Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)
TRT depends upon the natural ability of the brain to “habituate” a signal, to filter it out on a subconscious level. Habituation requires no conscious effort. People frequently habituate many auditory sounds — air conditioners, computer fans, refrigerators, and gentle rain, among them. What they have in common is that they have no importance, so they are not perceived as ”loud.” Thus, the brain can screen them out.
TRT has two parts:
- The person with tinnitus will play some source of neutral sound everywhere he or she goes, including wearing in-the-ear sound generators.
- The person with tinnitus receives one-on-one counseling.
This form of tinnitus treatment takes 12 to 24 months.
BIOFEEDBACK FOR TINNITUS
Stress and anxiety can cause tinnitus to worsen. Biofeedback is a method to train an individual to control pulse rates, muscle tension and skin temperature. The goal is to achieve a relaxed frame of mind that will prevent intensification of the intrusive tinnitus sounds that one hears. Using electrodes to measure the body’s response the patient is put through a series of mental exercises to induce a state of relaxation.