ROCK ISLAND, Ill — Augustana College is seeking at least 30 participants with tinnitus for six weekly remote counseling sessions in a study researching how an online program can help sufferers.
Tinnitus is a hearing disorder that causes ringing in one or both ears. According to the Mayo Clinic, 15-20% of people suffer from the disorder.
Augustana's study will use the Tinnitus Activities Treatment — Online program, which includes recorded counseling sessions, homework activities, follow-up quizzes and online activities. Counseling sessions will focus on the "causes, prevalence, mechanisms and reactions" to tinnitus.
Researchers may also suggest coping strategies such as partial masking, a way to drown out the tinnitus with a louder sound.
The study will help researchers at the HEAR-T (Hearing + Tinnitus) Lab, a research center housed in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Augustana College, develop the online form of their Tinnitus Activities Treatment.
Dr. Ann Perreau, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders, will be directing the study. She also launched a study on hyperacusis in May, a disorder causing heightened sensitivity to sound, which will serve up to 60 participants for the next three years.
"These activities both help participants learn about the impact of tinnitus in their lives and help us as researchers to gain invaluable information to seek remedies for this hearing disorder," Perreau said in a press release.
Anyone interested in joining the study can sign up on the HEAR-T Lab website.
