain activity, also plays a role. We will test whether the presence of persistent tinnitus changes the inherent properties of the ion channels that regulate nerve activity. If our research shows that changes in glutamate or ion channels are associated with central tinnitus, it will open the avenue to new methods of intervention for the treatment of tinnitus."

Dirk De Ridder, M.D., Ph.D., University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
Research Project: A Method for Measuring Tinnitus and Tinnitus Intensity Objectively: an fMRI-EEG Study
Roadmap Path: A
Funded: 1 year, $96,668

"Our research will help develop objective diagnostic tests for tinnitus that are affordable, simple and quick. When a stimulus, such as a sound, becomes consciously perceived, brain waves oscillate at frequencies around 40 Hz. This is also called gamma band activity. This activity is present only during stimulation; when a sound wanes, so does the activity. If someone constantly perceives tinnitus, gamma band activity should be constantly present in the auditory cortex. Also, the louder the tinnitus, the more gamma band activity there might be. Using an electroencephalogram (EEG), we will look for gamma band measurements that objectively illustrate tinnitus presence and loudness. A second part of the study will look at brain activity using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine, and try to correlate fMRI images to tinnitus presence and intensity. If we are able to objectively measure tinnitus, then we can use these same principles and technology to investigate tinnitus distress."

Didier A. Depireux, Ph.D., University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
Research Project: Targeting the Changes in Inferior Colliculus Induced by Tinnitus
Roadmap Path: A, C
Funded: 1 year, $50,000

"There is a strong correlation between tinnitus and altered neural activity in the inferior colliculus, a brain structure essential for sound perception. This makes the inferior colliculus a natural place to measure the effect that various tinnitus treatments might have. In a novel approach, we will measure neural activity in the inferior colliculus of animals before and after noise-induced trauma. We will also measure the changes in how an animal brain processes complex sounds such as speech and music before and after noise trauma. Lidocaine (a local anesthetic) can alleviate tinnitus, but it has serious side effects. We will perform the above experiments with intravenous Lidocaine to better understand its effect. This will provide important clues about why Lidocaine reduces tinnitus, and will help determine other pharmaceuticals that might similarly quiet tinnitus but with fewer side effects."

Edward Lobarinas, Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
Research Project: Brain Imaging of Salicylate and Noise-Induced Tinnitus in Rats
Roadmap Path: A
Funded: $168,579

"Why do some people develop tinnitus while others exposed to the same conditions do not? Studies in humans have shown that brain activity in patients with tinnitus differs from the activity of patients who do not experience tinnitus. However, in these studies, scientists cannot control the event that started the tinnitus or look at how the tinnitus developed and changed over time. Research using animal models can control conditions, such as exposure to loud noise, that are often associated with the onset of tinnitus. We use these models to study how tinnitus develops and what conditions maintain it. This study will combine animal models of tinnitus with brain imaging. The goal is to understand how tinnitus starts and which areas of the brain change as tinnitus develops after exposure to loud noise or treatment with drugs known to generate tinnitus. We will evaluate brain activity in animals that show behavioral evidence of tinnitus using a brain scanner known as MicroPET. We hope to use this advanced imaging technology to study tinnitus and lay a foundation for advanced diagnosis and a potential method of evaluating effective tinnitus treatment strategies."

January 2007

Nicola Schutte, Ph.D., University of New England, New South Wales, Australia
Research Project: The Effectiveness of Bibliotherapy for Alleviating Tinnitus
Roadmap Path: D
Funded: 1 year, 39,859

"Establish if a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) self-help book helps alleviate tinnitus distress and elucidate the relationship between emotional functioning and tinnitus acceptance."

Michael Brian Calford, Ph.D., School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Australia
Research Project: Neuroplasticity, Behavior and Therapeutic Training in an Animal Model of Tinnitus
Roadmap Path: B, C
Funded: 1 year, $96,740

"The cochlea, a spiral-shaped part of the inner ear, processes sound by transforming it from physical vibrations (like the bass rhythm one might feel at a concert) into “electrochemical” signals that the brain interprets as sound. These vibrations activate different neurons (cells) in the ear depending on the frequency of the incoming sound. High frequency sounds vibrate the outside of the cochlea’s spiral; low frequencies vibrate the inside. This pattern of neural stimulation repeats throughout the hearing pathways of the brain. This means that different cells in the brain respond to different frequencies, just like ear cells do."

