Tinnitus, Deafness and Ear Problems Support Group
This group is for those coping with Tinnitus (ringing ears or ear noise), hearing loss, and all ear issues. Join to find support and get advice from others.
** apologies to you who already know all of this information **
To start with, Jack Vernon (http://ata.org/aboutata/aboutata_history.php) is on the board of this company now:
http://www.tinnituscontrol.com/about.html. That is a hell of an
endorsement. Jack Vernon has been a guiding light to a lot of people
who've dedicated their lives (as practitioners or victims) to
combating the malady. I've not tried their product or approach, but
given the research I've been reading, it seems encouraging. Segway to
"research" and emerging treatments ...
Here is what the layman, but intellectually curious suffer should
observe:
- Jastreboff and TRT have clearly paved the way for many of the audio/
cognitive-based treatments/companies which appear to be emerging
- Neuromonics (http://www.neuromonics.com/patient/index.aspx?
rollover=true) clearly has excited many with regard to the potential
and clinical significance of their treatment which uses highly
customized sound to bring about plastic changes in the brain
- Another emerging company (Tinnitus Otosound Products) appears to be
approaching the problem similarly (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/18/
business/18edge.html?). They appear to be in start-up mode; I could
not find their website For those who are curious about some of the
science, I read -- for the most part -- this company's patent
http://www.google.com/patents?id=Fip6AAAAEBAJ&dq=7081085
- Tinnitus does *not* necessarily originate in the ear/auditory
pathway: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/01/980123071732.htm
Bottom line: all of this is/should be very encouraging, and should
give us all hope with regard to managing -- dare I say -- "curing" the
disease.
To understand why the emerging companies, research, and potential
treatments are exciting, do you and your family a favor and read The
Brain That Changes Itself; it will introduce you in interesting (reads
like a thriller) language to the fundamental and exciting concepts of
neural plasticity. This book is written by the head of Columbia
University's Psychology Department. This is a powerful book that will
educate you in very accessible ways to the science behind (and power
of) plasticity: http://www.normandoidge.com/. It will give you hope,
and if you're a "connector," like me, cause you to randomly reach out
to researchers in order to encourage them to find others in the field
of plasticity they may not know about (I know, annoying, but damn that
lack of "knowledge networking" for the benefit of shared advancement I
find just in corporate America leads me to believe the problem must be
at least as bad in science).
Keep the faith .. Directly from the ATA's website:
"When is the Roadmap [To a Tinnitus Cure] going to make a difference
in the lives of tinnitus patients?
It could happen anytime. Somebody might be developing a drug right now
that will work. Many of us feel very optimistic that we will see a
major breakthrough within the next five years.
To start with, Jack Vernon (http://ata.org/aboutata/aboutata_history.php) is on the board of this company now:
http://www.tinnituscontrol.com/about.html. That is a hell of an
endorsement. Jack Vernon has been a guiding light to a lot of people
who've dedicated their lives (as practitioners or victims) to
combating the malady. I've not tried their product or approach, but
given the research I've been reading, it seems encouraging. Segway to
"research" and emerging treatments ...
Here is what the layman, but intellectually curious suffer should
observe:
- Jastreboff and TRT have clearly paved the way for many of the audio/
cognitive-based treatments/companies which appear to be emerging
- Neuromonics (http://www.neuromonics.com/patient/index.aspx?
rollover=true) clearly has excited many with regard to the potential
and clinical significance of their treatment which uses highly
customized sound to bring about plastic changes in the brain
- Another emerging company (Tinnitus Otosound Products) appears to be
approaching the problem similarly (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/18/
business/18edge.html?). They appear to be in start-up mode; I could
not find their website For those who are curious about some of the
science, I read -- for the most part -- this company's patent
http://www.google.com/patents?id=Fip6AAAAEBAJ&dq=7081085
- Tinnitus does *not* necessarily originate in the ear/auditory
pathway: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/01/980123071732.htm
Bottom line: all of this is/should be very encouraging, and should
give us all hope with regard to managing -- dare I say -- "curing" the
disease.
