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tudy: The new buzz on detecting tinnitus
October 05, 2009SAN DIEGO - It's a ringing, a buzzing, a hissing or a clicking - and the patient is the only one who can hear it.
Complicating matters, physicians can rarely pinpoint the source of tinnitus, a chronic ringing of the head or ears that can be as quiet as a whisper or as loud as a jackhammer.
Now a Henry Ford Hospital study finds that a non-invasive imaging technique can actually aid in the diagnosis of tinnitus and may detect a reduction in symptoms after different treatments, offering hope to the more than 50 million patients with tinnitus.
"Until now, we had no way of pinpointing the specific location of tinnitus in the brain," says study co-author Michael D. Seidman, M.D., F.A.C.S., director of the Division of Otologic/Neurotolgic Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital.
This imaging technique, magnetoencephalography (MEG), can determine the site of perception of tinnitus in the brain, which could in turn allow physicians to target the area with electrical or chemical therapies to lessen symptoms, according to study results being presented Saturday, Oct. 3 at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Foundation Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO.
"Since MEG can detect brain activity occurring at each instant in time, we are able to detect brain activity involved in the network or flow of information across the brain over a 10-minute time interval," explains co-author Susan M. Bowyer, Ph.D. bioscientific senior researcher, Department of Neurology at Henry Ford Hospital. "Using MEG, we can actually see the areas in the brain that are generating the patient's tinnitus, which allows us to target it and treat it."
Imaging techniques currently used to study tinnitus in the brain - PET and fMRI - provide a general location but are not successful at determining the specific site in the brain that is generating tinnitus symptoms.
MEG, by comparison, measures the very small magnetic fields generated by intracellular electrical currents in the neurons of the brain. Only 20 sites in the U.S., including Henry Ford, are equipped with a MEG scanner. MEG is presently used at these sites for pre-surgical brain mapping for patients undergoing surgery for brain tumor removal or Epilepsy treatment.
"With PET and fMRI, most of the auditory cortex of the brain lights up with activity during imaging. MEG, however, is a much more sophisticated machine and it can identify a specific tone or topic point, so only a small area in the brain lights up. It's like having the lights on in only the city of Detroit, compared to having the lights on in the entire state of Michigan," explains Dr. Seidman, director of the Otolaryngology Research Laboratory and co-director of the Tinnitus Center at Henry Ford.
For the study, Dr. Seidman and his colleagues collected MEG results from 17 patients with tinnitus and 10 patients without tinnitus. MEG data were collected for 10 minutes, and then digitally filtered. Study participants wore ear plugs to eliminate outside sounds, and kept their eyes open and fixated on one point on the ceiling in the room during testing.
With tinnitus patients who have ringing in one ear (unilateral tinnitus), MEG imaging detected the greatest amount of activity in the auditory cortex on the opposite site of the brain from their perceived tinnitus. For patients with ringing in the head or both ears (bilateral tinnitus), MEG imaging revealed activity in both hemispheres of the brain, with greater activity appearing in the opposite side of the brain of the strongest perception of tinnitus.
Patients without tinnitus had multiple small active areas in the brain, but no particular areas were found to be highly coherent during the 10-minute MEG scan.
Ultimately, Dr. Seidman says the study establishes MEG as an effective clinical tool for localizing the probably source of tinnitus in patients' brains. It also has the potential to assist with the development of future interventional strategies to alleviate tinnitus.
Henry Ford Health System
"Until now, we had no way of pinpointing the specific location of tinnitus in the brain," says study co-author Michael D. Seidman, M.D., F.A.C.S., director of the Division of Otologic/Neurotolgic Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital.
This imaging technique, magnetoencephalography (MEG), can determine the site of perception of tinnitus in the brain, which could in turn allow physicians to target the area with electrical or chemical therapies to lessen symptoms, according to study results being presented Saturday, Oct. 3 at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Foundation Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO.
"Since MEG can detect brain activity occurring at each instant in time, we are able to detect brain activity involved in the network or flow of information across the brain over a 10-minute time interval," explains co-author Susan M. Bowyer, Ph.D. bioscientific senior researcher, Department of Neurology at Henry Ford Hospital. "Using MEG, we can actually see the areas in the brain that are generating the patient's tinnitus, which allows us to target it and treat it."