Donald M. Caspary, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois
Research Project: The Glycine Receptor in a Rat Tinnitus Model: A Possible Therapeutic Target
Roadmap Path: B
Funded: 1 year, $99,780

"One theory about what causes tinnitus is that the loss of normal sound input due to hearing loss leads to changes in the brain. These brain changes frequently involve a loss of normal inhibitory activity. This means that when hearing is lost, some brain chemical circuits malfunction. These circuits normally adjust the way that certain brain cells respond to sound. So when these inhibitory circuits malfunction, other nerve cells may show increased activity, known as hyperactivity. When this hyperactivity occurs, normal background sounds in the brain may become audible. Tinnitus researchers today are focusing their attention on this nerve cell hyperactivity as a likely cause of tinnitus generation."

2006

Jennifer Melcher, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts
$199,938 (two-year grant)
Imaging People with Tinnitus

2005

Jinsheng Zhang, Ph.D.
Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
$162,027 (three year grant)
Suppressive Effect of Electrical Stimulation on Tinnitus Related Neural Activity

Anthony T. Cacace, Ph.D.
Neurosciences Institute of Albany Medical Center, New York
$69,559 (1-year grant)
Testing the Release From Inhibition Hypothesis of Noise-Induced Tinnitus: A Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study
With Steven Silver, M.D., Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Albany, N.Y.

Robert A. Levine, M.D.
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts
$75,000 (1-year grant)
Active Suppression of Pulsatile Tinnitus: Step 1: Ear Canal Measurement

* Donald M. Caspary, Ph.D.
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois
$196,000 (2-year grant)
The Glycine Receptor in a Rat Tinnitus Model: A Possible Therapeutic Target

2004

Larry Evan Roberts, Ph.D.
McMaster University, Department of Psychology, Hamilton, Canada
$130,009 (2-year grant)
Understanding and Optimizing Residual Inhibition

Hong-Bo Zhao, Ph.D., M.D.
University of Kentucky Medical Center, Department of Surgery-Otolaryngology, Lexington.
$99,710 (2-year grant)
Effect of Salicylate on Outer Hair Cell Piezoelectricity for Tinnitus

2003

Richard S. Tyler, Ph.D.
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
$102,580 (3-year grant)
Music to Treat Tinnitus

Richard Salvi, Ph.D.
State University of New York at Buffalo
$166,977 (2-year grant)
Tinnitus – Physiological Changes in Awake Behavioral Model

Christian Gerloff, M.D.
University of Tuebingen, Germany
$47,420 (1-year grant)
Navigated Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in Chronic Tinnitus

2002

Avril Holt, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
$200,000 (3-year grant)
Differential Gene Expression in a Central Tinnitus Model

Donald Godfrey, Ph.D.
Medical College of Ohio
$100,000 (2-year grant)
Tinnitus-inducing Ototoxic Drug Effects on Cochlear Nucleus Neurotransmitter Chemistry

George Gerken, Ph.D.
University of Texas, Dallas
$44,842 (1-year grant)
Central Auditory System Gain in Patients with Severe Tinnitus

Meredith Garcia, Ph.D.
Tulane University School of Medicine
$18,726
The Role of Nitric Oxide Synthase in Tinnitus

Richard Salvi, Ph.D.
State University of New York at Buffalo
$99,576
Gene Expression Changes in Auditory Cortex and Tinnitus

Wei Sun, Ph.D.
State University of New York at Buffalo
$49,997
Role of Substance P and Neurokinin Receptor in Tinnitus

2001

Kejian Chen, Ph.D.
Medical College of Ohio
$50,000
Effects of Tinnitus Inducing Factors on Cochlear Nucleus Neurons

Herta Flor, Ph.D.
Central Institute of Mental Health, Germany
$31,000
Emotional Responding in Tinnitus Patients

