In this research project, Abishek Umashankar, PhD student at Newcastle University, investigates how brain activity related to the first onset of tinnitus could help us understand what makes tinnitus permanent.
Project start date: October 2021
Project end date: September 2024
About the project
Current evidence suggests that if someone develops tinnitus that lasts for four weeks, they have an almost 9 in 10 chance of still having tinnitus 6 months later (and therefore most likely for the rest of their life). Some brain processes that occur at the onset of tinnitus might remain a factor throughout the course of tinnitus and therefore represent important targets for treatment.
The research team will track these processes and explore whether there is a time window in which tinnitus can be reversed after its initial onset.
How it works
By using electroencephalography (EEG) – a non-invasive way to record electrical activity through a patient’s scalp – researchers can track tinnitus-related electrical brain activity and processes in people who have recently developed tinnitus. These participants will then be tested again 6 months later to compare measurements.
How will this research benefit people with tinnitus?
This work could lead to better treatments for people with newly developed tinnitus and improve treatments for those already living with the condition.
If the early stages of tinnitus are shown to be important in understanding the condition, the results could lead to a major change in the way researchers study and test tinnitus treatments, potentially leading to improved treatments.
About the researcher
Abishek Umashankar is a PhD student in Dr Will Sedley’s lab at Newcastle University. Their studentship began in 2021 and is co-funded by us and Tinnitus UK.