Meet Researchers, Doctors, Patients
Revisiting with the first ever guest of the podcast, Hazel speaks with Dr. Rauschecker about how we can quickly get new tinnitus medications to market, tinnitus and sleep, what he thinks of psychological treatments for tinnitus, and more.
Tinnitus has always seemed ungraspable; you hear something that others do not. How can we measure this objectively? The Bionics Institute believes they can. If they are right, this would be a breakthrough in supporting the development of better treatments for tinnitus.
This episode will give you a deeper understanding of the different models that explain the brain mechanisms underlying tinnitus. Dr Will Sedley outlines his own theory, based on predictive processing. We also cover issues like how to develop an objective marker of tinnitus and the thorny topic of whether tinnitus subtypes really exist or not.
A drug to quieten your tinnitus, that’s what Thanos Tzounopoulos, PhD, is working on. The drug targets potassium ion channels in the brain. These channels – or so the theory goes – are compromised in tinnitus patients, thus triggering the neural hyperactivity perceived as tinnitus. In spite of trials and tribulations in getting the drug ready for clinical trials, Thanos is optimistic about his chances for success.
Tinnitus Talk spoke with Dr. Rauschecker, one of the most eminent researchers on tinnitus. We’re excited to launch our podcast series with this highly engaging interview, a must for anyone who wants to understand how tinnitus works in the brain and how we can get to a cure!