Often described as a ringing or buzzing noise in the ear, tinnitus affects millions of people around the world and yet has no cure. However, researchers have now found that, with the help of a smartphone app that gives users training and therapy, the debilitating impact of tinnitus could be significantly reduced in a matter of weeks.
The findings come as the result of a trial exploring the use of an app, MindEar, to deliver
Researchers recruited 30 adults with
The study found that in both groups, the participants’ tinnitus-related distress decreased significantly over time. “In our trial, two thirds of users of our chatbot saw improvement after 16 weeks. This was shortened to only 8 weeks when patients additionally had access to an online psychologist,” said lead author and co-founder of MindEar Dr Fabrice Bardy in a
Tinnitus, which is thought to affect more than
Whilst there isn’t a cure for tinnitus, there are management strategies. “One of the most common misconceptions about tinnitus is that there is nothing you can do about it; that you just have to live with it. This is simply not true. Professional help from those with expertise in tinnitus support can reduce the fear and anxiety attached to the sound patients experience,” said Bardy.
The issue comes in accessing such help, as fellow study author and psychologist Professor Suzanne Purdy explained. “Cognitive behavioural therapy is known to help people with tinnitus, but it requires a trained psychologist. That’s expensive, and often difficult to access.”
That’s where
This isn’t the first attempt at using tech to treat tinnitus either. Back in 2022, scientists trialed an app using
The study is published in