Tinnitus or ringing in the ears, it is one of the most common ear complaints worldwide, affecting about 10 to 15% of the adult population. A striking figure, and yet so little attention is being paid to it. PlayRight+ wants to help change this. That is why we support the worldwide Tinnitus research by the TinnitusFree Foundation!

WHAT IS TINNITUS?

Tinnitus is the medical term for ringing in the ears. This means that people suffering from this condition hear sounds that the environment cannot perceive. This can manifest itself in various ways: rustling, whistling, humming tones, extremely high or low tones, loud noise or rather background noise, continuous or rather changing intensity throughout the day…

Also with regard to the causes, there is not just one cause that forms the basis of this annoying complaint. Tinnitus may be caused by (long-term) exposure to noise, old age, the use of certain medication or abnormalities within the ear organ.

RESEARCH

Tinnitus has been the subject of research for years and ways to alleviate this condition that drives many people crazy have been tested. However, until now no solid solution has been found to tackle the issue constructively and to make patients Tinnitus-free.

But we are hopeful, because a new global study is now being undertaken! And as we are often confronted with artists who are being confronted with this ear complaint, PlayRight estimates it important to contribute to and support this research!

TINNITUS BIG DATA / CROWD WISDOM RESEARCH

The global ‘TINNITUS HOUSE’ research project has finally been launched. This ‘CROWD WISDOM / BIG DATA STUDY’ is an initiative of TINNITUS HOUSE, a partnership platform between the TinnitusFree Foundation, the Brain Innovations Foundation and the Hoormij/NVVS Foundation. This research aims to give a new dimension by applying big data analyses, algorithms and new techniques. Moreover, the results of the analyses will be tested systematically with clinical trials.

What is so special about this research? Well, the current examination procedure with a primary care physician, an ENT specialist or an audiologist usually only consists of a standard questionnaire and the running of a few tests to see whether the patient does indeed suffer from Tinnitus. Sometimes medication or a certain therapy is prescribed to make the issue slightly more bearable, but no structural solutions are offered.

This new research aims to change that: one the one hand, patients will be questioned on a much larger scale and in a much broader, detailed way; on the other hand, patients will be able to test potentially effective remedies in a clinical setting. This way, the research hopes to expand the perspective of a constructive solution. 

THREE UNIQUE PILLARS OF THE RESEARCH

The study consists of three unique pillars:

1. ‘CROWD SCIENCE’: Patients register at www.tinnitushouse.nl where they will have to fill in (anonymous) questionnaires on a regular basis. These data are collected on a large scale and then analysed through big data analyses. 
   
2. ‘RECOMMENDER SYSTEM’: After completing the questionnaires, the patient automatically receives recommendations based on the group he or she belongs to. This is determined based on questions about the circumstances in which the disorder arose, remedies that have already been tried and the type of Tinnitus. As such, the study aims to gain a better understanding of the main causes of Tinnitus and the effectiveness of already existing remedies.
   
   The patients’ user data are then used as the basis for the automatic recommendation system.
3. ‘THE TINNITUS ROOM’: The patients’ responses will be analysed and patterns will be derived from the answers, which will then be tested. This will take place in the Tinnitus Room: an actual, clinical space in which patients are examined and the most likely hypotheses are tested by a selected group of patients.

HELP AND DONATE

Are you not a Tinnitus patient yourself, but do you want to support this research? You can do so by making a donation via this link: https://tinnitusfree.eu/campaigns/lets-get-tinnitus-out-of-the-way/

QUESTIONS?

For more information about the study of additional questions, do not hesitate to contact the BrainInnovations Foundation, Joop van Gent: +31 621 24 76 43 or gent@irion.nl. For more info about the TinnitusFree Foundation, contact Frank van Hoorn: +31 654 79 81 82 or frank@tinnitusfree.eu .The TinnitusFree Foundation is supported by PlayRight+.