Neuromonics for Tinnitus Treatment

Neuromonics is a device that is dispensed by an audiologist or a doctor that uses music for treatment of tinnitus. Because music routes through the hearing parts of the brain, there is the potential for music to mask tinnitus. Perhaps more importantly, music also has clear associations with the emotional parts of the brain. Even passive listening to pleasant music can stimulate the parts of the brain that are associated with pleasant emotional states.

The use of music as a masker had been proposed as early as the late 1980’s, and the successful applications of music therapy for tinnitus has been demonstrated by numerous institutes. Newer more sophisticated approaches are using music signals to achieve neuroplastic changes in the brain in order to achieve tinnitus relief. For instance, in the Neuromonics approach, the music signal is adjusted to conform to the hearing test of the tinnitus sufferer, such that the frequency profile of the music is amplified in regions of hearing loss and reduced in regions of normal hearing.

In a study performed by the company, Davis and colleagues (2008) compared the effectiveness of a customized sound/music tinnitus retraining (Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment) with counseling alone. Patients were divided into one of four groups: 1) Neuromonics device at high intensity for two hours per day, 2) Neuromonics device at a lower intensity, 3) tinnitus retraining therapy with a broadband stimulator and counseling, or 4) counseling alone. Subjects were instructed to listen to the devices for two hours per day at the time of day when symptoms were most severe. Mean scores on a Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ) improved over the 12 months of the study for the Neuromonics group. TRQ scores were not significantly improved in the control groups. At the six-month follow-up, 86% of patients in the customized acoustic stimuli groups had met the definition of success based on 40% improvement in the TRQ scores. Normalized visual analogue scores for tinnitus severity, general relaxation, and loudness tolerance were improved relative to both baseline and control group's scores at 12 months. Perceived benefits were also greater with the customized acoustic stimulus. Limitations of this study include the small sample and short-term follow-up.

Another study from the developers of the device described results for the first 552 patients who had treatment at specialized clinics in Australia (Hanley, 2008). Patients were divided into three levels, based on complicating factors and proposed suitability for the treatment. Tier 1 (n=237) did not display any nonstandard or complication factors. Tier 2 (n=223) exhibited one or more of the following: psychological disturbance, a low level of tinnitus-related disturbance (TRQ score below 17) and/or moderately severe or severe hearing loss in one ear (>50 dB). Tier 3 (n=92) exhibited one or more of the following: "reactive" tinnitus, continued exposure to high levels of noise during treatment, active pursuit of compensation, multi-tone tinnitus, pulsatile tinnitus, Meniere's disease, and/or hearing loss of greater than 50 dB in both ears. Of the 552 patients who began therapy, 62 (11%) chose to discontinue treatment for refund and 20 (4%) were lost to follow-up. After an average treatment duration of 37 weeks, the TRQ was reported to be improved by greater than 40% in 92% of Tier 1 patients, 60% of Tier 2 patients, and 39% of Tier 3 patients. It was not reported if the reduction in symptoms persisted when treatment stopped. The authors concluded that controlled studies with long-term follow-up are needed to evaluate the durability of treatment and the relative contribution of generalized masking versus desensitization to these results.

What is the Cost of Neuromonics?

The cost of Neuromonics is approximately $5000-$6000. But there is hope. The revolutionary technology of beyondtinnitus.com can provide an equally effective therapy at a substantially lower cost.

Advantages of Neuromonics Therapy for tinnitus treatment

Non-invasive
Effective in many patients

Disadvantages of Neuromonics Therapy for tinnitus relief

It requires going to a doctor or audiologist for the treatment
Cost of Neuromonics therapy for tinnitus is very high - $5000-$6000 for the therapy
Physicians at the University of California Irvine have developed a web-based customized sound therapy of tinnitus. For this breakthrough research-based Neuromonics alternative tinnitus therapy click here.

References

Hanley PJ, Davis PB, Paki B, et al. Treatment of tinnitus with a customized, dynamic acoustic neural stimulus: clinical outcomes in general private practice. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2008; 117(11):791-799.
Davis PB, Wilde RA, Steed LG, Hanley PJ. Treatment of tinnitus with a customized acoustic neural stimulus: a controlled clinical study. Ear Nose Throat J. 2008; 87(6):330-339.

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