Introducing Tinnitus Quest

[DimLeb]

Whether it is temporary or prolonged depends on how the limbic system and conscious brain respond. If they interpret it as an important signal of danger, it becomes prolonged. If not, it typically fades after a few hours or days.

Yeah, except it doesn't. That explanation sounds incredibly shortsighted, especially for people with an unknown or idiopathic cause. You might never identify the root issue, and the tinnitus could progressively worsen due to factors like autoimmune conditions, viral infections, hydrops, presbycusis, or many other ear-related diseases.

There's a specific malfunction occurring, and it doesn't care how you interpret it—it just does what it does.

 

[FellowSufferer]

Strange that it costs £110 to access that 2015 paper; I'm able to view the full document clicking your link.

I'm not overly familiar with Rauschecker's most recent work, but the tinnitus paper of his that I generally draw on is this one. I've read comments that it's an overly complicated paper - and I agree it's not an easy read. But where Jastreboff talked about tinnitus distress as a kind of sub-conscious/conscious reaction that a patient can ultimately talk their way out of (but hey, if they can't, it's their fault), Rauschecker paints a subtly different picture. With him I think tinnitus becomes physiological and not something a patient can mitigate by chatting to a psychologist.

Jastreboff is cited by so many researchers, it's almost painful. At the very least, though, I do believe his work can be credited for taking tinnitus beyond the cochlear and into the brain. This is why I'm quite excited about Dan Polley joining Tinnitus Quest. I think the more scientists focus on tinnitus as being a brain issue, the better.

I spent a couple of years putting together some thoughts about all of this and about how aspects of the Rauschecker paper seemed to tie in with various other tinnitus happenings coming down the pike. The result is a layman's thesis on a proposed method of action for tinnitus. It's published here on this website free to read if you're interested.

Ah, it's actually £110 to purchase the Textbook of Tinnitus (published in 2024), a collection of articles by various authors, including Rauschecker. His chapter spans pages 221–230 and costs only £19, which I might buy out of curiosity.

I've downloaded your Tinnitus Gating Model and plan to print it for a thorough read. This year, I'm determined to eliminate my tinnitus, and I genuinely believe I can achieve this as long as I stay focused and avoid distractions.

Yeah, except it doesn't. That explanation sounds incredibly shortsighted, especially for people with an unknown or idiopathic cause. You might never identify the root issue, and the tinnitus could progressively worsen due to factors like autoimmune conditions, viral infections, hydrops, presbycusis, or many other ear-related diseases.

There's a specific malfunction occurring, and it doesn't care how you interpret it—it just does what it does.

That's why I said 90% of cases. Most of the time, tinnitus is caused by acoustic trauma or possibly a head injury. The rarer causes, such as Meniere's disease or the conditions you mentioned, require more specialized care to address the underlying issue.

 

[Nick47]

Is there any possibility of seeking funding from militaries worldwide

@Fazdoll, the funding should primarily come from tinnitus patients rather than organizations. While ex-servicemen are welcome to contribute, the main goal is to prioritize donations from patients rather than relying on organizational funding.

Currently, much of the focus is on engaging with patient groups, encouraging them to sign up and contribute.