TheraTin

One of the aims of the "TheraTin" research project is optimized biosignal processing for reliable, objective differential diagnosis and adequate therapy of tinnitus. To improve the quality of life of tinnitus sufferers, a special headphone with spatial sound is being developed. Spatial hearing and the recording of brain activity by EEG sensors should enable a closer link between diagnosis and therapy (theranostics) in the future. The two-year project is being funded under the Directive for the Promotion of Research, Technology and Innovation of Thüringen as part of the European Union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (REACT-EU).

In Europe, an estimated 46 million people suffer from tinnitus. The cause often cannot be clearly diagnosed. Tinnitus sufferers perceive tones or sounds that have no real sound source. As a result, many sufferers experience a reduced quality of life. In medicine, the current treatment methods such as hearing, behavioral and talk therapies are controversial and their effectiveness is often not scientifically proven. Until now, treatments have been tied to the therapeutic office environment over several sessions.

With the help of the new technology, the previously subjective diagnosis can be objectified. The analysis of brain signals recorded by EEG sensors supports an objective assessment of the tinnitus by the therapist. The portable headphones make the treatment location-independent. The immersive listening experience provided by plausible spatial sound synthesis, which has been significantly further developed in Ilmenau, enables the perception of virtual sound sources in the room around the listener rather than in the head. The therapy is to be supported thereby substantially.