Posted on 07/31/2015 8:29:21 AM PDT by Red Badger
A new study conducted by researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University and the Veterans Affairs Portland Medical Center suggests that a transcranial magnetic stimulation system typically used for depression treatment could also help alleviate the debilitating effects of a condition known as tinnitus.
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Tinnitus is a debilitating condition wherein an individual often hears a ringing or clicking sound even though there are no external sources of the sound present. It currently affects an estimated 45 million people, mostly veteran soldiers, living in the United States, according to the American Tinnitus Association (ATA), and a proven cure for the condition is yet to be developed.
This is what inspired a team of researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and the Veterans Affairs (VA) Portland Medical Center, who were able to discover a potential cure for tinnitus in the form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
In a study featured in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, OHSU researcher Dr. Robert L. Folmer and his colleagues studied the effects of a system for transcranial magnetic stimulation on patients suffering from tinnitus.
The system produces a magnetic field shaped like a cone that can penetrate the scalp and skull of an individual in order to interact with tissues in the brain. By increasing the intensity of the simulation, the deeper the TMS system's magnetic field penetrates the head of the patient and affects the activity of neurons.
As of the moment, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has only approved the use of the TMS system for treating depression.
The researchers conducted clinical tests on 64 people diagnosed with tinnitus to find out the effects of the TMS system on their condition. To participate in the study, patients had to have symptoms of tinnitus a minimum of one full year.
The participants were given one TMS pulse each second, designed to target the brain's auditory cortex. The TMS sessions ran for 10 straight workdays, in which all of the participants received 2,000 TMS pulses in each session.
Out of the 32 individuals who were given an active TMS treatment, 18 of them discovered that their tinnitus symptoms were considerably lessened for six months.
The findings also showed that many of the tinnitus patients who have had the condition for over 20 years experienced a significant reduction of symptoms.
"For some study participants, this was the first time in years that they experienced any relief in symptoms," Folmer said.
"These promising results bring us closer to developing a long-sought treatment for this condition that affects an enormous number of Americans, including many men and women who have served in our armed forces."
Folmer and his colleagues believe that a larger clinical trial could help refine the protocols needed to use TMS for clinical applications.
Photo: Allan Ajifo | Flickr
From a previous discussion, I decided to give Biotin a try for tinnitus relief. It’s 10,000 micrograms once a day. I got a three month supply and have being taking it for a couple of weeks. No change so far. It may be a dead end for me but I have read of it helping some others.
I’ve tried it for a week now. No change......................
My wife has migraine related tinnitus. I have the regular kind. She can sleep in dead silence. I can’t & need white noise; B-17 engines work for me. Through headphones, of course.
We both did a lot of small arms firing in the Army. I was a tanker with frequent exposure to 105mm kabooms. She was a .45 pistol champion at Camp Perry.
Bookmarked - thanks!
Tankers these days wear hearing protection. I wonder how much it helps with 120mm kabooms?
Hey, we wore CVC helmets & earplugs during range firing.
Some 105mm rounds were louder than others. A slow mover like HEP just went “boomp” & the vehicle hardly moved.
But APHVDS or “sabot” went “KABLAMM!!!”, your teeth shook, & the vehicle raised up off the third roadwheel (these were M60A1s).
Don’t know about the Abrams. Never got to ride on one. Did watch GS pull the power pack on one & then run it while it sat on the ground.
Add to also.
thanks
You mean a magnet will kill that little ant playing a stainless steel violin in my ear? I’ll try it.
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