Imaging techniques currently used to study tinnitus in the brain - PET and fMRI - provide a general location but are not successful at determining the specific site in the brain that is generating tinnitus symptoms.
MEG, by comparison, measures the very small magnetic fields generated by intracellular electrical currents in the neurons of the brain. Only 20 sites in the U.S., including Henry Ford, are equipped with a MEG scanner. MEG is presently used at these sites for pre-surgical brain mapping for patients undergoing surgery for brain tumor removal or Epilepsy treatment.
"With PET and fMRI, most of the auditory cortex of the brain lights up with activity during imaging. MEG, however, is a much more sophisticated machine and it can identify a specific tone or topic point, so only a small area in the brain lights up. It's like having the lights on in only the city of Detroit, compared to having the lights on in the entire state of Michigan," explains Dr. Seidman, director of the Otolaryngology Research Laboratory and co-director of the Tinnitus Center at Henry Ford.
For the study, Dr. Seidman and his colleagues collected MEG results from 17 patients with tinnitus and 10 patients without tinnitus. MEG data were collected for 10 minutes, and then digitally filtered. Study participants wore ear plugs to eliminate outside sounds, and kept their eyes open and fixated on one point on the ceiling in the room during testing.
With tinnitus patients who have ringing in one ear (unilateral tinnitus), MEG imaging detected the greatest amount of activity in the auditory cortex on the opposite site of the brain from their perceived tinnitus. For patients with ringing in the head or both ears (bilateral tinnitus), MEG imaging revealed activity in both hemispheres of the brain, with greater activity appearing in the opposite side of the brain of the strongest perception of tinnitus.
Patients without tinnitus had multiple small active areas in the brain, but no particular areas were found to be highly coherent during the 10-minute MEG scan.
Ultimately, Dr. Seidman says the study establishes MEG as an effective clinical tool for localizing the probably source of tinnitus in patients' brains. It also has the potential to assist with the development of future interventional strategies to alleviate tinnitus.
Henry Ford Health System
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Clear Tinnitus - 60 - Capsule by Clear Products Clear Tinnitus A remedy for the ringing, buzzing, humming, roaring and hissing, otherwise known as "Tinnitus". Clear Tinnitus is an all natural herbal product, scientifically formulated to help relieve the effects of tinnitus. This proprietary blend consists of thirteen FDA approved herbs that will not make you drowsy or increase your heartrate. No side effects! All natural ingredients! Clear Tinnitus Ingredients: Puerarie root, platycodon root, angelica root, coix seed, ginger root, ligustici root, peony root, perillia leaf, magnolia flower, notoplerygium root, cinnamon bark, scelellaria root, licorice root. Dosage: Take 1 to 2 capsules 2 times per day. Continue dosage to maintain benefits. Do not exceed 6 capsules per day. Fluid intake should be increased! |
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Tinnitus: Turning the Volume Down (Revised & Expanded) by Kevin Hogan (Author), Jennifer Battaglino (Author) Over 50 million Americans experience some form of tinnitus and there are those who don't realize that the ringing in their ears has a name. Of those 50 million, 12 million are estimated to have severe tinnitus where they seek medical treatment. Approximately two million people are suffering so severely that they cannot make it through their daily activities. Kevin Hogan has a positive approach to health as a definite goal worthy of determination. Kevin experienced tinnitus, and partly because of this, he treats those who suffer from it with respect! He heard the usual, You have to live with it, and he does NOT live with it. In addition he has remolded his profession to help those with tinnitus. This book is a positive example, a helping hand, a light in the darkness.... |
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Arches Tinnitus Relief Formula by Arches Natural Products, Inc Arches Tinnitus Relief Formula® (TRF) uses clinically proven natural herbal & mineral ingredients for the reduction of tinnitus. The real truth is that there is no cure for tinnitus. But for the majority of those who try TRF there is real relief. Over 30 placebo based clinical studies have shown the ingredients used in TRF effective in reducing tinnitus noise. TRF is recommended by thousands leading US Ear, Nose & Throat doctors (ENT) to their patients with tinnitus who tell them to take TRF for at least 100 days (4 bottles) to determine total its effectiveness and total reduction of tinnitus noise. Arches Tinnitus Relief Formula is endorsed by Michael Seidman, MD, inner ear specialist and leading US tinnitus authority. Dr. Seidman is director of the Tinnitus Center for a major US... |