Anthony Ricci, Ph.D.
Louisiana State University
$50,000
Salicylate Effects on Mechano-Sensory Tranduction, Implications toward Mechanisms of Peripheral Tinnitus

Susan Shore, Ph.D.
The University of Michigan
$64,846
Generation and Modulation of Tinnitus: The Role of the Trigeminal Ganglion-Cochlear Nucleus Connection

Robert Folmer, Ph.D., William Hal Martin, Ph.D.
Oregon Health Sciences University
$25,000
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Brain Activity Associated with Tinnitus Severity and Residual Inhibition

Catherine Stevens, Ph.D., Gary Walker, Ph.D.
University of Western Sydney
$26,702
Tinnitus and its Effect on Attention and Memory

2000

John McQuaid, Ph.D.
San Diego VA Healthcare System
$29,000
Outcome of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Tinnitus

Jennifer R. Melcher, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary
$47,750 for Imaging Human Tinnitus

Richard S. Tyler, Ph.D.
The University of Iowa
$93,500
Preliminary Investigation on the Effectiveness of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

1999

Jos J. Eggermont, Ph.D.
University of Calgary
$27,090
Difference Between Transient and Long-standing Tinnitus

Richard E. Harlan, Ph.D.
Tulane University School of Medicine
$25,500
Mechanisms of Hyperexcitability in the Inferior Colliculus

Susan E. Shore, Ph.D.
Medical College of Ohio
$40,090
Role of the Trigeminal Ganglion and Cochlear Nucleus in the Modulation of "Somatic" Tinnitus

Robert W. Sweetow, Ph.D.
University of California, San Francisco
$30,000
Using Auditory Reorganization to Minimize Perception and Facilitate Habituation of Tinnitus

1998

Mary Meikle, Ph.D.
Oregon Hearing Research Center
$22,500
Current: ongoing research project, Tinnitus Data Registry

George M. Gerken, Ph.D.
Univ. of Texas at Dallas
$30,000
Auditory Evoked Potentials in Tinnitus, Hyperacusis and Hearing Loss

Kejian Chen, Ph.D.
Medical College of Ohio, Toledo
$33,000
Research on Spontaneous Activity in the Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus Following Exposure to High Intensity Sound

Richard J. Hallworth, Ph.D.
University of Texas at San Antonio
$16,000
Mechanisms of Quinine Induced Tinnitus

1997

Aage R. Møller, Ph.D.
University of Texas at Dallas
$51,000
Pharmacological Management and Prevention of Tinnitus with Female Sex Hormone

Gary A. Jacobson, Ph.D.
Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
$56,723
Influence of Selective Auditory Attention on Long Latency Audiological Evoked Potentials, Components PI & NI in Patients With and Without Tinnitus

Xi Lin, Ph.D.
House Ear Institute
$40,500
Cellular Model for Quinine Induced Tinnitus

Curtin Mitchell, Ph.D.
Oregon Hearing Research Center
$35,300
Masking Curves and Otoacoustic Emissions in Subjects With and Without Tinnitus

1996-97

* Pawel J. Jastreboff, Ph.D., Sc.D.
University of Maryland at Baltimore
$111,536
Mapping Metabolic Brain Activity of Tinnitus – Part II
Results published

** Alan Lockwood, M.D., Richard Salvi, Ph.D.
State University of New York at Buffalo
$46,145
Use of PET to Localize Tinnitus Sites in Brain
Results published

1995-96

* Donald A. Godfrey, Ph.D.
Medical College of Ohio
$25,000
Neurochemistry in CN After High Intensity Sound
Results published

* James A. Kaltenbach, Ph.D.
Wayne State University
$30,000
Changes in Spontaneous Activity & Neurochemistry in CN
Results published

1995

Jos J. Eggermont, Ph.D.
University of Calgary, Canada
$52,000
Effects of Salicylates and Quinine on Tinnitus
Results published

Pawel J. Jastreboff, Ph.D., Sc.D.
University of Maryland
$100,000
Development of Model for Noise-Induced Tinnitus
Results published

