For many people living with tinnitus, the constant internal noise can feel inescapable. Traditional approaches—such as masking the sound with louder audio or using counseling-based strategies—often offer only partial relief.
But a German research team is investigating whether turning the volume down, rather than up, could help calm the brain’s response.
The idea, described in a Phase II clinical trial reported by Brain Sciences and covered by News Medical, involves using sound so soft that patients can barely hear it.
How the new method works
The technique, called low-intensity noise tinnitus suppression, differs from masking therapies that overwhelm tinnitus with stronger sound. Instead, researchers:
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- identify the pitch of a patient’s tinnitus,
- generate noise tuned around that frequency, and
- deliver it at threshold-level loudness—just enough to be perceived, if at all.
According to the study authors writing in Brain Sciences, the goal is not to hide tinnitus but to subtly interact with the neural circuits that generate the sensation in the first place.
Inside the phase II trial
The trial enrolled adults with narrowband or tonal tinnitus—individuals who could reliably match the pitch of their symptoms.
Participants entered one of two groups: a group that began the new treatment immediately, and a comparison group that first received neutral white noise before switching to the tailored stimulus.
Researchers used hearing-aid devices or Bluetooth-delivered signals to provide the sound and asked participants to use the devices several hours a day over multiple weeks.
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They then tracked symptoms with repeated questionnaires and loudness assessments.
One challenge, the team noted, was that the precision of the frequency match varied depending on each patient’s hearing profile and device limitations.
What the findings suggest
According to the published results, patients who began the low-intensity noise therapy right away showed gradual reductions in tinnitus burden beginning around the two-week mark, with the strongest changes after four weeks.
Some improvements persisted after treatment ended. Effects in the white-noise-first group were weaker, which researchers think may indicate that neutral noise exposure temporarily dampened responsiveness to the targeted therapy.
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Although improvements were generally modest, a few participants reported significant reductions in loudness and nighttime distress.
What comes next
The authors emphasize that the method is still experimental and that larger studies are needed, particularly for people with more severe tinnitus or greater hearing loss. They also note that better fitting technology could improve outcomes.
Still, the early evidence suggests that very soft, precisely tuned sound may someday play a role in helping quiet tinnitus without overwhelming the listener.
The article is based on information from MDPI and News Medical
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