Some evidence from cochlear implants for the mechanism of hearing regeneration, though it might have already been discussed:
Studies on cochlear implants and tinnitus improvement:
1. "A Unilateral Cochlear Implant for Tinnitus" (
http://www.tinnitusjournal.com/articles/a-unilateral-cochlear-implant-for-tinnitus-10831.html): This study reports findings from several other studies regarding unilateral tinnitus. Estimated from all studies, about 25% of patients reported complete reduction, most others improvement. No worsening was observed.
2. "The Cochlear Implant as a Tinnitus Treatment": 20 patients fitted with unilateral cochlear implant. When activated, 65% of patients reported improvement/disappearance in the ear with the device and 50% of patients in the other ear. The numbers dropped to 50% and 45% respectively when the device was turned off. In 10% of patients (two people), tinnitus appeared in the ear with the device.
3. "A Prospective Study of the Effect of Cochlear Implantation on Tinnitus": 44 patients, most with bilateral tinnitus. Complete reduction was observed in 8 patients, while 14 reported improvement. It is noted that these 8 patients had tinnitus for a much shorter time on average (about 5 years) than the rest of patients (32 years on average). It is speculated that not necessarily the "imprinting" of tinnitus in the brain is responsible for this, but the years of hearing loss.
4. "Tinnitus before and 6 Months after Cochlear Implantation": 174 patients, 125 of them with tinnitus. Six months after implantation, 20% reported abolition, 51% reduction, 22% no change and 7% a deterioration. 5 of the 49 patients without tinnitus developed T.
5. "Tinnitus and cochlear implants": 36 patients, 36% reported suppression, 42% a reduction.
I guess hearing regeneration should be more efficient since it restores the natural state, while a cochlear implant is always going to be some sort of alteration and not a restoration of natural input.