Aage R. Møller, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
$59,000
Tinnitus and Neural Plasticity in Ascending Auditory Path
Results published

1994

Anthony T. Cacace, Ph.D.
Albany Medical College
$10,270
Neuroanatomical Localization of Tinnitus
Results published

Donald A. Godfrey, Ph.D.
Medical College of Ohio
$10,000
Neurochemistry of Cochlear Samples (see Kaltenbach study)
Results published

James A. Kaltenbach, Ph.D.
Wayne State University
$15,000
Tinnitus and Spontaneous Cochlear Activity
Results published

Aage R. Møller, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
$15,000
Pathophysiology of Tinnitus
Results published

1993

Wayne Briner, Ph.D.
University of Nebraska
$5,770
Anatomic Basis for Tinnitus

Margaret M. Jastreboff, Ph.D.
University of Maryland at Baltimore
$15,000
Tinnitus Changes in the Auditory Pathways
Results published

Pawel J. Jastreboff, Ph.D., Sc.D.
University of Maryland at Baltimore
$20,000
Design of Objective Measures for Tinnitus
Results published

Paul R. Kileny, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
$9,860
Drug (Trental) for Tinnitus

Aage R. Møller, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
$10,068
Tinnitus Mechanisms
Results published

1992

Gary A. Jacobson, Ph.D.
Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
$16,883
Attentional Mechanisms of Tinnitus
Results published

* Carol A. Bauer, M.D.
University of Iowa
$6,600
Replication of Animal Model for Tinnitus

Mary Meikle, Ph.D.
Oregon Hearing Research Center
$9,540
Spectral Analyzer Research

1991

Robert A. Dobie, M.D.
University of Texas at San Antonio
$9,975
Lasix (Furosemide) for Tinnitus
Results published

Richard S. Tyler, Ph.D.
University of Iowa
$10,000
Masking
Results published

Donna Wayner, Ph.D.
Albany Medical Center
$4,500
Design of Cognitive Therapy Report and Manual

1990

Robert W. Sweetow, Ph.D.
San Francisco Hearing & Speech Center
$7,500
Maskers and Effects of Earmold Design

Frank Marlowe, M.D.
Temple University
$10,000
Hypnosis as a Tinnitus Treatment
Results published

Wayne Briner, Ph.D.
House Ear Institute
$11,650
Misoprostal, Other Drug Effects on Tinnitus (Prostaglandin)
Results published

1989

Paul S. Guth, Ph.D.
Tulane University
$10,000
Furosemide as a Tinnitus Treatment
Results published

Gary A. Jacobson, Ph.D.
Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
$19,462
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Results published

Jack Vernon, Ph.D.
Oregon Hearing Research Center
$12,250
Electrical Stimulation
Results published

1988

Richard S. Tyler, Ph.D.
University of Iowa
$9,600
Binaural Phase Effects of Masking
Results published

Douglas H. Morgan, D.D.S.
TMJ Foundation
$20,000
TMJ and Tinnitus
Results published

1987

* Mary Meikle, Ph.D.
Oregon Hearing Research Center
$300
Continuing research
Results published

Ian M. Windmill, Ph.D.
University of Louisville, Kentucky
$8,684
Brain Mapping

1986

Jack Vernon, Ph.D.
Oregon Hearing Research Center
$20,000
Electrical Suppression
Results published

* Mary Meikle, Ph.D.
Oregon Hearing Research Center
$25,000
Tinnitus Data Registry Project
Results published

1985

* Mary Meikle, Ph.D.
Oregon Hearing Research Center
$12,500
Tinnitus Data Registry
Results published

Jack A.Vernon, Ph.D.
Oregon Hearing Research Center
$20,000
Electrical Suppression
Results published

1984

* Mary Meikle Ph.D.
Oregon Hearing Research Center
$11,309
Tinnitus Data Registry
Results publsihed

Richard S. Tyler, Ph.D.
University of Iowa Hospitals
$6,500
Binaural Phase Effects of Masking
Results published

1980

* Mary Meikle, Ph.D.
Oregon Hearing Research Center
$12,000
Tinnitus Data Registry
Results published