To understand why the emerging companies, research, and potential
treatments are exciting, do you and your family a favor and read The
Brain That Changes Itself; it will introduce you in interesting (reads
like a thriller) language to the fundamental and exciting concepts of
neural plasticity. This book is written by the head of Columbia
University's Psychology Department. This is a powerful book that will
educate you in very accessible ways to the science behind (and power
of) plasticity: http://www.normandoidge.com/. It will give you hope,
and if you're a "connector," like me, cause you to randomly reach out
to researchers in order to encourage them to find others in the field
of plasticity they may not know about (I know, annoying, but damn that
lack of "knowledge networking" for the benefit of shared advancement I
find just in corporate America leads me to believe the problem must be
at least as bad in science).
Keep the faith .. Directly from the ATA's website:
"When is the Roadmap [To a Tinnitus Cure] going to make a difference
in the lives of tinnitus patients?
It could happen anytime. Somebody might be developing a drug right now
that will work. Many of us feel very optimistic that we will see a
major breakthrough within the next five years.
-
Well, we are are the final games before the Super bowl in three weeks. Conference games are worth 6 points I believe with 6 points for exact total points for both teams. I believe Bugsbunny hit 30 points total for the Bills-Ravens game and got the extra 4 points (congrats to you Bugs). Catching up now is not going to be easy but that total points could be a game changer. So Kiddies, here...
-
The banker saw his old friend Tom, an eighty-year old rancher, in town. Tom had lost his wife a year or so before and rumor had it that he was marrying a 'mail order' bride. Being a good friend, the banker asked Tom if the rumor was true. Tom assured him that it was. The banker then asked Tom the age of his new bride to be. Tom proudly said, 'She'll be twenty-one in November.' Now the banker,...
http://www.sciencefriday.com/pages/1998/Jan/hour2_013098.html
If by "ages ago" you mean last year, then okay ... If Norman Doidge is dead, its news to me, and others ...
http://www.normandoidge.com/about/
Neuroplasticity is an exciting concept for all people, particularly tinnitus sufferers ...
don't rain on peoples parades ... its not good Karma
I'm all about as positive as possible, and that's why people are here as well. The last thing we need to hear is that you have no hope.
If you include good body work, learn to relax, work with a properly trained mental health professional, and treat yourself well, you will get better!
The new treatments offer hope, but let's not forget that you need to be able to "let go" of tinnitus with a proper support network.
I find the ATA's Roadmap to be logically and scientifically flawed and wrote about that here: http://dailystrength.org/c/Tinnitus/forum/5997361-atas-roadmap
Best,
Dainis
Now that is in my head 24/7 - it seems so much louder - but the sound is so much the same as the power cable.
I keep wondering where are the neurologists in all of this - don't we need neuro science for the problem? Many of the tinnitus experts in the yellow pages are ENT's - dealing with the mechanisms of the inner ear -
Will they ever be able to do a contrast picture of our brains and see tinnitus?
Best wishes, Mandie
A few months ago, April sent me this regarding contrast pictures of the brain and observation of T.
"The t showed up in the auditory and limbic as red/orange/yellow blotches. Then they had them move in the position that it stopped and took another scan, there was no color. The limbic system houses the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, and hippocampus; it's at the very center and bottom of the brain.
April may have more info where she read this.
Acutally that information is from 1998 when Dr. Richard Salvi saw tinnitus in the brain using MRI. In my opinion, this is the cloest science has come to a true "breakthrough" regarding the affliction. In the past 11 years nothing in medical research has surpassed that achievement.
In this youtube clip, at 2:05 you can see tinnitus in the brain. Dr. Salvi makes some sobering comments at 2:38.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGj-cdn2M9o
Thanks for posting that clip as it is exactly as you've described. It really does appear to be a breakthrough, but that was 1998.
I decided to write Dr. Salvi and compliment him for these achievements as determined in his observation. I also respectfully asked him based on his research, if he felt that we are getting close to any medical treatment.