Well, this has all escalated!
It does seem a bit contradictory that Laurence McKenna is associated with both TRT (
http://tinnitus.org/) which teaches to avoid silence and to use sound generators to mask tinnitus ear level 10hrs a day and even all night
AND with Mindfulness Based CT which says that using noise or sound generators, avoiding quiet places, etc are really manifestations of worry and attentional focus which leads to making tinnitus worse! (The Psychology of Tinnitus
https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/mindfulness-for-tinnitus).
Gosh, it's sort of like the dentist handing out sugar to his patients. LOL!
I'm in the US, but if I were going to the Expo, I'd ask him about that.
I could answer, but don't really want my role here to be continually defending Dr McKenna, so asking Dr McKenna at the expo is a good idea. I will say he doesn't practise TRT though.
Elizabeth Marks and Roland Schaette are both on the BTA PAC and had major roles in the MCBT trial. They may not have direct power over the other 34 in the organization, but it's not difficult to recognize that these 2 accomplished and published researchers will continue to influence 9 Trustees who do have the power and set the agenda for the rest of the organization.
Many in this strand also support Dr Schaette's work, we try to get a balance of different opinions and disciplines on the PAC involved in both research and treatment/management. There is a separation between the Trustees and PAC - trustees certainly do not always go with the consensus of PAC.
@David, have you or any of your associates looked into anything about cochlear cilia regeneration?
Yes, although from the sidelines rather than anything we're actively involved in. A lot of money is flowing into stem cell research in this area, as if it works it will 'cure' hearing loss. It's certainly a possibility a side effect will be curing tinnitus if successful. I've followed Professor Rivolta's work (as he's in the same city
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/bms/research/rivolta ) and discussed progress with him a few times. Seems very promising but it's early days. Seems there's some basic issues I've not quite understood around it too - how do you know you're regenerating the 'right' bit - happens in animal models but in my mind it seems a little more challenging when you're trying to target specific hair cells? Interesting to see the next phases emerge.
In terms of pharmaceuticals, I think there's the same issues from what I can see, but all promising. Similar challenges to tinnitus research (for hearing regeneration) for big pharma to overcome but it is happening. Research in these areas (stem cell and pharma) is more advanced for the restoration of hearing than it is for tinnitus for a few reasons - better understood models and outcome measures, bigger funding, clearer opportunities and you might address other issues (such as tinnitus) into the bargain.
I'm certainly no expert on any of this and don't proclaim to be, but do try and stay up to date with what's happening and ensure people who are working on it are thinking of the relevance to tinnitus. Sure there's people here who understand it better than I.
Is tinnitus being cross discipline researched with hearing loss research, phantom limb research, TMD research and other neurological conditions that may shed light? Would correcting the original problem that caused tinnitus allow the brain to unwire the tinnitus plasticity?
No - there's not enough cross research with other conditions and something the tinnitus research field needs to improve. The ones you quote there do get regularly quoted at tinnitus research conferences as potentially having cross overs but it doesn't seem to happen. Not sure why, be interested in other's thoughts as to why.
I didn't realize the DCN was that close to the occipital lobe. that kinda explains why the things I look at, motion, light, etc, creates tinnitus noises in my brain.
There is research into this and is interesting IMO. There is research looking at dual sensory stimulation and tinnitus. Using sound or light or touch to stimulate another sense and see if it suppresses tinnitus.
What I want to know is research really in the dark, or are negative people on the forum and uninformed ENT's just saying that?
Yes and no! I'll post more on my thoughts on this later this week, maybe in a separate strand because I believe there are fundamental issues with tinnitus research that the latest pharma trials have shown - it's exciting because we've not had pharma being as open as to why they failed as they are now but it does show how far there is to go to systematically 'cure' tinnitus. That doesn't rule out a eureka moment and more research groups and pharma companies are interested in tinnitus then ever before.
We try and cover the progress made annually in our research reviews:
https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/atrr2017
I wish! Might spend the rest of the night dreaming what we could achieve with that sort of income!