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Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: Implementing the Neurophysiological Model by Pawel J. Jastreboff (Author), Jonathan W. P. Hazell (Author) Tinnitus and oversensitivity to sound are common and hitherto incurable, distressing conditions that affect a substantial number of the population. Pawel Jastreboff's discovery of the mechanisms by which tinnitus and decreased sound tolerance occur has led to a new and effective treatment called Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). Audiologists, ENT specialists, psychologists and counsellors around the world currently practise this technique, with very high success rates. TRT, the treatment developed by the authors from the model, has already proved to be the most effective and most widely practised worldwide. This book presents a definitive description and justification for the Jastreboff neurophysiological model of tinnitus, outlining the essentials of TRT, reviewing the research... |
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Lipoflavonoid Caplets - 100 Caplets- NEW FORMULA HD 4930020 by NUMARK LABORATORIES INC. INDICATIONS: Lipoflavonoid helps improve circulation in the inner ear,Lipoflavonoid is recommended by ear doctors as a nutritional supplement to their patients with Menieres Disease (an ailment involving ringing in the ears, loss of hearing, and dizziness). INGREDIENTS: Active Ingredients:Eridictyol Glycoside, Vitamin B6 and B12, Vitamin C, Niacin, Riboflavin, Thiamine, Bioflavonoids, Choline, Inositol, and Pantothenic Acid. Inactive Ingredients:Dibasic Calcium Phosphate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Croscamellose Sodium, Stearic Acid, Hydroxypropyl, Methylcelluose, Magnesium Stearate, Pharmaceutical Glaze, Polyethylene Glycol, Silica, Titanium dioxide, ethyl Vanillin, FD&C yellow 6, (sunset yellow), FD&C red 40 lake, FD&C blue 1 lake. DIRECTIONS: Adults and children 12 years or older:... |
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Natural Relief from Tinnitus by Paul Yanick (Author) |
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NaturalCare RingStop for Ringing and/or Buzzing in Ears, Capsules, 60-Count Bottle by NaturalCare RingStop helps relieve symptoms of ringing and buzzing in the ears, ear noise and sensitivity to sound. This maddening noise is called tinnitus, and some people hear buzzing, hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping or clicking. This homeopathic formula comes in easy-to-swallow capsules, and includes ginkgo, special Chinese herbs, and key vitamins and minerals. |
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Tinnitus: Questions and Answers by Jack A. Vernon (Author), Barbara Tabachnick Sanders (Author) A brief book focusing on the most frequently asked questions regarding to ringing in the ears. Uses an easy to follow "question and answer" format. Covers causes and treatments with an optimistic tone. Includes a glossary. Tinnitus patients have questions that most often their doctors and audiologists can't answer. The disorder is not taught in medical schools and a single frontrunner of a treatment has not emerged. Tinnitus patients typically do not know where to go for help. Thousands resort to chatting on the Internet about their condition. Thousands of others have written to the American Tinnitus Association and to Dr. Jack Vernon for help, compassion, wisdom and answers. This book is a reflection of Dr. Vernon's 30-year dedication to this problem. His optimism for... |
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Tinnitus -60C Clear Products 60 Capsules by Clear Products CLEAR TINNITUSTM, contains a unique proprietary blend of thirteen herbs, scientifically formulated to work in combination with active homeopathic ingredients to provide temporary relief of tinnitus. Benefits and Features: - Provides temporary relief from the symptoms of tinnitus. - Contains specific homeopathic remedies traditionally used to relieve the symptoms of Tinnitus. - Safe for individuals with heart problems and does not increase heart rate. - Does not make you drowsy. - Easy to swallow capsules. - Users of Clear Tinnitus have felt a reduction of noise within a week and the daily recommended dose will need to be maintained for continued benefit. - No side effects. - Time tested Chinese herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. ... |
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