Eeg feedback controlled sound therapy for tinnitus

• US 20050043646A1
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Viirre, Erik, Pineda, Jaime A., Moore, F. Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,081,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/545
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/00 Methods or devices for treatment of the ears or hearing sense implantable prostheses that substitute or replace internal ear parts, e.g. ear-drums, A61F2/18; methods or devices to cause a change in the state of auditory consciousness A61M21/00; electrotherapy applying electrical stimulation of the auditory system, or circuits therefor A61N1/36; radiotherapy using optical stimulation of the auditory system A61N5/06; electro-acoustic hearing aids H04R25/00; Non-electric hearing aids; Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense; Protective devices for the ears, carried on the body or in the hand headwear, e.g. caps or helmets, with means for protecting the ears A42B1/0188, A42B3/16

Abstract

An automated method for treating tinnitus by habituation through use of neurological feedback, comprising the steps of connecting a subject through a set of attached headphones to an electronic sound player that is connected to a PC workstation presenting sound examples by software to the subject who can refine them by manipulating a series of controllers on the player, making an electronic recording of the sound in a digital music format, storing the recording in the computer, transferring a copy of the electronic sound file to the subject'"'"'s electronic music player, generating an EEC signature of the subject'"'"'s brain activity in response to the presented sound, sound using the customized sound to stimulate the auditory system while the brain activity is recorded, wherein the computer continuously monitors for the feedback signatures and drives the sound stimuli appropriately.

Claims

1. An automated method for treating tinnitus by habituation to customized sound through use of neurological feedback, comprising the steps of:

connecting a subject through headphones to an electronic sound player that is connected to a PC workstation;

creating a customized sound profile for the subject'"'"'s particular tinnitus by

presenting a plurality of audible sound examples from tinnitus sound library software to the subject;

allowing the subject to choose and refine the presented sounds that most closely resemble the tinnitus sound;

recording the refined sound in a digital music format to create a custom sound profile;

storing the custom sound profile recording in a computer;

generating an EEG signature of the subject'"'"'s brain activity in response to the presented sound by

downloading a copy of the electronic sound file to the subject'"'"'s electronic music player,

presenting custom sound most closely matching the tinnitus to

stimulate the auditory system,

recording the subject'"'"'s response to sounds adjacent to but not specifically corresponding to his tinnitus signature,

recording the subject'"'"'s brain activity during absence of sound stimuli

uploading the EEG responses to sound stimuli and to the absence of sound into the computer to create the EEG signature; and

exposing the subject to the custom sound for as long as practical each day wherein the EEG is actively monitored by the computer, which generates sound in response and periodically tests the signatures for tinnitus and silence and determines if the tinnitus is decreasing and the silence signal is strengthening, and wherein if these changes are not present, the computer slightly alters the sound stimuli and again checks for feedback, and

wherein the computer continuously monitors for the feedback signatures and drives the sound stimuli appropriately to habituate the subject to his tinnitus.

2. A method for customized habituation treatment of tinnitus without masking sound or using subthreshold sound, comprising:

matching narrowband sound frequency to a patient'"'"'s perceived tinnitus;

presenting the matched sound frequency to the patient

wherein the presented matched sound activates the same population of neurons affected by tinnitus, and

wherein habituation occurs when the tinnitus and the habituating stimulus sound are as much alike as possible; and

periodically updating frequency changes as required for maintaining maximum habituation.

3. An objective method for diagnosing tinnitus by detecting changes in the dynamic response characteristics of the auditory cortex induced by tinnitus, comprising:

characterizing a subject'"'"'s tinnitus perception by matching the pitch of his or her tinnitus to the frequericy of a pure sine tone generated by

a function generator

a programmable logarithmic amplifier that controlled in real time by a stimulus presentation and data collection program set the intensity of each stimulus;

recording an auditory evoked potential to a variety of tone pitches, including the tinnitus pitch

wherein the increased activation of the auditory cortex manifests itself as an increased slope of the AR; and

calculating the slope of the AR response for tinnitus frequency tones wherein the observed increase in the slope of the AR in tinnitus is due to tinnitus-related activity present in the auditory cortex.

4. A method for treating tinnitus by habituation to its sound frequency, comprising the steps of:

determining the “

matching frequency”

(pitch) of a subject'"'"'s tinnitus;

determining the hearing threshold for the tinnitus frequency;

determining the “

matching intensity”

of the subject'"'"'s tinnitus;

determining the hearing threshold for the “

off”

frequencies;

stimulating the auditory system in two series of tonal stimulation

first at the tinnitus frequency, and

second at the “

off”

frequency;

collecting EEG data; and

giving the subjects an electronic music player having the habituation stimulus downloaded

wherein the subjects are asked to listen to it for as long as it is comfortable each day.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the “

matching frequency”

is determined by 25 presenting the subjects with a continuous, audible tone varying in pitch, and asking them to indicate the frequency most closely matching the frequency of their tinnitus.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein to determine the threshold, subjects are presented with a continuous tone that gradually increases in volume, and are asked to indicate when they begin to hear the tone.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the intensity at which the subjects begin to. hear the tone is considered the hearing threshold.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein to determine the “

matching intensity”

subjects are presented with a continuous tone that increases or decreases in volume and are asked to indicate the moment when they perceive the tone as being of the same loudness as their tinnitus.

9. An EEG marker of tinnitus suitable for diagnosing the presence of tinnitus, comprising:

a replica of a subject'"'"'s sound experience; and

a measure of the subject'"'"'s EEG response to increasing intensity of the sound wherein the replica of sound is constructed from a patients subjective determination of sound most closely related to the annoying sound experienced by the patient, and the patient'"'"'s EEG response is measured to determine peak amplitude of the N100 component.